Mary’s Assumption—Fact or Fiction?

Question

This papal dogma, is that “the Blessed Virgin Mary was at the very moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, through the merits of Jesus Christ Savior of mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin,” and the incorruptibility of Mary’s body and her eventual Assumption, body and soul, into the glory of heaven".

Answer 1

hahahha most definitely fiction.

Answer 2

fiction

Answer 3

I believe it to be fact.

It has only been in the last couple of hundred years that there has been any question about Mary's validity. A simple look at medieval paintings will verify that she was always a happening part of the Christian scene.

In the year 130 Irenaeus wrote about her. He was familiar with those who had been close both to Peter and to Paul and who "had still the preaching of the blessed Apostles ringing in their ears"

One of the oldest catacombs contains a drawing of the Madonna and Child dating back to the second century.

There were also feasts in memory of the Assumption of Mary in Antioch dating back to 380 A.D.

In 451, when the bishops gathered at Constantinople, Emperor Marcian asked the Patriarch of Jerusalem to bring the relics (bones) of Mary to Constantinople, from Jerusalem. The patriarch explained that there were no relics of Mary, that "Mary had died in the presence of the apostles; but her tomb, when opened later...was found empty...the apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven." John of Damascene,PG(96:1)(A.D. 747-751)

On the cross, Jesus says  to the poor thief, "This day you will be with me in Paradise!" (Lk. 23:43)  Some of you like to pound that one out all the time - what makes you think that Jesus would treat His mother with less love and respect?

If you are afraid to talk to Mary, I invite you to Pray to Jesus about Mary. I'm sure any Evangelical would say it is perfectly safe to pray to Jesus about anything. Ask Jesus what's up with Mary. Give him time to respond. I pray you have the same experience that has led to my powerful convictions about the validity of Mary as a helper for the helpless, and a great prayer warrior.

Answer 4

so complicating

Answer 5

Fiction, made up by the catholic church around 1850 to promote abstinence before and monogamy during marriage.

Answer 6

Fiction!!  (Remember The First Commandment!)

Answer 7

It's not "Papal Dogma" it's CHURCH DOGMA.  Yes, she was freed from the stain of original sin, meaning she needed a savior.

What I find most amazing is that fundamentalists have no problem believing Enoch, Elijah and others were assummed into heaven, but can't believe the same about Mary, who was at least equally worthy.

Answer 8

Matt 16, 18-19 gave the infallible authority to the Catholic Church to formulate all dogmas and doctrines as Divine Revelation. These can never be altered to changed regardless of public pressure. Now they are facts.  

Answer 9

Dogma.

Answer 10

Well, since the whole Bible is fiction, it stands to reason that this is fiction also.

Answer 11

Fact

The doctrine of the Assumption says that at the end of her life on earth Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven, just as Enoch, Elijah, and perhaps others had been before her. It’s also necessary to keep in mind what the Assumption is not. Some people think Catholics believe Mary "ascended" into heaven. That’s not correct. Christ, by his own power, ascended into heaven. Mary was assumed or taken up into heaven by God. She didn’t do it under her own power.

The Church has never formally defined whether she died or not, and the integrity of the doctrine of the Assumption would not be impaired if she did not in fact die, but the almost universal consensus is that she did die. Pope Pius XII, in Munificentissimus Deus (1950), defined that Mary, "after the completion of her earthly life" (note the silence regarding her death), "was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven."

The possibility of a bodily assumption before the Second Coming is suggested by Matthew 27:52–53: "[T]he tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many." Did all these Old Testament saints die and have to be buried all over again? There is no record of that, but it is recorded by early Church writers that they were assumed into heaven, or at least into that temporary state of rest and happiness often called "paradise," where the righteous people from the Old Testament era waited until Christ’s resurrection (cf. Luke 16:22, 23:43; Heb. 11:1–40; 1 Pet. 4:6), after which they were brought into the eternal bliss of heaven.

There is also what might be called the negative historical proof for Mary’s Assumption. It is easy to document that, from the first, Christians gave homage to saints, including many about whom we now know little or nothing. Cities vied for the title of the last resting place of the most famous saints. Rome, for example, houses the tombs of Peter and Paul, Peter’s tomb being under the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In the early Christian centuries relics of saints were zealously guarded and highly prized. The bones of those martyred in the Coliseum, for instance, were quickly gathered up and preserved—there are many accounts of this in the biographies of those who gave their lives for the faith.

It is agreed upon that Mary ended her life in Jerusalem, or perhaps in Ephesus. However, neither those cities nor any other claimed her remains, though there are claims about possessing her (temporary) tomb. And why did no city claim the bones of Mary? Apparently because there weren’t any bones to claim, and people knew it. Here was Mary, certainly the most privileged of all the saints, certainly the most saintly, but we have no record of her bodily remains being venerated anywhere.

  

Answer 12

Jesus had a half sister. Biblical scholars (actual scholars not religious nutters) believe she may have been Salome.

Bang goes the incorruptible body theory then though.

Jesus was a great revolutionary. A hero to his people. A man with the courage to stand up to Roman occupiers and inspire a revolution against them.He was a socialist. He threw money lenders and tax officials out of the Temple. But the prostitutes and beggars were welcome.

But he was NOT a deity. He was not the son of a deity. He was not distantly related to a deity by either marriage or adoption.

He was a great man. A MAN. And his mother was a woman.

Why is that not enough? You can still follow his teachings without all that fear of hellfire and brimstone.

Actually his teachings are pretty cool and we could all do worse than try to follow them.

It's a pity so many Christians misrepresent him so badly.

EDIT: Saying that it is only in the last few hundred years that doubt has  been cast on her "immaculateness" is ludicrous. It's only in the last few hundred years people stopped believing the earth was flat. Burning witches at the stake was popular in the last few hundred years. Hanging someone for horse theft was common int he last few hundred years.

Doesn't mean any of these are still  good ideas today though does it?

Answer 13

Mary was not sinless. She was not a god, but was like every other human being-- a sinner.  The only way she could go to Heaven was by believing, just like every other person had and has to do.  Now, I do think that Mary did believe and is in Heaven, but her being the mother of Jesus has nothing with her going to Heaven.  She still had to believe.  There is nothing in the Bible that says because she is the virgin mother of Christ she was "preserved free from all stain of original sin."  Jesus was the only sinless person ever to walk the earth.

Answer 14

Pure fiction.  

Answer 15

no...she was a sinner and is sleeping in her grave...we dk if she was even born again..

Answer 16

Fact. It is alluded to in the Book of Revelation,

"A great sign appeared in the sky, a women clothed with the sun, with the moon nder her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with Child...she gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod." (Rev 12:1, 5) She is Queen of Heaven because of the Kingship of her son, Jesus Christ

Now, someone said that she is sleeping, dead, with no knowledge of anything as all people who die. Well, look at what the Bible says,

"The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many." Matthew 27:52–53

Mary's Assumption was believed from the begining. It just wasn't formal teaching until the 1950's.

Someone also said something like since it is not in the Bible, we can't believe it, well, look what the Bible says about Sola Scriptura.

"I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:2).

"Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us" (2 Tim. 1:13-14).

"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter." (2 Thess. 2:15)

"You, then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:1-2).

"First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20-21).

"‘Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete" (2 John 12).

tradition states that when she completed her life(we don't know if she died or not) she was assumed, Body and Soul, by her son, Jesus Christ, into Heavan. If you look at the first Christians(Who were Catholic, called themselves Catholic and believe what we currently believe.)

"The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God" (Against Heresies, 5:19:1 [A.D. 189]).

"So the Virgin became a mother with great mercies. And she labored and bore the Son, but without pain, because it did not occur without purpose. And she did not seek a midwife, because he caused her to give life. She bore as a strong man, with will . . . " (Odes of Solomon 19 [A.D. 80]).

No pain, because did not sin. Pains of child birth was a result of sin.

She was assumed Body and Soul into Heaven, which is like a preview for all Christians who die in a state of Grace, one day, our very Bodys will join our souls and we will be with Christ, Body and Soul, like tbe Blessed Virgin is.

Answer 17

It's nice to see the fundamentalists and the atheist agreeing on something...

The Protoevangelium of James documents her parents and her birth...so the incorruptable nature of her virginity was established during the time of the early church fathers, not 1850...her assumption is told in the Book of Revelation as her being crowned Queen of Heaven..the Book of Revelation is not a story about an un-named future, but of the fall of the old 'Elements" and the the establishment as the Church as the new Universal system by which salvation is attained. It was coded as to keep Roman authorities from understanding it's contents...study Preterism, it's as simply as that.

So the answer is YES

Answer 18

Fact. Read Revelations Chapter 12!