ON THE VIRGIN MARY, PART 1.

The Orthodox Christian understanding of the Virgin Mary.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Theotokos
• Orthodoxy
• Virgin Mary
• allsaintsmonastery
• Lazar Puhalo

[ponyboy1488]

Blahoslovy Vladyko,

First, I enjoy so many of your videos and some are simply moving. I understand there is much controversy over some of the subjects you speak of, including mainly the Aerial Toll Houses.

How come it is that even Fr. Thomas Hoppko talks about such things? I have heard/read claims of contemporary and early Fathers speak of Tollhouses.

May I also inquire as to your counter to claims of there being no God?

[allsaintsmonastery]

@ponyboy1488 It is difficult to argue with true and sincere Atheists, because the basis of arguments have weaknesses. For us, the presence of God in the universe is self-evident, and we are not concerend with "proofs" that God is there. What is most important for us is to live the faith in the presence fo the Living God, and bear witness with compassion and love to the presence of God. Paul told Titus not become involved in vain disputes, and all disputes with true atheists are vain.

[MartinJWillett]

Mary openly cooperated? Where did you pull that notion from? She was not asked, she was told. If a god tells you something is going to happen in what way has a mortal got an input?

[allsaintsmonastery]

Depends on how you read the text, eh?

[MartinJWillett]

Quite. If you are reading it on the basis that this text must provide the answers people need from you or else you will have to find a proper job there is a strong motivation to find whatever you need in the text, in the punctuation, that which is not written but "clearly intended" or that which has probably been lost in translation or because of cultural insensitivities.

[allsaintsmonastery]

We read the text in the context of the Apostolic Tradition. Some read it in the context of a viturpritage atheism, others just from literary interest. You evidently have your own agenda, the Orthodox Church has hers. That is fine, but you should calm down a bit and not be quite so bitter. I express the Orthodox Church perspective, and that is precisely what you should expect me to do. You express an atheist perspective, and that is perfectly alright.

[MrLegoman247]

Please address Matthew 13:55 and Luke 1:24 with regard to the Virgin Mary. These are the two scriptures my Protestant friends point to in order to show that Jesus was not the only child Mary and Joseph had, and in fact they say she may have had up to 5 sons and Luke 1:24 seems to state that Joseph waited UNTIL Mary gave birth. Your response would be greatly appreciated.

[Fantezism]

And yeah, Mary and God's saints are worthy to be venerated. Christ, in His prayer in Ghetsemane said: " The glory that You (the Father) have bestowed upon Me, I have bestowed upon them (the apostles) that we may be one ". Christ and His saints are one; so you may venerate His saints, God won't mind. Why would he? Would you as an artist feel insulted if people appreciated your masterpieces? Of course not. So why would God feel insulted if you venerate the masterpieces that His saints are?

[Fantezism]

Thank you for this clip. Mary wasn't forced to be the mother of God; she did have the liberty to refuse God's proposal. God told Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge but He didn't deny her liberty to disobey Him. Have you ever wondered why it took so much time for God's incarnation to happen? Why couldn't he have become human right after the fall of Adam and Eve? He was waiting for a truly faithful soul to be born, a soul worthy to be His mother . Mary is God's most perfect creation.

[ponyboy1488]

@allsaintsmonastery

Thank you for the sincere reply. And to the aforementioned question of Toll Houses?

I appreciate your response and kiss your hand, asking for your blessing.

[liyish]

Thank u!  Yes, virgin Mary mother of GOD accepted what she was told by St. Gabriel without question. Cooperation with complete faith. She is forever virgin. she is virgin in her mind and in her spirits. Jesus christ is her only son amen.

[AlRasuwl]

What is wrong with requiring evidence? Why is belief in something without ANY evidence considered a virtue?

Is that how you behave when you buy a 2nd hand car? "It's okay guv, have faith, it works, no need to test drive it"

And yet here you are dedicating your life to something, what's wrong with expecting evidence?

The Bible is merely a book, any human can write a book so why should anyone believe it is not from mere humans?

[nojoso]

I don't think you consider any tradition credible. You say that oral tradition cannot be considered reliable but neither do you trust the codified canon. Do you want God to knock on your front door and tell you the Gospel? You'd find a reason to disbelieve even then. The apostles and martyrs didn't suffer and die for some false myth but for the Faith which has demonstrated the power of God for 2000 years. Study Orthodox Church history, get a more balanced perspective.

[AlRasuwl]

If you are correct then it only goes to strengthen my argument.

1: The people who wrote the bible never met Jesus.

2: What went in, and what did not was decided by a committee.

3: Everything that went in was via a chain of oral transmission and cannot be considered reliable.

One thing you can be sure of with oral transmission is that good people will become more good, bad people will become more evil, and amazing stories will become more amazing.