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To: Wordsmith
Just to clarify, the Orthodox do not accept any doctrine like the RC doctrine of Immaculate Conception. We do not believe that Mary was anything more or less than a fully normal mortal woman. To believe otherwise breaks down the joining of the fully Divine with the fully mortal.

Well ok. Doesn't sound like I have a beef with you. Do I?

23,732 posted on 02/04/2002 6:18:31 AM PST by Invincibly Ignorant
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To: Invincibly Ignorant;wordsmith
Well ok. Doesn't sound like I have a beef with you. Do I?

But you still deny the title "Theotokos," so you do have a beef.

Is Jesus one person or two?

SD

23,735 posted on 02/04/2002 6:26:44 AM PST by SoothingDave
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To: Invincibly Ignorant
Well ok. Doesn't sound like I have a beef with you. Do I?

No, I don't think so. I believe we're at the same place theologically, but the language can be a hang-up. I posted about this in more detail yesterday, but basically I believe that any reverence and respect we show Mary is a direct consequence of her choice to say "yes" to God and the consequences of this action, and has nothing to do with any intrinsic property of her being. This is why the Orthodox call her "first among the saints."

But I do think that NC's in their fervant devotion to the Trinity as the only possible Godhead, and their fear of Mary being presented as a kind of Goddess, have gone too far the other direction and run great risks by trying to portray Mary as "just another woman" and denying her rightful place as mother of God. The truth is between these two extremes. Mary is fully and completely mortal, at her origin in her being no different from you or I. But the impact of her free choice to become the vehicle of the Incarnation was monumental, and effected the whole of creation - and her in an especially powerful way due to her proximity to the event.

She is not now, never was, and never will be a Goddess or co-equal with the Trinity. But the power and grace given by God to a mortal fully and completely redeemed by God is awesome, and we believe that Mary is the epitome of this gift.

23,737 posted on 02/04/2002 6:30:01 AM PST by Wordsmith
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