It is interesting that as someone who spent years as a protestant then in some evangelical sects, finally becoming a catholic, I do not recognise the caricature of it by those outside it, who do not seem to know either what it is or what it stands for.
What catholics believe is there in the catechism for all to see.
If you don't subscribe to it, you are not a catholic, and you know where the door is, it is not locked.
For sure there are a lot of badly catechised cradle catholics who do some strange things. But they do not speak for catholicsim when they do.
The catholic mass says it all. It is wall to wall scripture, with several readings in each mass, farmore than in any evangelical or protestant sect I ever belonged to. There are 100 mentions of Jesus, God, Lamb, Spirit, but only two of mary and the saints in the context of "pray for us". Bible reading has always been encouraged, as numerous popes have urged, whether the message gets through or not, is something else.
The reality is scripture and asking for guidance from the spirit is provably not enough, as the massive profound differences between an enormous number of protestant denominations prove.
As for tradition , please understand it. The word paradosis "tradition" means handing down, which is how the faith was transmitted in the early years. Jesus gave us apostles, not a book to hand the faith on. So as Paul says "hold true to tradition taught to you by word of mouth and letter" is simply reflective of how the faith was handed on before the new testament became an accepted book, and evidence that the gospels were not yet in circulation then.
On the other hand go back to the early church fathers, you can see what the apostles handed down. Irenaus only a century on who knew and was taught by Polcarp who was, a student of John the apostle.
He writes for example of bishops, or those they entrust to perform valid baptism and eucharist.
"Do ye all follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ doth the Father; and follow the presbyters as the apostles; and have respect unto the deacons as unto the commandment of God. Let no one, apart from the bishop, do any of the things that appertain unto the church. Let that eucharist alone be considered valid which is celebrated in the presence of the bishop, or of him to whom he shall have entrusted it. 8:2 Wherever the bishop appear, there let the multitude be; even as wherever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful either to baptize, or to hold a love-feast without the consent of the bishop; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that also is well pleasing unto God, to the end that whatever is done may be safe and sure. "
Elsewhere he says of the real presence
"Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . . They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again. They who deny the gift of God are perishing in their disputes"
And so on.
History and tradition are needed to understand how the early church performed, and what scripture means as opposed to what it says.
