Posted on 10/21/2002 9:04:51 AM PDT by jern
BREAKING: Archaeologists Report 1st Direct Evidence of Jesus
Luke 1: 42...and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirt, cired out in a loud voice ad said,"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
And after Jesus was born? Oh oh, they dropped her like a hot potato.
I kinda doubt that they'll find any "direct evidence" that's more compelling.
Now transport that hesitancy back 2000 years, to a people where God was everything. You get the idea.
Regards, Ivan
I must have missed the "discussion". Here is the church's stance on the Immaculate Conception. Is this what you were referring to?
491. "Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, 'full of grace' through God,[ .] was redeemed from the moment of her CONCEPTION. That is what the dogma of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:
The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her CONCEPTION, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.[Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus (1854): DS 2803.]"
All those angels who praised her while carring the Lord. After she had her blessing, her job was complete. That was her reward. Time to do her wifely duty with Joe.
God used people to do his will throughout the Bible, but he did not request statues to be made of them to pray to, now did he?
There were many in the Bible who were blessed. Being allowed to be the vessel to carry Jesus was her blessing. That's all she got. It was over. Time to move on.
Nowhere in the Bible is she to be prayed to. God hated idols. I looked. Nothing, nadda, zilch.
If you can show me where Mary is to be considered diety, and worthy of prayers, please show me.
"Mary was betrothed to Joseph. This was more than what we mean by being engaged. It involved a public pledge and implied the possibility of intimate relations. Joseph and Mary had evidently made a promise of abstinence or virginity to each other. This can seem strange to us, but some of the things we have learned about the Essenes from the Dead Scrolls help to put such a promise in a context. The Essenes had a monastery in Qumran where some of the members lived lifelong celibacy. There were also married couples associated with them who abstained from sexual relations for short or long periods of time in order to devote themselves more fully to prayer. Paul makes a reference to that practice (which had Old Testament roots) in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 7:5: "Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer."). Joseph and Mary who were pious Jews may have been influenced by the Essene milieu. For that reason when the angel told Mary she would conceive and give birth to a son, she did not say, "Oh, Joseph and I are going to have a child." No, what she said was, "How is this possible since I have no relations with a man?" Or as another translation say, "since I am remaining a virgin."The angel Gabriel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."
[12]Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away; [13] and when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.
[14] All these with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1: 12-14)(RSV)
[1] When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. [2] And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. (Acts 2: 1-3)(RSV)
Mary was amongst the people the Holy Spirit descended upon the day of Pentecost. If she "was just a vessel chosen to carry the blessed child. A womb, but that's all," why would she have been chosen to be present on this day? This is only one example of the pick-and-choose Scripture attitude of certain Christians.
I don't think Joseph was one of those. After all, his idea of a flash set of wheels was a broken down donkey with one previous owner. ;)
Love, Ivan
Well, homosexual priests weren't in the Bible, either. Someone wrote that part in, I guess. LOL.
They still haven't arrested any.
Not exactly. The disciple whom Jesus loved was entrusted to whose care at Calvary?
John 19:26
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"
Not only is Mary Mother of God, she is also Mother of the Church.
You are correct. Same mother, different fathers.
So she was there praying with the rest. Big deal. I would expect her to show up.
Mary was amongst the people the Holy Spirit descended upon the day of Pentecost.
I repeat, with all the others. She wasn't special here either. The rest recieved the Holy Spirit as well.
What's your point?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.