Originally posted by neal4christ:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> Perhaps you could show us where she sinned?
I don't want to get into an arguing match, but perhaps you could show where she was sinless, from Scripture. Why is she exempt from Romans 3:23? What is the warrant for saying she is sinless?
In Christ,
Neal </font>[/QUOTE]Neal, I don't want to get into a hassle over this subject either, but all of you are jumping on Carson, so I just had to say something.
Why do we not see what we believe about Mary, in scripture, as specifically as you would demand, insofar as what we Catholics believe about her?
One important fact is, she almost lived to the end of the apostolic era (scholars think.) She probably did die before John, the last apostle to live and who wrote the book of Revelation, in exile, on the island of Patmos, but for the most part, out of pure respect for the Mother of Jesus, what was to become New Testament scripture will not elaborate on her sanctity
while she was still alive!
Therefore, almost all of what we believe about her developed immediately after the end of the apostolic era, in reflection back to her and her life, some who knew her personally, and perhaps some who actually witnessed her "disappearance" at the end of her life (dead or still alive, we don't know - some thinking she was assumed to heaven while still alive.)
So, without getting into the details and to save a lot of typing, I refer all to the following link:
http://ic.net/~erasmus/ERASMUS9.HTM
Here you will find lots of reading on the subject of Mary, her Assumption and Immaculate Conception, plus other links and places to go.
The only thing I can add to the subject is, the concern about
relics. Another hot topic!
We have the tomb of Peter, under St. Peter's in Rome, and also the head of Paul (I think) as relics of the apostles, and some interesting claims of bones, hair, even garments, etc, of the others, be they authentic or not. The point I am making is the
claims of having them. All of the saints, both modern and ancient, for the most part, have "first class relics" somewhere, in some church, boasted by some city and some country. Tourist attractions, no doubt, and admittedly, some of them probably fraudulant.
There is a saying that if all of the fragments of the true cross could be brought together into one place, there would be enough wood for an entire forrest!
But one thing you will never see:
The claim of having the body, bones, or whatever, of Mary, the Mother of God! Not one claim! There is the claim of where she last lived, even the possible site of her last resting place, but no body, not even a fragment!
That proves nothing, of course, but it is food for thought!
God bless,
PAX
Bill+†+
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages
call me blessed. (Luke 1:46-48)