Hi, guanophore: Some non-catholics, may view posts submitted on this forum, including yours as tantamount to condemnation(Romans 8:1. But because I am able to see you and others as "just another catholic, I am able to rise above feeling that way(I have the full armor of God on). Someone said that there was evidence that Mary died as a virgin in Luke 1& John 19, but I have not been able to find it! **Nor have I been able to find concrete evidence anywhere that **Joseph and Mary did or did not have sexual relationsAFTER the birth of the Christ child…And God did create someone without sin; His name is Jesus!
I simply LOVE the highlighted section here.
You want CONCRETE evidence before you will accept the perpetual virginity.
It sounds so much like the Athiest’s argument for proof.
How about providing “CONCRETE evidence” that Jesus ever existed.
How about providing “CONCRETE Evidence” that Jesus, if he existed, rose from the dead.
Of course it must be “Concrete” in YOUR eyes.
How about providing “Concrete Evidence” that the Bible is the “Sole Rule of Faith”?
How about providing “Concrete Evidence” that the Bible Books, and ONLY the bible books are even really Inspired? (Hint such evidence cannot be contained in the bible for any book will be self supporting)
You deny the probability of the perpetual virginity because you find no “Concrete Evidence”, yet you also deny that “Concrete Evidence” is, in fact, concrete and call it sand instead,
In this I refer to the fact that Jesus uses the word Church only two times in the Gospels and in BOTH cases it is in connection with bestowing Authority on His Church leadership to Bind and Loose “WHATEVER”. Plus - in this same connection - He gave the Keys to the Kingdom to a specific person whom he named “Rock” and “Upon this Rock” He built His Church.
Of course in this, you say that “Church” doesn’t mean what we think it means and how petros/petra big rock little rock blah, blah, blah, and so on---- All the while trying to turn “Concrete” into sand.
The above is a bit of a rant, and for that I apologize, but look at how you are insisting that YOU get to decide what is and is not “Concrete Evidence”.
I do believe in what the Apostles said, and taught:thumbsup:What I and many other non-catholics have trouble wrapping our minds around, is, that these teachings have been kept intact, without addition or subtraction by any church.And once more, when did the practice of baptizing babies begin and why? Was this something that started after the deaths of the apostles?
In this I think we can only point to the very real and, yes very concrete, promises that Jesus Gave to the Apostles and through them to His Church. That the Holy Spirit would Guide them, that He would lead them into All Truth, The The Church has Authority to Bind and Loose “Whatever”, That Peter and his successors hold the Keys to the Kingdom and so on.
In this, we have the “Concrete Evidence” of Scripture, Sacred Tradition and Apostolic Succession.
Peace
James