[Cronos]

I DO know that while I was living in the Phillipines I heard one person explain the Trinity as the Father, the Mother, and the Son, so I think there is room for the more uneducated of Catholics to fall into error here, and I think the “Mother of God” phrase can contribute to it.

Yes, no one ever said that the concept of Mary's role as the human mother of Christ was easy -- forget about the extremely complicated concept of the Trinity.

however, you raised a good point -- remember that that belief is NOT the teachings of The Church. Uneducated and simple Christians can fall into error, yes, but they will also be hard pressed to explain the Trinity too, right? That doesn't mean that we dumb down the complexities of God and fall into theological error.

For people who just believe and forget about the explanations, that's very good, but there are more complex theological concepts for us.

[chesley]

Yes, there are. And from time to time I will get into them and study them for awhile.

But as I have no formal training in these areas, I have got to admit that that the terminology escapes me after a short time. Still, I’ve done enough to know what I believe, and have a fair concept of why I believe it. Even if that final reason is just a leap of faith.

Fortunately, I think, one does not have to be a theological expert to receive salvation. One just has to seek it through Christ.

In the final analysis, I am mostly a Calvinist, although I believe in free will far more than in predestination. Although I do believe an omniscient God knows whether or not you will be saved.