Comment on DAcatholics's profile
And your thoughts and position and others' are all I need to know. Thank you for your sincere answer and spending some time explaining it. 
ANd thank you for sharing Fulton Sheen's quote! 
It was indeed wise and inspiring. God bless you too.
And for the record, I am not actually a Catholic.
Just an open-minded, inquisitive individual who wants to learn new things from others and shares the knowledge he discovered with them. I would like to learn more about the Catholic doctrines and history of the Church in general from devout Catholics themselves. 
Though I personally disagree(which I hope you all understand), I am also curious as to why they believe Mary remained a virgin for the rest of her life even after giving birth to Christ even though the Gospels clearly say that He had the earthly siblings and that there is no denying that James the Just, one of the crucial historical figures in history of early Christianity, along with Apostle Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, and Apostle Paul, was one of them and what their take on the critical arguments against that are. I crave for a calm, intellectual discussion and learning. Even though I don't think I will ever be a Catholic, I am always happy to hear things I have to know about the Catholic faith from the Catholics.
So if I have any more question regarding the Catholic Church and their doctrines, please do educate me on them and fill me in correct understandings.
ANd thank you for sharing Fulton Sheen's quote! It was indeed wise and inspiring. God bless you too.And for the record, I am not actually a Catholic.
Just an open-minded, inquisitive individual who wants to learn new things from others and shares the knowledge he discovered with them. I would like to learn more about the Catholic doctrines and history of the Church in general from devout Catholics themselves. Though I personally disagree(which I hope you all understand), I am also curious as to why they believe Mary remained a virgin for the rest of her life even after giving birth to Christ even though the Gospels clearly say that He had the earthly siblings and that there is no denying that James the Just, one of the crucial historical figures in history of early Christianity, along with Apostle Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, and Apostle Paul, was one of them and what their take on the critical arguments against that are. I crave for a calm, intellectual discussion and learning. Even though I don't think I will ever be a Catholic, I am always happy to hear things I have to know about the Catholic faith from the Catholics. So if I have any more question regarding the Catholic Church and their doctrines, please do educate me on them and fill me in correct understandings.
I appreciate your openness to Catholicism. I am a convert from atheism, over a very long period of rational investigation of many different religions and philosophical standpoints. I found that Catholicism alone can perfectly answer all questions and fit the world most seamlessly. As such, I, and I'm sure many others in this group, are more than willing to discuss anything you wish about our Faith.
As for this specific question, I think it is important to understand that the idea of sola scriptura, the belief that all Christian doctrine and discipline must derive from the Bible, is purely an invention of the Protestant Reformation. Indeed, the New Testament was written and organized by the Church, which had been alive for decades before any book of the NT was written and for centuries before it was definitively compiled. This is also true of the Old Testament, whereby Judaism had existed for a very long time before it was written or finished. The Jews, like Catholics, understood in the time of Jesus and before that the Temple and the Church, not the Bible, are the living centers of the Faith, through which we actively live God in this world. The Bible itself, especially the NT, testify that oral tradition and the authority of the Church are equal to and often precede the Bible. (By the way, if you would like any specific quotes about these statements, just ask; I dislike citations and so I rarely give them unless asked.)
The doctrine of the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin derives from several things. For one, it, like the Assumption, had been apart of Christian tradition since the very early Church and I believe many of the Church Fathers attested to it. For two, it is based on the Catholic sacramental imagination, whereby things in the Faith fit not just fact, but the symbolic and spiritual truths of God. For example, only men may be priests not only because Christ only chose men as apostles, but because in their liturgical functions, priests act in persona Christi, meaning in the person of Christ. They act as Christ and act in a "giving", rather than feminine "receiving" sense; this is also why the Father is called Father, when in truth He has no gender.
These are some of the main reasons for our belief in the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin. As for the siblings of Christ, Koine Greek had no name for cousins or other similar relatives and so called them brothers/sisters interchangeably. The Church has always taught its use of the term siblings refers to Christ's relatives, not his brothers or sisters. Again for specific verification on this if you wish, just ask.
Thank you again for your interest. Though I am certainly not trying to proselytize you, I would advise you to reconsider your position that you will "never be a Catholic". If you are truly open-minded, then allow your mind, your heart, your conscience and your entire being guide you wherever Truth wills. This was my method and it led me home. God bless.
I am a convert from atheism, over a very long period of rational investigation of many different religions and philosophical standpoints. I found that Catholicism alone can perfectly answer all questions and fit the world most seamlessly. As such, I, and I'm sure many others in this group, are more than willing to discuss anything you wish about our Faith. As for this specific question, I think it is important to understand that the idea of sola scriptura, the belief that all Christian doctrine and discipline must derive from the Bible, is purely an invention of the Protestant Reformation. Indeed, the New Testament was written and organized by the Church, which had been alive for decades before any book of the NT was written and for centuries before it was definitively compiled. This is also true of the Old Testament, whereby Judaism had existed for a very long time before it was written or finished. The Jews, like Catholics, understood in the time of Jesus and before that the Temple and the Church, not the Bible, are the living centers of the Faith, through which we actively live God in this world. The Bible itself, especially the NT, testify that oral tradition and the authority of the Church are equal to and often precede the Bible. (By the way, if you would like any specific quotes about these statements, just ask; I dislike citations and so I rarely give them unless asked.)
The doctrine of the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin derives from several things. For one, it, like the Assumption, had been apart of Christian tradition since the very early Church and I believe many of the Church Fathers attested to it. For two, it is based on the Catholic sacramental imagination, whereby things in the Faith fit not just fact, but the symbolic and spiritual truths of God. For example, only men may be priests not only because Christ only chose men as apostles, but because in their liturgical functions, priests act in persona Christi, meaning in the person of Christ. They act as Christ and act in a "giving", rather than feminine "receiving" sense; this is also why the Father is called Father, when in truth He has no gender.
These are some of the main reasons for our belief in the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin. As for the siblings of Christ, Koine Greek had no name for cousins or other similar relatives and so called them brothers/sisters interchangeably. The Church has always taught its use of the term siblings refers to Christ's relatives, not his brothers or sisters. Again for specific verification on this if you wish, just ask.
Thank you again for your interest. Though I am certainly not trying to proselytize you, I would advise you to reconsider your position that you will "never be a Catholic". If you are truly open-minded, then allow your mind, your heart, your conscience and your entire being guide you wherever Truth wills. This was my method and it led me home. God bless.
"Though I am certainly not trying to proselytize you, I would advise you to reconsider your position that you will 'never be a Catholic'."
If that offended you personally, I sincerely apologize and hope that you would understand and forgive me. It was never my intention to bad-mouth Catholicism. But I also ask you to not pressure me hard into accepting some of the things you and others are going to educate me more on about the Catholic faith. I am just here to learn more about it from you, to know what you guys really believe and accept as the Truth are from your words, instead of just hearing things from others with a hidden biased agenda that may only contain half truths or be downright erroneous and offensive.
But anyways, I can clearly see your point and understand why you guys believe that. THat's all I need to know and encourage you to stand firm as always in your Catholic faith! I do, however, think that as erroneous and "heretical" as they may sound to you (and I completely understand why and will not argue with you on that), some Catholics (again, not all, just some that I've noticed) often unfairly discredit the Protestants in general too much and aren't immune to stereotyping or wrong, careless judgment(as I've been raised in a Korean Protestant community).
I mean, I am certainly and totally aware of all the terrible things that have been committed in the name of Protestantism throughout history, and there's absolutely no denying it. But there have always been numerous Protestant ministers and missionaries whose reputations and works can even be compared to those of the Catholic/Orthodox saints. I believe it's unfair to discredit all of them just because of a few bad individuals. For example, during the brutal 36 years of Japanese occupation and imperialism in Korea, many Korean Protestant believers refused to submit themselves or pledge their allegiance to Emperor Hirohito risking their own lives and families for their faiths (for which they were brutally tortured, raped and killed by the Japanese police) whereas the Korean Catholics gave in. Would it be fair if I just made a statement that all Catholics are like those Korean Catholics? Of course not, because wouldn't that discredit the Catholics who hid the Jews from the Nazis and even suffered terribly at the hands of the Nazis in concentration camps?
Also, I hope you don't take it personally but... even though you said you'd been through a very long period of rational investigation of many different religions and philosophical standpoints, I still have a strong feeling that most of your views seem a little too... "American" or "Western". Obviously, I don't blame you. No one is to be blamed for the thoughts and standpoints they've developed in the places or countries they've been raised since their childhood. But in return for my openness, I would wholeheartedly appreciate if you could be willing to hear and learn correct understandings of other cultures as well. Of course, I am not saying that you should accept them, just politely suggesting you should give other history and cultures some chances and know them with an inquisitive heart. I am saying this in order to avoid some culture clashes that I'd previously had with people of different backgrounds.
If that offended you personally, I sincerely apologize and hope that you would understand and forgive me.
It was never my intention to bad-mouth Catholicism. But I also ask you to not pressure me hard into accepting some of the things you and others are going to educate me more on about the Catholic faith. I am just here to learn more about it from you, to know what you guys really believe and accept as the Truth are from your words, instead of just hearing things from others with a hidden biased agenda that may only contain half truths or be downright erroneous and offensive. But anyways, I can clearly see your point and understand why you guys believe that.
THat's all I need to know and encourage you to stand firm as always in your Catholic faith! I do, however, think that as erroneous and "heretical" as they may sound to you (and I completely understand why and will not argue with you on that), some Catholics (again, not all, just some that I've noticed) often unfairly discredit the Protestants in general too much and aren't immune to stereotyping or wrong, careless judgment(as I've been raised in a Korean Protestant community). I mean, I am certainly and totally aware of all the terrible things that have been committed in the name of Protestantism throughout history, and there's absolutely no denying it. But there have always been numerous Protestant ministers and missionaries whose reputations and works can even be compared to those of the Catholic/Orthodox saints. I believe it's unfair to discredit all of them just because of a few bad individuals. For example, during the brutal 36 years of Japanese occupation and imperialism in Korea, many Korean Protestant believers refused to submit themselves or pledge their allegiance to Emperor Hirohito risking their own lives and families for their faiths (for which they were brutally tortured, raped and killed by the Japanese police) whereas the Korean Catholics gave in. Would it be fair if I just made a statement that all Catholics are like those Korean Catholics? Of course not, because wouldn't that discredit the Catholics who hid the Jews from the Nazis and even suffered terribly at the hands of the Nazis in concentration camps?
Also, I hope you don't take it personally but... even though you said you'd been through a very long period of rational investigation of many different religions and philosophical standpoints, I still have a strong feeling that most of your views seem a little too... "American" or "Western". Obviously, I don't blame you. No one is to be blamed for the thoughts and standpoints they've developed in the places or countries they've been raised since their childhood. But in return for my openness, I would wholeheartedly appreciate if you could be willing to hear and learn correct understandings of other cultures as well. Of course, I am not saying that you should accept them, just politely suggesting you should give other history and cultures some chances and know them with an inquisitive heart. I am saying this in order to avoid some culture clashes that I'd previously had with people of different backgrounds.
I fully understand your desire for objective discussion about Catholicism. I've had a bit of experience in apologetics with people from many different viewpoints, so any other questions you have about our Faith please feel free to ask. As for generalizing Protestants, that is why I am always quite careful with my words and very rarely discuss individual people. When I talk about Protestantism, for example, I am talking about the set of beliefs and teachings, not the people. There have been wonderful and terrible Protestants, just like any other group. All people are capable of following their conscience and thereby leading a good life. However, the truth of their beliefs and how those beliefs can affect their life is a separate matter, and that is primarily what I discuss. For example, if an atheist tried to follow his conscience and lead a good life, he could. But, what if his conscience is challenged in a particular situation? What objective authority can answer his issues and help him make the right choice? And, what if he does sin? How can he gain forgiveness and reconciliation? These are the dilemmas that religion, and I believe Catholicism to the fullest extent, can help, and it is what leads many people to a great deal of moral and spiritual difficulties - Catholics not the least of which, as many Catholics also do not follow what the Church teaches as they should.
Fortunately, though I myself am Western due to my birth and upbringing, Catholicism is not Western or Eastern. It is universal - hence the name, catholic, which means universal. There have been and are Catholics throughout the world, and in fact it is Judaic at its core. Catholicism also practices something called inculturation, whereby the unique viewpoint and traditions of cultures may be incorporated into Catholicism so long as they do not contradict our teachings. For example, Western Christmas trees derive from pagan traditions, but they were adopted into the Church because they could be. So, I would ask you to not assume I will be biased or prejudice towards you because you come from a different culture than I do, just because you've had similar experiences with others beforehand. God bless.
As for generalizing Protestants, that is why I am always quite careful with my words and very rarely discuss individual people. When I talk about Protestantism, for example, I am talking about the set of beliefs and teachings, not the people. There have been wonderful and terrible Protestants, just like any other group. All people are capable of following their conscience and thereby leading a good life. However, the truth of their beliefs and how those beliefs can affect their life is a separate matter, and that is primarily what I discuss. For example, if an atheist tried to follow his conscience and lead a good life, he could. But, what if his conscience is challenged in a particular situation? What objective authority can answer his issues and help him make the right choice? And, what if he does sin? How can he gain forgiveness and reconciliation? These are the dilemmas that religion, and I believe Catholicism to the fullest extent, can help, and it is what leads many people to a great deal of moral and spiritual difficulties - Catholics not the least of which, as many Catholics also do not follow what the Church teaches as they should. Fortunately, though I myself am Western due to my birth and upbringing, Catholicism is not Western or Eastern. It is universal - hence the name, catholic, which means universal. There have been and are Catholics throughout the world, and in fact it is Judaic at its core. Catholicism also practices something called inculturation, whereby the unique viewpoint and traditions of cultures may be incorporated into Catholicism so long as they do not contradict our teachings. For example, Western Christmas trees derive from pagan traditions, but they were adopted into the Church because they could be. So, I would ask you to not assume I will be biased or prejudice towards you because you come from a different culture than I do, just because you've had similar experiences with others beforehand. God bless.