But, it WAS settled by St. Peter! St. James agreed with St. Peter! Please note, many people did speak, but, when St. Peter spoke, all listened to what he had to say. That was not the case with the others. There was debate, but, when St. Peter spoke, all listened.
The Decree from that Coucil was clearly decided by St. James. I can’t see how you can, or anyone else can get anything else from the words, "13 And after they had become silent,
James answered, saying…19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,[d]from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” - quoted from
www.goarch.org - by bolding
I am glad you explained how you view this, but, this still doesn’t explain how we chose to sin. You’re telling me that Our BVM may have known at a young age knew the difference between right and wrong? That is, since she was free from all actual sin, our 3 year old BVM never gave St. Anne a hard time, or at 5 told St. Anne, “NO!” just because she chose not to?
Mary never sinned either as a child or as an adult.
How would such a girl be so holy without being in constant communion with God? Exactly she chose to remain in constant communion with God - it helped the fact that she had loving parents and that they gave her over to the Temple when she was weaned at age 3. She always maintained a heart that loved God above all other things.
At which point do the rest of us, who according to the Eastern Orthodox, say no to God, and decide to brake off communion with him, despite being in his good graces for the first few months or years of our life?
Well that is different for every person now isn’t it.
I can accept that it is by Mary’s choice she decided NOT to sin, but, I do not see how this could be her choice without God’s grace.
Good, so you understand that
everyone born is born into & with God’s Grace. Mary is not an exception. Every single one of us is born with enough grace, the rest of us simply turn away from it (and hopefully back to it again - probably falling and rising millions of times in an average life-time) and Mary did not turn away from God’s grace even for a moment.
Also, how do we know St. Mary of Egypt NEVER sinned again? This means she was free from thought of sin, does it not? Is this legend or is this truth? I know the story of St. Mary of Egypt from, “Saints Behaving Badly,” but, I didn’t know of the walking on water thing. Is this something that came about later or did St. Zosimas of Palestine actually see it? Is this her actual life or was it something that was written down by people centuries later?
Sorry but Tradition of the Church as handed down by Icongraphy and hymnology is not myth. I have no idea what you may have read in “Saints Behaving Badly” I would venture to guess that it was not written by an Orthodox Christian because it is clear that you did not learn the entire truth of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt & because Saints do not behave badly - a particular person may have acted badly
before they became a Saint - but again Saints do not behave badly.
But what if there is no consensus in the synod?