Mary, as I understand it, simply agreed. If she did not agree, then I have every confidence that God would have found a way to carry out John 3:15. I do not know what personal debt might arise to Mary in regard to the Incarnation. We owe the possibility of our salvation to her Son and to Him alone.
I will pull out the tape but I would expect to find that Gibson said it was easier to go to heaven if you are a Catholic, the question arising in the context of the fact that his wife is Anglican (and the unstated position of the RCC that the Anglican Church lacks apostolic succession according to Leo XIII and therefore lacks the Mass and the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance). It would certainly be easier for any Christian to see heaven than for Hindus or Buddhists or whatever form of pagan, the non-Catholic Christian having less of the fullness of the Faith than the Catholic and the pagans still less so and usually none of the Faith.
I am not stressing these differences between us to aggravate but just to state my suspicions as to the interview and what I, as a Catholic, suspect that Gibson may have said and why before reviewing it. As you may well have a more comprehensive recall of Scripture than I, so I may have an easier feel for Catholic tradition as we Catholics experience it. I will tell you honestly and publicly in either event after reviewing it.
Luke 1:
[30] And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
[31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
By ascribing a choice to her you give her something that the bible does not. By doing this you establish a foothold onwhich to build other untruths like her worthiness to carry Jesus. Assumption/assention whichever one is hers, I forget. Ever virginity co-redemer co-mediater. All are built on such tiny things as choice and merit that are nowhere given in the Word of God.
Mary, as I understand it, simply agreed. If she did not agree, then I have every confidence that God would have found a way to carry out John 3:15. I do not know what personal debt might arise to Mary in regard to the Incarnation. We owe the possibility of our salvation to her Son and to Him alone.
A parallel example of this whole "agree" thing is seen in Saul's conversion. You don't see him givin a choice it was simply BAM you're a Christian now. I like Calvin's term "irresistable" in these cases.
I will pull out the tape but I would expect to find that Gibson said it was easier to go to heaven if you are a Catholic, the question arising in the context of the fact that his wife is Anglican (and the unstated position of the RCC that the Anglican Church lacks apostolic succession according to Leo XIII and therefore lacks the Mass and the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance). It would certainly be easier for any Christian to see heaven than for Hindus or Buddhists or whatever form of pagan, the non-Catholic Christian having less of the fullness of the Faith than the Catholic and the pagans still less so and usually none of the Faith.
It is possible that the word used was Catholic and not Christian. However, in the context of the question we can say that it translates to Christian vs non-christian religion, perhaps.
I am not stressing these differences between us to aggravate but just to state my suspicions as to the interview and what I, as a Catholic, suspect that Gibson may have said and why before reviewing it. As you may well have a more comprehensive recall of Scripture than I, so I may have an easier feel for Catholic tradition as we Catholics experience it. I will tell you honestly and publicly in either event after reviewing it.
I appreciate your mature attitude in discussing these issues. As a non-catholic that debates with Catholics a lot I have a pretty good feel for how Catholics view things too. I know that salvation is not near as black and white to a Catholic and even less so to a Mel. I'm not a Mel fan at all but I was excited to see him giving testimony, even if with a catholic want to it, of the Lord on TV.
It's true that we have many differences and I often struggle with how to feel about all of them and what they add up to.
BlackElk, if you would, please ping me when you post that response.