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To: xzins; Kolokotronis
I agree that this line of teaching would be entirely unprofitable. I hope it is not some kind of settled dogma of the church, or whatever they call it

First, the only dogma of the Orthodox Church regarding Mary is that she is the Theotokos (One who bore God), the Mother of God.

Second, the Church does teach, proclaim and affirm that the belief in her Ever-Virginity is an unbroken belief held by the Church since the beginning.

The Church reminds us, further that "it was the practice for devout Jews in the ancient world to refrain from sexual activity following any great manifestation of the Holy Spirit." (Ibid)

Regarding St. Jospeh, GOARCH says

The Lenten Liturgies are full of that ever-held belief


763 posted on 12/08/2006 7:14:52 AM PST by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
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To: kosta50; HarleyD; Forest Keeper; wagglebee; P-Marlowe; Kolokotronis; blue-duncan

My contention, kosta, is simply that these things cannot be affirmed in scripture. That's the point, and that is the only point.

They can be affirmed by scripture + something else.

I would argue that the perpetual virginity cannot then be 2000 years old. There were no church fathers writing approximately one decade after the birth of Christ. The only ones writing were those who recorded instances during Christ's ministry on earth, approx 3 decades later.

Since there is no clear presentation of any perpetual virginity in scripture, the best you can say is that the perpetual virginity was taught from about 18 or 19 hundred years ago.


771 posted on 12/08/2006 7:40:44 AM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and proud of it! Supporting our troops means praying for them to WIN!)
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To: kosta50; xzins; Kolokotronis
"Second, the Church does teach, proclaim and affirm that the belief in her Ever-Virginity is an unbroken belief held by the Church since the beginning."
________________________

Origen 182-251AD commenting about the dubious origin of the "Protoevangelium of James" also commented that that while the notion (perpetual virginity) might seem pious, it was not unlikely that the obvious interpretation of Scripture (that Mary bore children for Joseph) was true and acceptable.

Clearly the perpetual virginity of Mary was not an established fact in the early church.
787 posted on 12/08/2006 8:54:19 AM PST by wmfights (Romans 8:37-39)
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