May we assume an assumption?

The Assumption of the Virgin Mary

On the 15th day of August, most of the Christian world celebrates the "Assumption of Mary, mother of God"

There is, unfortunately, no mention about this in the Bible.

But rumors were rife since about the 5^th Century, and maybe earlier, that Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus ascended to heaven, either immediately after or even before her death.

Well, poor Mary had to wait almost 2000 years before, in 1950,

Pope Pius XII declared that she was taken to heaven by God.

Pope Pius XII then said and wrote:

“By the Authority of our Lord, Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma, that the Immaculate Mother of God, the “Ever Virgin Mary”, having completed the course of her earthly life was assumed, body and soul into heavenly glory.”

There is indeed some dispute whether Mary “just fell asleep” and in this trance but still alive was transported into heaven, or was she “assumed by God” after her death?

I assume that this makes a whole lot of difference to some people.

If one begins to read even a little bit about this “Mariology” one is confronted with such trivial gobbledygook that one begins to wonder why something, for which there is not even a single mention in the Bible should engender so much debate.

In fact, and you will find it difficult to believe, one may even obtain a “Doctorate in Mariology” from the University of Dayton, Ohio, and, I would not be surprised, from other so-called “Institutes of Learning”.

Mary, the mother of Jesus was, of course, a very extraordinary woman and received special considerations from God.

1. Immaculate Conception: which means that she was born without original sin.
   God, evidently, having removed from her the concept of “Original Sin”, which women bore, and handed on, since Eve.

2. Virgin Birth: Which declares that Mary conceived her son, Jesus, without having had sexual relations with her husband Joseph.
3. Perpetual Virginity: which assumes that throughout her life, Mary remained a virgin. Therefore the biblical references to “the brothers of Jesus” must mean “brothers in the extended sense.”

So you see, Catholics have always managed to have it both ways, in fact, every which way.

If it fits, they find a passage in the Bible which “proves” their point.

If it does not fit, then our interpretation of the contradictory or blatantly nonsensical passage is wrong.

If there is no mention in their “Holy Book” they make it up and their Chief Honcho, the Pope, simply declares it as a divinely revealed“Dogma” and...

….quick as the wind, it has become an unchangeable verity, an unchallengeable Truth.

You see? … that's the way you run your business.

That's, anyway, how

Bertstravels

sees it.