Wagglebee. You do not own biblical interpretation. The plain sense of the words indicate Mary did have sex and other children. You may disagree with the interpretation, but it isn't NON-SCRIPTURAL.
I'm sorry that you have decided to throw out Paul's letters. The gospel is contained therein. Of course, you are rejecting Jesus's words as well. Whoseover BELIEVES HAS ETERNAL LIFE. Period.
And by the way, since you obviously have the original scrolls and parchments in order to tell me authoritatively what a "true translation" of Scripture was, I suggest that it would be the "Christian" thing to do to share them with Biblical Archaeology Review so that the entire world can see them. I'll give Time Magazine a call. Maybe you can be Man of the year next year.
No, I rely upon the Church's.
The plain sense of the words indicate Mary did have sex and other children. You may disagree with the interpretation, but it isn't NON-SCRIPTURAL.
Unless you can provide scriptural statements saying that MARY had other children and had sex, then I will continue to believe that it is not in scripture.
I'm sorry that you have decided to throw out Paul's letters.
All I said was that he did not write a Gospel.
The gospel is contained therein.
As it is in James.
Of course, you are rejecting Jesus's words as well. Whoseover BELIEVES HAS ETERNAL LIFE. Period.
This is NOT WHAT Jesus said in Matthew 25.
And by the way, since you obviously have the original scrolls and parchments in order to tell me authoritatively what a "true translation" of Scripture was,
On the contrary, it would be the job of Luther, et al to provide original scrolls that contain the phrase "faith alone." I do not need to prove a negative (which cannot be done, but I daresay that that is a different topic). I suggest that it would be the "Christian" thing to do to share them with Biblical Archaeology Review so that the entire world can see them. I'll give Time Magazine a call. Maybe you can be Man of the year next year.
So now you are mocking me personally because you disagree with two thousand years of Catholic teaching and tradition?
I think we will not make any further progress until you understand the Catholic position. I was a devout Protestant for almost four decades, and received my M.Div. from a Presbyterian seminary, so I think I can say that I understand the Protestant perspective. But as a Protestant, I did not understand the Catholic point of view. The Catholic point of view is *completely* different from the Protestant point of view. It is like those drawings where you can see either a rabbit or a duck, or a young woman or an old woman. It seems to me that you do not understand the Catholic point of view, and until you do so, we are just going to be talking past each other, disagreeing about matters that don't deal with the fundamental/foundational differences. I recommend that you read some books on the Catholic perspective, and then rejoin the conversation, and then at least perhaps you will understand where we're coming from, and *what* are the fundamental/foundational differences that distiguish the Catholic and Protestant points of view.
First, I recommend reading the Fathers. Here are some good books:
The Teachings of the Church Fathers by Willis
The History of the Church by Eusebius
The Faith of the Early Fathers (three volumes) by Jurgens
Patrology by Quasetens
Early Christian Fathers by Richardson
Second, read about the ecumenical Councils. I recommend:
The First Seven Ecumenical Councils by Davis The General Councils by Bellito
The Sources of Catholic Dogma by Denzinger
The Christian Faith by Dupuis
Third, read some general works on the Catholic Faith. I recommend:
The Faith of Our Fathers by Gibbons
The Spirit of Catholicism by Karl Adam
One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic by Whitehead
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Second Edition)
Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ott
An Essay on the Development of Doctrine by Newman
Fourth, I recommend reading about the Catholic view of Scripture. I recommend:
Not by Scripture Alone by Sungenis
Making Senses out of Scripture by Shea
Where we got the Bible by Graham
A Biblical Defense of Catholicism by Armstrong
Fifth, read about the Catholic understanding of Tradition. I recommend:
By What Authority? by Shea
Tradition and Traditions by Congar [a bit pricey]
The Meaning of Tradition by Congar [more affordable]
When you have read that, then let's talk.
-A8