[Elsie]

What I’m saying is that Scripture passages that say “all have sinned” or the “all are born under the Law,” do not constitute a refutation of the Immaculate Conception and the sinlessness of Mary, precisely because the authors were not thinking about Mary at all.

Now Art; we've both been told that mindreading others on FR is a big NO-NO.

So WHY are you trying to convince the gullible that you somehow KNOW what the 'authors' were thinking?

[Arthur McGowan]

It is not mind-reading. It’s reading verses in context. Mary is not mentioned anywhere in connection with “all have sinned and fallen short.” Thus, it is irrational to claim that this statement was intended to deny the Immaculate Conception.

Since that statement is true of every person to whom it is addressed, it is perfectly reasonable.

You already admit that JESUS is an exception, right? Even though he is not mentioned as an exception?

If you insist that the statement was intended to be absolutely exceptionless, then you believe Jesus was a sinner.