Zone1 Catholics (real ones) do NOT go against Scripture or add to it. It's a lie.

[hadit]

Mary was faced with a choice: She was asked to become the mother of Jesus. Had she said, No, that would not have been a sin. There are many decisions in life that do not involve sin. With the angel's visit, she was put into a position that here entire community would believe she had sinned. You believe she sinned based on a broadly written passage (having nothing to do with Mary) that Paul wrote.

I believe that all mankind sinned because if it were possible to not sin, Jesus' sacrifice was unnecessary. I do not see where Mary was asked anything. The angel visiting her said, "This is going to happen to you", not "Will you consent for this to happen to you?".

hadit, believe what you would like. I do not enjoy arguing. I merely presented information on what Catholics believe and why we believe Mary was without sin. What you don't understand is that I haven't the least interest in changing your own personal belief. Truly, I could not care less about what you choose to believe, as you--and everyone else--have reasons for what they do--or do not--believe.

That's fine. I am presenting information on what I believe and why I find it impossible to agree with your position. You didn't, however, address what I see as a contradiction in what you said. You've put it in the context of just one decision, to accept the Messiah in her or not. I'm talking about free choice across the spectrum, the ability to sin at all. It sounded to me like you were on the one hand saying that Mary CHOSE not to sin, while on the other that being "full of grace" removes your free choice from you.

 

[JustAGuy1]

That isn't an answer to surada's question.

surada isn't a Christian

 

[Meriweather]

while on the other that being "full of grace" removes your free choice from you.

Read what I wrote about not all decision-making involves sin. Then read how Eve (and Adam) chose to know evil, too. Remember the Tree of Knowledge of both good and evil? What do you find confusing about this?

 

[onefour1]

Jesus taught:

Matthew 23:9
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

The Bible has no authoritative position called, "POPE". The word, "POPE" means Father. So I think this is a classic example of how the Catholic Church has gone against the word of Christ as established in scripture. This is no lie as we all can see that the the title Pope has been around for quite sometime.

 

[rstrats]

surada isn't a Christian

What has that got to do with surada's question?

 

[Zebra]

I am not just a Catholic, I am an informed one. I have read the Bible and I have studied Church history and history in general. I know WHY Catholics believe in or practice [whatever].

There is nothing that Catholics do that seriously contradicts Scripture. It just is not true.

If it APPEARS that they do, it is often because Catholics go by Church/synagogue TRADITIONS that have been handed down for centuries. You'd have to be a priest or bishop to fully understand it all. And face it, most anti-Catholics wouldn't even consider doing that. But they often pass themselves off as Catholic experts just the same.

what are real Catholics?

 

[Meriweather]

what are real Catholics?

We may as well try to define what is a "real" anyone else. This is the dilemma ancient Israelites faced when the two Commandments were to love God and love one's neighbor. How do we do that? The first three of the Ten Commandments advised how we love God; the final seven how we love our neighbor. Out of those Ten sprang over six hundred more on how to follow the Ten. In the US alone the number of laws are impossible to count, but it is well over 300,000. In Catholicism there is Canon Law...over 1,700 of those. There are over 35,000 Bible verses for us to argue over (or is that 'over-argue') and debate.

The best any of us of any faith or belief can do is to return to the first two: Love God, Love our fellow man as ourself. Love means wanting what is best for the other. KISS (Keep it Simple, Silly)....Live simply so others may simply live.

 

[onefour1]

Ephesians 4:11-14
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

In these verses we learn that in the true Church of Jesus Christ we were to have apostles and prophets till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. If The Catholic Church is the true church, then where are the apostles and prophets? Or have already reached that unity of faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ?