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Not every one of those words is in the bible. Some were never written, but were remembered and passed down. If you do not accept that there could be some traditions that are from God but extra-biblical, then you are not really following God's teaching.

But if those traditions are not in harmony with what IS revealed in Scripture, then the tradition has to be wrong, not Scripture. And I cannot find anything in Scripture to support the concept that Mary was saved in utero.

The Bible says that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. Prior to the Cross, the blood was from the sacrifices of lambs, goats, birds and cattle. But the Bible also says that the blood of those animals could not atone for sins not yet committed. This is why the sacrifices had to be made yearly on the Day of Atonement. It wasn't until the Cross that the Blood of Jesus was able to atone for all sins, past, present and future. Without that sacrifice to atone for the Original Sin which afflicts us all, how could God cleanse her of her original sin and still be true to His Word?

There are many instances in the where God chose someone even from their mother's womb - Samuel comes immediately to mind. But in no case was it ever implied that God saved them from sin in the womb nor that they were able to live sinless lives. So without any other examples of God doing that in Scripture, without any prophecy to indicate that the mother of Jesus would be sinless, and without any testimony of the writers of the New Testament that Mary was sinless, why should we accept a tradition that makes such a claim???

Without that sacrifice to atone for the Original Sin which afflicts us all, how could God cleanse her of her original sin and still be true to His Word?

Catholics believe that Mary was saved out of time. God is not constrained by time. Mary was an exception. I believe that God can make exceptions if He wants to. If He were going to make one, isn't it reasonable that it would be to create a perfect vessel in which to dwell? None of the others called from the womb were to hold God within their bodies.

I have no problem with non-Catholics not believing this, but I don't see any reason why I shouldn't believe it.

I am not and will never be 'sola scriptura'. I believe in the traditions handed down by the Catholic church because I do not see them as contradictions based on my reading of scripture.

Thank you so much for keeping the tone of your posts so pleasant.

Love,