Your views do not align with Mary's response to the archangel, nor do they align with the attitude Jesus's brothers had towards Him, nor do they align with Jesus placing His mother in the care of the apostle John. Thus, what you propose is not supported by Scripture as you claim, whereas the traditional view is.
You interpret Scripture according to the novel Protestant tradition you have inherited, thus you are unable to see what is plainly there.
I can only presume you are accusing me of twisting words. I have done nothing of the sort.
There is absolutely no evidence the Church tried to avoid persecution. Rather they accepted it with patience and joy because they knew they were storing up riches in heaven.
It was never a question raised, in fact it was not in dispute at all except for a few individuals who decided they could interpret Scripture for themselves.
The Scriptures call the Church, the "pillar and ground of truth".
Israel, in the Old Testament, did not have the Holy Spirit, and history records that the early Christians preferred to suffer martyrdom than to accept teaching which they had not received.
Not really worthy of note, since you cannot demonstrate a historical link between Vestal virgins and the Church teaching regarding the ever virginity of Mary. As I have already pointed out, and you have not attempted to address, churches that were established very early and well outside the influence of Rome, all profess the ever virginity of Mary.
Jesus said upon this Rock I will build my church, he was talking about himself. Interpreted, he was the Word of God, a.k.a. Scriptures. The church is built upon scriptures. Scriptures are not built upon the church. While Mary may have been a godly woman, she was in no way to be regarded as different from any other. Her works in no way made her worthy to be prayed to. To pray to her to intercede on our behalf, is useless, as she does not have power to intercede in heaven. It's not her court. To somehow deify her for bringing Jesus into the world according to flesh, is to put her in a position that it was of her own doing that brought him into the world only and not God's grace. Or like the Spirit had nothing to do with it. It's like praying to the Earth itself and asking Earth to intercede because the Earth is the dirt that made up the flesh that Jesus had when he walked here.
The Roman Empire and the practice of the Vestal Virgins was long established before Christianity. The Roman Empire at the time of Christ spanned the entire Mediterranean, dwarfing any ideals you may have concerning the beginning of Christianity being outside the oversight of Rome. It was directly in it. Pontius Pilate was Roman. Paul was a Roman citizen. The creation of the Vestals sect is attributed to a king who reigned from 717-673 B.C. (a full 700 years before Christ) and the sect ending in 394 A.D. Their college or temple was even referred to at times as "heaven" and associated with Palatine Hill, where their sacred fire was housed.
As Paul addressed all those in Rome in the book of Romans, Acts and several other places, and the fact that the Roman Empire never really truly went away, some retaining the title given by the pope of Holy Roman Emperor as late as the 1500's (Charles 5th). As the Vestals, were state supported priestesses, the correlation is easily made if seen in a spiritual manner. As a state supported religion Christianity became in 325 superseding the older practices of Rome. Even their practice of mola salsa was superimposed upon the Lord's Supper. Notwithstanding, the Lord's supper is holy in it's own right, but the Vestals are one pagan exercise that was adopted and merged with Christianity to produce abominable offerings the Lord. I have no reservations about Political Party Denomination nonsense with which people seem so eager to murder their brethren. Protestant or otherwise. I seek the Lord with my whole heart. I defend my faith and call for repentance. I teach the Word of God, I study it, I apply it, and no one comes to the Father except through Christ. Not even Mary herself. Though there is lessons to be learned from her story, it is not through a pagan philosophy brought on through the Roman Empire.
That being said, I study the scriptures constantly and see no scriptures referring to or implying the perpetual virginity of Mary. No tradition taught me this, nor do I somehow inherit this. I can read quite well. It's just not there. If I am missing it, please refer to it.
And as far as "inheriting" a tradition? Every other response you make concerns some "traditional view". I'm not catholic. I don't adhere to "traditions of men". And yes I am saying you are twisting words, because you are taking every little jot and tittle that I say and breaking it apart to conjugate some idea that doesn't exist in scriptures.
As I'm attempting to have you see the folly of worshipping and praying to saints and Mary in place of God the Father and his son Jesus Christ, I will divulge the name calling and back and forth banter no longer. I proposed it, so answer it, or don't. I read the bible, the perpetual virginity of Mary isn't in it Nor is praying to saints. I think that the Vestals are where it came from, though I don't know. I proposed it so that we can settle it, dismiss it, and worship God as he should be worshipped. This has been like a democrat fighting a republican I swear. makes one beat their head against a wall.
