No one said it was. TriunUnity said the stories were in Scripture, not the date. Picking a date to celebrate something has no real theological significance. Even with Easter, wouldn’t it technically be more accurate to do it the same week as Passover every year?can you please tell me where in the scripture is december 25?
I think there are two major theological reasons why most Protestants are not Roman Catholic. The first is the issue of authority. Sola Scriptura over the Roman Catholic Magestrium defines the rest of Christian theology. The second major theological issue is the gospel itself. The Roman Catholic gospel is a different gospel than what the Protestant Reformers proclaimed. Within the gospel, the doctrine of justification is the heart of the dispute, causing two versions of the gospel. To illustrate my point, please share your understanding of the gospel of God’s grace. What must I do to be saved from the wrath of God and coming day of judgment?
Faith is a gift from God. Because of our faith we receive the gift of grace from God. Faith is like an instrument. If we do not use it, do we still receive grace? If on the other hand, we use it well we receive an abundance of God’s grace. I know this is where Protestants and Catholics usually divide when the discussion includes a works argument, but let’s replace the word works with “our response to God”. God requires our full response, 24/7. That is to live our Christianity ALL the time and not just an hour or so on Sundays.
There is no “wrath of God” waiting to pounce on anyone.
I’m sorry, but the wrath of God is a biblical doctrine. What do you think God saves you from?
I also originally left the catholic church for theological reasons, and subsequent studies have proven to me that the Orthodox church is much closer to the original doctrines found in early christianity.
Well yes!
Even St. Thomas Aquinas declared that Mary could not have been perpetually sin free because of how Scripture shows where Mary herself said that she rejoices in God her savior.
SIA - I believe we’ve addressed that comment before - we all need a Saviour and Christ was Mary’s Saviour as preordained from the Foundation of the World because it was for and on account of his coming that Mary was filled with God’s grace at birth. In that respect, Jesus was her Saviour. We’ve also explored why this Catholic teaching is not contrary to scripture and how it is “fitting” that she would have been sinless. Was it necessary? No - God could do anything.
I’m not sure how you reconcile Mary’s apparent sinlessness with Romans 3:
Yes - but clearly this did not include, for example, Jesus who, while fully human (and divine) was sinless from birth in his human nature. Is it not possible that God created Mary with faith in Christ at birth and thus sinless through the imputed righteousness of Christ. The sinlessness of Mary is a belief/statement of faith of the Church and thus a statement I take on faith. It is not inconsistent with scripture, though can’t be proved by scripture alone, but is testified to by tradition of the early Church and the apostolic authority of the Church (Papacy).
I was going to mentioned Jesus as the exception, but I didn’t think I needed to. I think you cannot compare Jesus with Mary since the 2nd person of the godhead is eternal. Mary like to rest of us was a created being who also had Adam as her representative (original sin). How do you reconcile Romans 5 with Mary’s apparent sinlessness? If Mary was without sin,why did she die?
I don’t mean to sound offensive. All Christians have a struggle of religious affections for God and the world. The Apostle John writes at the end of 1 John to keep ourselves from idols. Protestants and Catholics can create religious idols of the heart. I’ve sinned in the past in making Reformed Theology a religious idols at times. I have to go back to the gospel of God’s grace, focusing on Jesus Christ. It seems many Catholics have deeper affection and love for Mary than for Jesus. If that’s true at times, Mary becomes a religious idol of the heart. I also found this true in regard to Catholics who seem to proclaim the Catholic church than proclaiming Jesus Christ. Do you think I am way off base on my discernment, and why?
No - I don’t think you are way off in that I have not doubt there are many Catholics who, while with good intention, are sadly ingorant of actual Church teaching on Mary and the Saints and may well at times in appropriately worship or idolize Mary or the Saints (just as there are may Protestants who have, through ignorance of their own church teaching, fallen into heresy (relative to their own denonmination’s teaching) and perverted the gospel). This is not, however, what the Church teaches. The Church teaches that it is appropriate to venerate Mary and the Saints as a way of honoring those who have had led exemplary lives and who are served as wonderful examples to other Christians. This is a little off topic, but the fact that many within any the Christian community (any denomination) may pervert the gospel or their Church’s teaching in practice does not bear on the truth of the gospel and so the fact that some Catholics may inappropriately idolize Mary or the Saints does not bear on the truth of the Church’s teaching on veneration of the Saints.
That well written and I believe it is true. We all know in part, and press on by the power of God to our upward calling in Christ… with much struggle. I see Romans 7 to be the regenerate Christian’s walk. When we are weak, God is strong in us.