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Was Mary Sinless?
The Aristophrenium ^ | 12/05/2010 | " Fisher"

Posted on 12/05/2010 6:14:57 PM PST by RnMomof7

............The Historical Evidence

The Roman Catholic Church claims that this doctrine, like all of their other distinctive doctrines, has the “unanimous consent of the Fathers” (contra unanimen consensum Patrum).[10] They argue that what they teach concerning the Immaculate Conception has been the historic belief of the Christian Church since the very beginning. As Ineffabilis Deus puts it,

The Catholic Church, directed by the Holy Spirit of God… has ever held as divinely revealed and as contained in the deposit of heavenly revelation this doctrine concerning the original innocence of the august Virgin… and thus has never ceased to explain, to teach and to foster this doctrine age after age in many ways and by solemn acts.[11]

However, the student of church history will quickly discover that this is not the case. The earliest traces of this doctrine appear in the middle ages when Marian piety was at its bloom. Even at this time, however, the acceptance of the doctrine was far from universal. Both Thomas Aquinas and Bernard of Clairvaux rejected the immaculate conception. The Franciscans (who affirmed the doctrine) and the Dominicans (who denied it, and of whom Aquinas was one) argued bitterly over whether this doctrine should be accepted, with the result that the pope at the time had to rule that both options were acceptable and neither side could accuse the other of heresy (ironic that several centuries later, denying this doctrine now results in an anathema from Rome).

When we go further back to the days of the early church, however, the evidence becomes even more glaring. For example, the third century church father Origen of Alexandria taught in his treatise Against Celsus (3:62 and 4:40) that that the words of Genesis 3:16 applies to every woman without exception. He did not exempt Mary from this. As church historian and patristic scholar J.N.D. Kelly points out,

Origen insisted that, like all human beings, she [Mary] needed redemption from her sins; in particular, he interpreted Simeon’s prophecy (Luke 2.35) that a sword would pierce her soul as confirming that she had been invaded with doubts when she saw her Son crucified.”[12]

Also, it must be noted that it has been often pointed out that Jesus’ rebuke of Mary in the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-12) demonstrates that she is in no wise perfect or sinless. Mark Shea scoffs at this idea that Mary is “sinfully pushing him [Jesus] to do theatrical wonders in John 2,” arguing that “there is no reason to think [this] is true.”[13] However, if we turn to the writings of the early church fathers, we see that this is precisely how they interpreted Mary’s actions and Jesus’ subsequent rebuke of her. In John Chrysostom’s twenty-first homily on the gospel of John (where he exegetes the wedding of Cana), he writes,

For where parents cause no impediment or hindrance in things belonging to God, it is our bounden duty to give way to them, and there is great danger in not doing so; but when they require anything unseasonably, and cause hindrance in any spiritual matter, it is unsafe to obey. And therefore He answered thus in this place, and again elsewhere “Who is My mother, and who are My brethren?” (Matt. xii.48), because they did not yet think rightly of Him; and she, because she had borne Him, claimed, according to the custom of other mothers, to direct Him in all things, when she ought to have reverenced and worshiped Him. This then was the reason why He answered as He did on that occasion… He rebuked her on that occasion, saying, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” instructing her for the future not to do the like; because, though He was careful to honor His mother, yet He cared much more for the salvation of her soul, and for the doing good to the many, for which He took upon Him the flesh.[14]

Now why on earth would Jesus care for the salvation of Mary’s soul at this point in time if she was already “preventatively” saved through having been immaculately conceived, as was claimed earlier? That does not make any sense, whatsoever. Likewise, Theodoret of Cyrus agrees with John Chrysostom in saying that the Lord Jesus rebuked Mary during the wedding at Cana. In chapter two of his Dialogues, he writes,

If then He was made flesh, not by mutation, but by taking flesh, and both the former and the latter qualities are appropriate to Him as to God made flesh, as you said a moment ago, then the natures were not confounded, but remained unimpaired. And as long as we hold thus we shall perceive too the harmony of the Evangelists, for while the one proclaims the divine attributes of the one only begotten—the Lord Christ—the other sets forth His human qualities. So too Christ our Lord Himself teaches us, at one time calling Himself Son of God and at another Son of man: at one time He gives honour to His Mother as to her that gave Him birth [Luke 2:52]; at another He rebukes her as her Lord [John 2:4].[15] And then there is Augustine of Hippo, whom many Roman Catholic apologists attempt to appeal to for their belief in the immaculate conception. They like to quote a portion of chapter 42 of his treatise, On Nature and Grace, where Augustine states,

We must except the holy Virgin Mary, concerning whom I wish to raise no question when it touches the subject of sins, out of honour to the Lord; for from Him we know what abundance of grace for overcoming sin in every particular was conferred upon her who had the merit to conceive and bear Him who undoubtedly had no sin.[16]

However, those who quote this passage miss the point of what Augustine is trying to communicate. He was trying to refute the Pelagian heretics (who were the ones who were claiming that Mary—among other biblical characters—were sinless, since they denied the depravity of man). The article explaining Augustine’s view of Mary on Allan Fitzgerald’s Augustine Through the Ages helps clear up misconceptions regarding this passage:

His [Augustine's] position must be understood in the context of the Pelagian controversy. Pelagius himself had already admitted that Mary, like the other just women of the Old testament, was spared from any sin. Augustine never concedes that Mary was sinless but prefers to dismiss the question… Since medieval times this passage [from Nature and Grace] has sometimes been invoked to ground Augustine’s presumed acceptance of the doctrine of the immaculate conception. It is clear nonetheless that, given the various theories regarding the transmission of original sin current in his time, Augustine in that passage would not have meant to imply Mary’s immunity from it.[17]

This same article then goes on to demonstrate that Augustine did in fact believe that Mary received the stain of original sin from her parents:

His understanding of concupiscence as an integral part of all marital relations made it difficult, if not impossible, to accept that she herself was conceived immaculately. He… specifies in [Contra Julianum opus imperfectum 5.15.52]… that the body of Mary “although it came from this [concupiscence], nevertheless did not transmit it for she did not conceive in this way.” Lastly, De Genesi ad litteram 10.18.32 asserts: “And what more undefiled than the womb of the Virgin, whose flesh, although it came from procreation tainted by sin, nevertheless did not conceive from that source.”[18]

As can be seen here, these and many other early church fathers[19] did not regard Mary as being sinless or immaculately conceived. It is quite clear that the annals of church history testify that Rome cannot claim that this belief is based upon the “unanimous consent of the fathers,” since the belief that Mary was sinless started out among Pelagian heretics during the fifth century and did not become an acceptable belief until at least the beginning of the middle ages.

Conclusion

As has been demonstrated here, neither scripture nor church history support the contention of the Roman Catholic Church that Mary was sinless by virtue of having been immaculately conceived. In fact, Rome did not even regard this as an essential part of the faith until the middle of the nineteenth century. This should cause readers to pause and question why on earth Rome would anathematize Christians for disbelieving in a doctrine that was absent from the early church (unless one wants to side with the fifth century Pelagians) and was considered even by Rome to be essential for salvation until a century and a half ago. Because Rome said so? But their reasons for accepting this doctrine in the first place are so demonstrably wrong. After all, they claim that this was held as divinely revealed from the very beginning, even though four and a half centuries’ worth of patristic literature proves otherwise. This ought to be enough to cast doubt not only on Rome’s claims regarding Mariology, but their claims to authority on matters of faith and morals in general.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Ecumenism; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; catholicbashing; idolatry; marianobsession; mary; worship
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To: Natural Law
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, if you dare:

Read the catechism is you dare

.....as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only those things which He wanted.”
1,141 posted on 12/07/2010 12:59:51 PM PST by presently no screen name (."Thus you nullify the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down." Mark 7:13)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
"There it is in black and white in your own post, and somehow Roman Catholics still miss it.

Astounding that Catholics miss what isn't there? Good thing we didn't miss what is there as you have so obviously done;

In keeping with the Lord's command, the Gospel was handed by the apostles by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they themselves had received - whether from the lips of Christ, from his way of life and his works, or whether they had learned it at the prompting of the Holy Spirit In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority. Indeed, the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time. This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition.

1,142 posted on 12/07/2010 1:00:23 PM PST by Natural Law
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To: wagglebee

I wonder if I can find a gif of the horse race thing at Ascott from MY FAIR LADY.

Especially a second after the

MOVE YER BLOOMIN _____

MOMENT.


1,143 posted on 12/07/2010 1:00:56 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: 1000 silverlings

I don’t think I’d go that far . . . but it is hazardous

particularly merely based on bias, !!!!TRADITION!!!!

and other

Vatican Alice In Wonderland School of Theology and Reality Mangling

fantasies.


1,144 posted on 12/07/2010 1:02:27 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: Quix

I know, just thought we were being invited.


1,145 posted on 12/07/2010 1:02:34 PM PST by presently no screen name (."Thus you nullify the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down." Mark 7:13)
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To: presently no screen name

The quote is from Dei Verbum, I did not include the part of the written Scripture being one part of the fullness of faith.
“In His gracious goodness, God has seen to it that what He had revealed for the salvation of all nations would abide perpetually in its full integrity and be handed on to all generations. Therefore Christ the Lord in whom the full revelation of the supreme God is brought to completion (see Cor. 1:20; 3:13; 4:6), commissioned the Apostles to preach to all men that Gospel which is the source of all saving truth and moral teaching, (1) and to impart to them heavenly gifts. This Gospel had been promised in former times through the prophets, and Christ Himself had fulfilled it and promulgated it with His lips. This commission was faithfully fulfilled by the Apostles who, by their oral preaching, by example, and by observances handed on what they had received from the lips of Christ, from living with Him, and from what He did, or what they had learned through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The commission was fulfilled, too, by those Apostles and apostolic men who under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit committed the message of salvation to writing. (2)

But in order to keep the Gospel forever whole and alive within the Church, the Apostles left bishops as their successors, “handing over” to them “the authority to teach in their own place.”(3) This sacred tradition, therefore, and Sacred Scripture of both the Old and New Testaments are like a mirror in which the pilgrim Church on earth looks at God, from whom she has received everything, until she is brought finally to see Him as He is, face to face (see 1 John 3:2).”


1,146 posted on 12/07/2010 1:02:46 PM PST by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg

Is English not your first language? That would rather limit our discussion.


1,147 posted on 12/07/2010 1:04:31 PM PST by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: Natural Law
This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition.

LOLOL. Exactly like the liberals who believe in the "living Constitution" which can be altered and changed on a whim.

Your own catechism says the writings of Scripture were authored by God.

And then that same catechism hedges its bet and says something else.

"All things to all people" does not the Christian distinctive make.

1,148 posted on 12/07/2010 1:05:55 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: presently no screen name; Dr. Eckleburg

LOL

You might be invited.

Dr E and I? Never.

It’s against their

RELIGION

and

their

!!!!TRADITIONS!!!!


1,149 posted on 12/07/2010 1:05:59 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: the_conscience

Do not toy with other Freeper’s names and do not make it personal.


1,150 posted on 12/07/2010 1:06:24 PM PST by Religion Moderator
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To: Dr. Eckleburg

St. Paul was not like Mohammed. I’ll let you figure that one out by your own self. Use a net.


1,151 posted on 12/07/2010 1:07:48 PM PST by lastchance (Hug your babies.)
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To: lastchance
Is English not your first language? That would rather limit our discussion.

lol. Ad hominems reveal a lack of sound argument. You lose.

1,152 posted on 12/07/2010 1:08:28 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: wagglebee
I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. (Genesis 3:15)
The Virgin Mary and Jesus share the SAME enmities here. What do you think they are?

...First lets have a correct quotation here Wag...

KJV.Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

RSV

Gen 3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."literal Translation

Gen 3:15 and enmity I put between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he doth bruise thee -- the head, and thou dost bruise him -- the heel.'

Your misquotation of the scripture makes Mary the "actor" and not Jesus Christ..

The Virgin Mary and Jesus share the SAME enmities here. What do you think they are?

Wag, satan is the enemy of all that claim Christ.. Any enemy of Christ and His gospel is my enemy and the enemy of His bride

And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. (Luke 1:42)

Blessed does not mean sinless .. blessed means blessed

1) to praise, celebrate with praises
2) to invoke blessings
3) to consecrate a thing with solemn prayers
a) to ask God's blessing on a thing
b) pray God to bless it to one's use
c) pronounce a consecratory blessing on
4) of God
a) to cause to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on b) favoured of God, blessed

Luk 11:27 ¶ And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed [is] the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed [are] they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Elizabeth was welcoming her cousin, bestowing a blessing on her and the child with in her womb ... She was not declaring mary sinless

The Virgin Mary and Jesus share the SAME blessing here. What do you think it is?

A blessing, a prayer from their cousin ...

1,153 posted on 12/07/2010 1:09:27 PM PST by RnMomof7 (Gal 4:16 asks "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?")
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To: the_conscience

He sits at the left hand of God. lol


1,154 posted on 12/07/2010 1:10:34 PM PST by verity
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To: lastchance
EVERYTHING God wants us to know about Him, about our salvation is written. Jesus is THE WORD, the WORD made flesh. HE always was, and will be. HE is not tradition. Evil attaches itself to good - that how it survives.


1,155 posted on 12/07/2010 1:10:45 PM PST by presently no screen name (."Thus you nullify the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down." Mark 7:13)
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To: lastchance
St. Paul was not like Mohammed. I’ll let you figure that one out by your own self. Use a net.

Protestants don't believe Mohammad was a brother in Christ which is apparently what RCs believe.


1,156 posted on 12/07/2010 1:12:10 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: lastchance

Jesus is The Word, He says come to HIM - His Word.

Oral tradition says comes to me.


1,157 posted on 12/07/2010 1:13:39 PM PST by presently no screen name (."Thus you nullify the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down." Mark 7:13)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg; lastchance; 1000 silverlings; RnMomof7; metmom; Gamecock; Alex Murphy
Free agency? You mean the authors of Scripture wrote something other than what God wanted written?....Did Paul have the "free will" to go off script and write his own dialogue?

Despite claims that the Catholic Church determined the canon of the Bible, that the Catholic Church wrote the Bible, that the Catholic Church preserved the Bible....

I get the distinct impression that in a Catholic world, only Popes are capable of infallibility.

1,158 posted on 12/07/2010 1:16:02 PM PST by Alex Murphy ("Posting news feeds, making eyes bleed, he's hated on seven continents")
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
"Probably because many of them have joined the OPC and the PCA."

Many? I am not aware of more than two, other than a couple of recovering alcoholics and a hideously henpecked husband........

1,159 posted on 12/07/2010 1:16:27 PM PST by Natural Law
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To: lastchance

“It (Scripture) is without error and is infallible and binding upon the faithful.”

Great news. Tell that to Wagglebee and other RCs on this forum who work so feverishly to dismiss Paul. Just look at the quotes on Gamecock’s homepage to see how some RC’s view God’s work through Paul...

http://www.freerepublic.com/~gamecock/index?U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freerepublic.com%2Fperl%2Fpings


1,160 posted on 12/07/2010 1:17:31 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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