what does this have to do with proving Mary didn't die? We are talking physical death, which we all experience. The argument "they are alive" doesn't mean they did not experience physical death.
JESUS experienced physical death, and he was arguably more alive than any human can claim.
You might have been talking physical death. I was merely pointing out that the phrase 'dead Christian' is a contradiction in terms, because there is no such thing.
Ergo, whatever might have happened to Mary or any other Christian, none of them are dead, nor can be said to be dead now. They are in eternity, with God.
The point is often made that there is no point praying to dead people. This is quite right. But there are no dead Christians from God's point of view, and nor should there be from ours, if we share his view of the world, rather than sharing the world's view of the world.
And speaking of God's point of view, imho, any comment which is disrespectful of Our Lady is also disrespectful of God, who chose her from among all women to bear his son. This unique event in history was accepted with total submission to God's will by a young girl who in our day would probably still be in High School, and who bore God himself in her womb, brought him into the world, and fed him at her breast.
We seek God's grace every day of our lives. Gabriel greets Mary as 'full of grace'. I wish the posts on this thread could be called the same.
Even without tradition, Scripture alone ought to be enough to keep anyone silent who cannot speak respectfully of Mary. If it is not, then I cannot see how on earth or in heaven God will be happy. God chose her, and yet we deride, denounce and denigrate her.
Same as happened to Christ, and all the prophets. Read the Gospels, and you will see that Mary demonstrates every single one of the fruits of the spirit from the annunciation onwards, as well as the gift of prophecy. This is not often remarked, but it is there, clear as day if you take the blinkers of modern denominational tradition away and see what is there. She can truly be called the first Christian, and the most faithful during Christ's life, imo.
In the Bible Mary says, 'from henceforth all generations will call me blessed'. I would suggest that anyone who cannot say more than that, at least refrain from anything else at all. Not one of us will tolerate anyone disrespecting our mothers, and I suspect that this will go for Christ as well.
As for the 50% thing, that is simple. I am 100% the daughter of my father, not 50%. And I am also 100% the daughter of my mother, not 50%. DNA is something else, but in terms of relationship and who I am, the relationship is 100%. Same with Christ. Fully man, and fully God, because he is fully the son of Mary, and fully the son of God. Which does not end up with a 200% human, but with a full human being like any other.
In such human terms, even the most profound theology is simple to understand. Who we are is about relationship, not about DNA. And the same goes for Christ.
