>> Yeah I’ve read it. I cannot find the term “Annunciation Day” in the Bible. <<
Wow, I can’t find the term, “sola scriptura” in the bible either. Which, by your reasoning, demonstrates that your reasoing is foolish.
>> Does God have a mother? <<
There were three critical heresies which were common when the Church ruled that the title of “Mother of God” should be taught:
1. A gnostic heresy that Jesus was not divine when he was born, but that he only attained divinity. This heresy threatens to teach people that like Jesus, they can make themselves into gods.
2. The Arian heresy, alive today in Islam, that Jesus was not divine at all. This heresy threatens to teach people that Jesus was merely a prophet, and therefore further, greater revelation may come or may have come at a later point.
3. That Jesus had a divine nature, but that divine nature was seperated from his human nature, and that two persons occupied the same flesh. This heresy threatens to teach that only his human nature was crucified or that only the divine nature was resurrected, negating the amazing miracle of the crucifixion, or the hope of the resurrection.
The title “Mother of God” is a way of expressing that Jesus was fully human, and fully divine, since the only other alternatives are the three heresies aforementioned. It does not imply that Mary pre-existed God, but rather that God became Man.
Now, you seem worried that “Mother” implies something which wasn,’t intended: that Mary created Jesus. Indeed, the Latins had two terms which are both sometimes translated father, “Pater” and “Progenitor.” If “Father” could be translated “progenitor,” it’s reasonable to suppose that “Mother” could be. But to suppose that “Mother of God” might lead people to believe that Mary was God’s progenitor, you’d have to believe that Catholics are pretty damned stupid.
So if you’re going to object to the term “Mother of God,” can you find any instance where Catholics have stated that Mary existed before God existed? If not, what is the basis of your concern?
>> I can find gifts of the Spirit, but perhaps I read too much. <<
I’m gonna suppose what you might mean by this point: that among the gifts are wisdom and discernment to distinguish true doctrine from false doctrine? If so, two people cannot discern different truths about the same point.
When two sides both read the same bible and come to differing conclusions, what should we do? Many protestants seem to rely on the insistence that the other side isn’t really basing their arguments on the bible, which convinces themselves of their own opinion, but not those on the other side who know better. Catholics look to see which understanding is that of the ancient church. Protestants complain that we can’t really know what the ancients believed because Catholics have been the ones in charge of the church for so long... Oh, yeah... that’s the Catholic point exactly!
There is a reason that the term "sola scriptura" can not be found in the Bible.
Lots of stuff cannot be found in the Bible.
Infant Baptism. I cannot find it.
Trinity. I cannot find it.
Transubstantiation? I cannot find it.
Purgatory? I cannot find it.
I could go on ad infinitum!
I'll give you a clue......to what is going on.....Clearly the letters to the seven Churches which are in Asia is currently beyond your willingness to consider....
My "reasoing" as you put it, is based on a lifetime of actually paying attention to what is being said in congregation by honest folk.
I have no grievances with the Churches of Sardis, Smyrna, Laodicea, et al.
I appreciate the metaphors and the messages. I doubt that you have yet seriously considered the whole of it all.
There is still time.