What arrogance. Who said you had the authoritative interpretation of scripture?
Mary is your Blessed Mother. Her assent allowed you to be saved (hopefully). Show some respect.
Why is it so important that protestants think Mary was not a virgin? Could it be that holiness is a characteristic lacking in protestant theology. Mary as an example of faithfulness and holiness is too difficult an example to strive for? Total depravity demands it?
I just had a thought. Maybe protestantism is just like communism in that regard. It doesn't build up, it just tears down. Take from the rich and give to the poor. It would explain a great many things.
Who said that all of Scripture needs interpretation?
Scripture is Scripture. It says what it says.
Jesus, the Apostles...
Mat_15:10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Mat_24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mar_7:14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
Mar_8:17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
Mar_8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
Joh_8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Eph_3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
1Co_1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
And who are the wise???
Col_2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
And what's the first thing Catholic seminary students do??? They goes for 3 years of education in man's wisdom, philosophy...
Jesus and the Apostles make it very clear that we can understand the scriptures and we are instructed to understand the scriptures...
Like I said, when your religion collides with the scriptures, I always dump the Catholic religion...
Now for the BIG question...Who duped you into believing that neither you nor anyone else outside your magisterium have the authority or knowledge to understand the scriptures???
Is this a serious question? Because I am seeing quite a few people suggesting that 'brother' really means 'cousin', that 'first born' really means 'only born', and that 'take her as your wife' really means 'don't take her as your wife'. In other words, I am to ignore what is written in plain English and instead replace it with what you dictate? And you call me 'arrogant'? Unbelievable.
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Mary is your Blessed Mother.
Blessed? Absolutely. My mother? No.
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Her assent allowed you to be saved (hopefully).
It is God and God alone that 'allows' me to be saved. Mary does not sit in intercession at the Right Hand of the Father. Christ, Lord Jesus does.
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Show some respect.
I have shown zero disrespect for Mary throughout this entire thread. Besides, I am not the one here making her out to be someone she clearly is not.
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Why is it so important that protestants think Mary was not a virgin?
I nor anyone else can speak for all Protestants. But as for myself, I do believe Mary was a virgin at the time that she gave birth to Jesus. And I haven't seen any non-Catholic on this thread dispute that. The thing that is important to me is that scripture can hold true without contradiction. Yet the moment you inject into scripture that Mary must have died a virgin, then you unleash several contradictions into scripture. It's nothing personal against Mary. It has to do with whether scripture can be believed.
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Could it be that holiness is a characteristic lacking in protestant theology. Mary as an example of faithfulness and holiness is too difficult an example to strive for? Total depravity demands it?
I will ask again. Are you seriously suggesting that having marital relations inside of marriage just as God intended is somehow 'unholy'? Really?
There it is...the prevarication of Roman Catholic apologetics. See the bold part above in your comments. Please show us the evidence of Protestant or Evangelical faiths denying the virginity of blessed Mary. Show us please. No one has denied on this thread the virginity of Mary 'until' or 'till' she gave birth to Jesus Christ.
That is the Scriptural evidence presented. There is no doubt from Scriptures Mary was a Virgin when she gave birth to Jesus Christ. NO ONE has argued against that, no one. The debate is AFTER she gave birth. There is no Scriptural evidence she remained a virgin---was a perpetual virgin. No evidence. There is evidence that she and Joseph lived a normal married life. It is all in the 'until' or 'till'.
The other prevarication we are seeing on this thread is to project to non RCs the notion that we or some of us deny the Deity of Jesus Christ because we do not adhere to the perpetual virginity of Mary. How that came about I don't know but it is obvious and dishonest.
In the same manner I could say a Roman Catholic relies on the Deity of Jesus Christ through Mary.