For years I have told students about the Immaculate Conception of Mary doctrine. On December 8, in 1854 Pope Pius IX proclaimed the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, asserting that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was preserved from the effects of original sin from the first instant of her conception. In that way when Jesus was born he would not be tainted by original sin.
The doctrine of original sin says that all are born in sin. One suggestion is that the act of conception itself is an act of lust, therefore an act of sin. Others would suggest that it is a part of our genetic makeup. Because of this doctrine another false doctrine developed--the baptism of infants.
Roman Catholics believed until just recently that infants who died without baptism went to Limbo, a region supposedly just on the edge of hell. Unbaptized infants (including miscarriages) could not go to Purgatory to be eventually purified like the rest of us get to do, and certainly could never go to heaven. By papal decree that doctrine has now been removed from the Roman Catholic church.
We lash out at the Mormons for their Book of Mormon and the Muslims for the Quran, but what has been done by popes and councils of the Roman Catholic Church is no different.
Mary was a normal woman who had a special experience. She was impregnated by God to bring Jesus into the world. After that since she was married she had at least four other children. She would die a widow in the care of the Apostle John. She should be honored for her faith and devotion to God, but nothing more. She is not worthy of worship any more than any other good person.
Marriage and children are part of the plan of God to continue the population on the planet on which we are placed. Sex is a special gift given to human beings to enjoy within the confines of marriage. There is nothing sinful about this act within the marriage bonds. So to elevate people who choose not to get married is unscriptural. That is not the way we were designed. Jesus said that some people would choose the single lifestyle and others would be forced into it, but he did not say that this made anyone better than those who were married.
We only need to look at the disaster this has created in the Roman Catholic Church to realize that even so-called celibate priests can lose control. If they had been allowed to follow God's program of marriage then the massive lawsuits that the Roman Catholics are experiencing would never have resulted.
THE BIG LIE
2 years ago
3 comments:
>"The doctrine of original sin says that all are born in sin. One suggestion is that the act of conception itself is an act of lust, therefore an act of sin. Others would suggest that it is a part of our genetic makeup."
Yes, the doctrine of original sin says that all are born into original sin. No, it is not because of conception, lust or genetic makeup. Its because of the original sin of Adam and Eve. The Bible verse that best illustrates original sin are King David's words in Psalm 51:5.
"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5
>"Because of this doctrine another false doctrine developed--the baptism of infants."
As you lack an understanding of original sin, you are hindered from understanding the need for infant baptism. Perhaps the following can assist:
To Explain Infant Baptism You Must Explain Original Sin By John S. Martignoni
>"Roman Catholics believed until just recently that infants who died without baptism went to Limbo"
Keep in mind that limbo was never doctrine, but was always only a theological hypothesis. Catholics were free to accept or reject the hypothesis of limbo.
>"By papal decree that doctrine has now been removed from the Roman Catholic church."
I believe this is false as limbo was never doctrine. You don't get to decide what is Catholic doctrine, the Catholic Church does.
>"We lash out at the Mormons for their Book of Mormon and the Muslims for the Quran, but what has been done by popes and councils of the Roman Catholic Church is no different."
Yeah, Catholics wrote the New Testament, bound it with the Old Testament into the Bible, translated it into common languages, handcopied it, and then invented the printing press and printed it for mass consumption. Bad Catholics. No, no, no.
>"... since she was married she had at least four other children."
Um, no, Mary didn't have at least four children. Mary was perpetually virgin. No where in the Bible does it ever say that Mary had four children or that the "broothers and sisters" of Jesus were Mary's children. However, the Orthodox Churches will gladly point you to a historical document that identifies Jesus as having step-brothers and step-sisters via an earlier marriage by Joseph.
The disblief in the perpetual virginity of Mary is known by Christians as the Helvidian Heresy. The heresy was answered by Jerome:
Against Helvidius - Jerome
>"If they had been allowed to follow God's program of marriage then the massive lawsuits that the Roman Catholics are experiencing would never have resulted."
If that is true, then what explains the similar and higher rate of behavior by married Protestant Clergy, especially all their adultery? In a 1983 doctoral thesis by Richard Blackmon, 12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner and 38% admitted to other sexualized contact with a parishioner.
Clergy Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse of Children by Protestant Ministers
God bless...
If you take Psalm 51:5 literally David must have been an illegitimate child. Strange the Bible never talks about it.
Otherwise your letter is classic Roman Catholic apologetic. Thanks for confirming that.
Thank you for this post Vagabond professor. I enjoyed reading it.
Timothy - Are you kidding? Do you really believe the stuff you just wrote? You truly are ignorant of the Bible my friend.
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