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To: DragoonEnNoir
rather whether it is scripturally justified and glorifies God.

As to glorifying God, I have no question that I praise God in His Saints.

But as is now being discussed (for the ninety-eleventh time) Catholics have this notion of Tradition which is not endorsed by most Protestants. Consequently our attitude toward Scripture, which we tend to interpret traditionally, differs from that of most Protestants. By our lights our Marian teaching and practice are eminently Scripturally justified.

The big "meta" question is "What does 'to prove from Scripture' mean and how can one tell when one has done it?"

136 posted on 09/09/2007 8:57:44 AM PDT by Mad Dawg (Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.)
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To: Mad Dawg

I think we disagree strongly on whether Marian dogma is biblically justified, as I think you’d find would be the case with most non-Catholics (which the RC sometimes lumps together under the rather vague term ‘Protestant’).

I have no doubt that you believe you glorify God.

You’re right that Catholic ‘tradition’ is the main stumbling point. Catholics tend to assign near scriptural authority to the writings of many Saints, Popes, or synods... wrongly in my opinion, but that is to be expected in this case.

The question though is whether my opinion in this case is of man (in which case it should be disregarded), or of God (in which case we should heed it carefully and with thanks).

As to your question, “What does ‘to prove from Scripture’ mean and how can one tell when one has done it?”, I think that’s an excllent question.

My answer would be to seek the ‘answer’;

1) through prayer
2) through contemplation of scripture
3) with fasting
4) by waiting and listening for an answer
5) by testing your ‘answer’ against mature believers
6) by leaving behind your preference/assumption, and humbly seeking what God says

We are also told that we are one body, and there are those within the body who are gifted in the interpretation of spirits and in prophesy. Depending upon the question, those members of the body should also be used. Ultimately, the answer does not reside in us or human wisdom (though we are to love the Lord our God with our mind as well), but spiritual answers have a spiritual source, and the answer lies in the Holy Spirit.


138 posted on 09/09/2007 11:39:08 AM PDT by DragoonEnNoir
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