He's Making a list and checking it Twice

This is all just getting to be such a big waste of valuable time that I just dont seem to have any more. I know that you will all miss me but

 

Oh, I see, it was an inside joke. One of those "look at that poor ignorant fool" type things.

Jason

 

No inside joke at all, just honest surprise at what you have apparently been lead to believe.

 

Mary's sinlessness

Remember, the Blessed Virgin was not sinless in Her essence. The Blood of Christ was applied to Her at the moment of Her conception. The problem non-Catholics have is to explain WHY God couldn't or shouldn't do this. After all, He created Adam and Eve sinless, right? What is the terrible problem with one more?

Of course, you really have to get into WHY God did this in the first place. You have to be able to see types from the OT, such as the Ark of the Covenant, and apply them to the Blessed Virgin. You have to see the NEED for Her sin to be removed and for Her to be the spotless vessel for the Son of God.

I think the struggle that most Protestants have with this is that they mistakenly think that this doctrine is a form of teaching that somehow the Blessed Virgin was the same in essence as God because of Her Immaculate Conception.

Mary's perpetual virginity

Protestants refuse to see the spousal connection between the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Virgin. Yet it is clearly there, for He placed the seed of life -- THE LIFE -- in Her. That is what a spouse does. The man places his seed within the woman. If the Commandments disallow for adultery, then surely the one who was espoused to God should have no other husband.

Protestants also refuse to accept those things which were taught outside of Scripture and handed down by tradition. Yet we see in Scripture that St. Paul told the Corinthians "...and the rest I shall set in order when I come..." Was what St. Paul said to the Corinthians not valid because it was never recorded in Scripture? Were they free to disobey him because it was not set in writing and inscripturated? I don't think so. Tradition tells us the names of the mother and father of the Blessed Virgin. It also tells us that she was consecrated to perpetual virginity as a temple maiden from her youth. Therefore, she was already destined to be perpetually virginal in consecration to God. And this consecration shows in her question to the angel Gabriel when he told her she will bear a son....

Rather than say "Very well, since I am to be married to Joseph." or something similar, she expressed amazement at the announcement, which means that she planned no conjugal relationship. Joseph was an older man and the "marriage" was for the purpose of caretaking her in her service to the Lord in the Temple.

Infant Baptism

Is this covenant a "better covenant speaking of better things"? Well, if so, it had better include the babies in it, because the Old Covenant of the Jews included the babies. Every male baby was circumcized and entered into the covenantal kingdom by that act. Are you telling me that the Jews who were used to having their children, indeed the WHOLE FAMILY PER SE, entered into the Old Covenant, would stand still for being told that with the New Covenant, their infants could not become part of the New Covenantal Kingdom.

There would have been a riot!!

Understanding infant baptism is all about understanding that God deals with us through covenant. Once you apply that to the New Covenant, you will understand that the New Covenant is the same as the Old Covenant, except that we know celebrate our covenantal rituals not in expectation of the coming Messiah, but in fulfillment of His completed work and His presence among us.

Pope as infalliable in his official capacity on teaching of Faith and Morals

WHY is this such a problem? If the Lord can direct the words of the men who wrote the Scriptures so that exactly what He wished to be conveyed was indeed conveyed to us, why then is it so hard to believe that He can also protect the OFFICE of the leadership of the Church from error? Is He helpless in this area somehow?

Indulegances

I have not studied this issue well, so I cannot comment on it. There are, however, a number of fine commentaries on the issue, the best of which come from converts who had to settle this issue for themselves before converting. I suggest Dave Armstrong's web site and his explanation as one of them.

Paying for our sins after death

We do not "pay" for our sins after death. They are refined from us in the same way that fire burns out the dross from gold. The fire of God Himself burns out all the impurities of all things which touch it. He is a burning fire. For a really nice exposition on this, read

THE RIVER OF FIRE

by the Orthodox priest, Dr. Alex Kalomiros. This is one of the best explanations I have read of the afterlife and how God deals with mankind. It is consistent with both His love and His justice.


Form of Church Government

I am confused by this objection. The Scriptures call quite explicitly for the ordination of bishops to oversee the Church. What I don't understand is how Evangelicals and Fundamentalists, etc., can not have bishops in their assemblies.

Hope this is helpful. Take them one at a time and let's tear them apart further. This only scratches the surface of your list.

Cordially in Christ through the Blessed Theotokos,

Brother Ed

 

* waiting for Adam to slap Brother Ed's wrist *