Immaculate Conception

[EDWARDJL]

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;  is one of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible.

The context is stating the word "all" meaning all without distinction, not all without exception. Paul is stating that is doesn't matter whether you are Jewish, Greek, Barbarian, etc.  All of these groups have sinned. And the way to salvation is the same, through Faith (not "faith alone") in Jesus Christ. He is emphasizing that this includes circumcised Jews who thought they could be saved by their circumcision (works of the law).

The word "All" can not possibly mean every person who has ever lived, without exception.  What about infants that have died or mentally handicapped people. The have never committed sin.  They were born with "Original Sin", but they have never actually committed sin.

In order to be sin, the person committing the sin needs to be able to distinguish right from wrong and willfully choose to do wrong

[banished]

Here is the Catholic Perspective:

Protestantism rejects Mary's Assumption, despite developed Christian Tradition and biblical indications: If Mary was indeed sinless, she would not have to undergo bodily decay at death (Ps 16:10; Gen 3:19). Similar occurrences in the Bible make the Assumption not implausible or "unbiblical" per se (Enoch: Gen 5:24 w/ Heb 11:5; Elijah: 2 Ki 2:11; Paul: 2 Cor 12:2-4; the Protestant doctrine of the "Rapture": 1 Thess 4:15-17; risen saints: Mt 27:52-3).

"Behold thy mother"; Rev 12:1,5,17: Christians described as "her seed.") Catholics believe that Mary is incomparably more alive and holy than we are, hence, her prayers for us are of great effect (Jas 5:16; Rev 5:8; 6:9-10). But she is our sister with regard to our position of creatures vis-à-vis the Creator, God. Mary never operates apart from the necessary graces from her Son, and always glorifies Him, not herself, as Catholic theology stresses.