We have looked at the essential difference between Protestants and Catholics as I see it: the issue of authority. In sum, we see that for the Protestants, while they claim that the Bible is the sole authority, what actually happens is that the individual's interpretation is the sole authority (for example, the Church maintains, and Christian tradition maintains that Onan is Genesis 39 was struck down by God because of contraceptive sex--withdrawal. Ask anyone who is in favor of contraception, and they will say Onan's sin was violate the levirite law). Catholics use not only Sacred Scripture, but also the testimony of 2000 years of Christianity as well as the teaching authority of the Magesterium.
The former view has led to a number of innovative doctrines, especially moral, in the several hundred years since Martin Luther declared himself an heretic by nailing the 95 Theses to the church door. The latter view has preserved the teachings of the Lord, as passed down by the Apostles.
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