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?