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To: P-Marlowe

You make many great points, but the best for me was noticing that if she'd been born without sin and had not sinned, then she would not fall under the death penalty and would have to be taken to heaven without dying.

I am a bit amused by the hymen debate...it's so relatable to those societies that elevate virgin brides; the ones that require proof -- a bloodied sheet, an eyewitness, whatever, of the bride's virginity.

Without a hymen in those cultures there was no virginity.


778 posted on 12/08/2006 8:16:15 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and proud of it! Supporting our troops means praying for them to WIN!)
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To: xzins; Kolokotronis; annalex
You make many great points, but the best for me was noticing that if she'd been born without sin and had not sinned, then she would not fall under the death penalty and would have to be taken to heaven without dying

Your are so wrong on this. First, the "born without sin" is a bone of contention between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologies. The Orthodox hold and have always held that Mary was an ordinary human being from birth until her death. The only extraordinary thing about her, which is what makes her the saint of saints, is her complete devotion and unwavering love for God.

It was through her devotion and love that she chose not to sin and remained pure in her heart all her life. We do not subscribe to the Immaculate Conception because we do not subscribe to the idea of the "original sin" as the West does, which necessitates the dogma of Immaculate Conception.

In other words, in addition of her awesome task of having been chosen to care for our Savior, Mary is also revered as a saint, not goddess, ads an example and hope for all of us to follow by loving God more than anything, first and foremost.

Frankly, the Protestant portrayal even of Christ appears frighteningly humanized, with the impression that the only thing "holy" about God is His awesome power, and our "devotion" to Him is an opportunistic rather than a loving approach, bordering on duty, along with " retirement benefits." It doesn't come from the heart, but from fear and selfishness. That's just my opinion.

793 posted on 12/08/2006 9:11:33 AM PST by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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