I chose the word dishonest because you seem to be fairly well versed in the Bible yet you would try and pull one like, "even though these figurative generalizations don't explicitly exempt Mary, they don't exempt Christ either."
My point is that the Bible speaks with one voice - i.e. you know it isn't contradictory - and the WHOLE counsel of the Bible must be sought on any topic. You KNOW the Bible exempts Jesus - even the very writers we are looking at explicitly exempt him. And you also KNOW that no where in the Bible is Mary exempted.
Were you unaware before my post that Peter, Paul and John specifically exempt Jesus from the group of "all who have sinned"? I think not.
Were you also unaware that throughout the book of Romans Paul is contiunally setting sinful humanity on one side and sinless Jesus on the other???
******* "Not everything in the bible is literal."
Especially when it contradicts Catholic Doctrine.
******* " If the bible or any other text states that "all have sinned" without specifically excluding someone like Christ who didn't sin"
This is an example of dishonest thinking or a failure on your part to understand the argument of Romans!
See here in Romans 3
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"
You see the distinction? Here we have "all" on one side and "Christ Jesus" on the other. Paul CLEARLY does not include Jesus in the group of all who have sinned. He is explicitly excepted.
And here:
Romans 5:19
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
Notice he says by the obedience of ONE - not TWO (Mary and Jesus).
******* Me: The Biblical witness is that all have sinned and Christ is the only excpetion.
******* YOU: But it doesn't say this in the bible. only by picking and choosing verses out of context can you come to such a extra-biblical conclusion.
I've clearly shown you the verses.You have chose not ignore them or explain them away.
******* "If Sola Sriptura was important, surely the biblical authors would have gone out of their way to note that, wouldn't they? "
The did! Care to see it?
******* "Nowhere does the bible say that the bible is the sole source of divine revalation "
That's not the definition of sola scriptura.
******* "no where does the bible say that Mary ever sinned. "
Oh yes it does!
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Galatians 3:22
See the distinction??? "All are under" sin on one side, "Jesus" alone on the other.
******* "All grace comes from Jesus Christ, and Mary is His mother. "
We've been through this. Mary was his mother, Anna was her mother, etc, etc, etc. You might as well call Anna's great grandmother the channel of all grace and mediatrix!
******* "There is no worse way to attack any man than to insult his mother. "
This is NOT an attack on Mary! I believe everything the Bible says about Mary - that she was a pure and humble haindmaden of the Lord, but nevertheless a sinner in need of a Savior.
My comments are a defense of the Mary of the Bible from those who wish to inflate her into some type of semi-divine, female Savior.
You have proven yourself unworthy of rational debate on this topic by repeating this unwarranted slander in a desperate attempt to use fallacious ad hominem attacks to bolster your failing argument. I'll save my discussion for a more worthy representative of your religion and instead use that time to pray to the Blessed Mother of God, the Most Holy Virgin Mary, that she, along with all the other angles and saints, intercede for mercy on your behalf with her Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.
"Notice he says by the obedience of ONE - not TWO (Mary and Jesus)."
Without the obedience of Mary, we would not have had Jesus.
This need to be repeated over and over again.
All except the One who created the universe are sinners in need of a Saviour.
b'shem Y'shua