# Roman Catholic view of disobedience



## Michael (Mar 31, 2011)

I am only casually familiar with Roman Catholic doctrine but I know there are many here who come from that background so perhaps you can help me understand something. 

Recently I was having a discussion with a Jesuit priest. During the discourse he mentioned that there is such a thing as disobedience to God that is not sin. The context of the conversation was about Mary, mother of Jesus. According to the Jesuit priest if Mary had declined at the opportunity to bear the holy child she would have disobeyed God but that would not have been sin. He said that in Catholic doctrine vocational choices do necessarily not fall into the sinful category of disobedience [outside of something like prostitution, for example].

Would anyone care to elaborate on where he is coming from? Is this the prevailing Roman Catholic opinion?


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## dudley (Mar 31, 2011)

I am an ex Roman catholic but this is the first time I am hearing that discussion….Mary’s acceptance of bearing the Christ child Jesus fulfils the biblical prophecy. I can not tell you….. this is again another part of Roman catholic teaching that extends above the Gospel…one of the reasons I am now a Protestant and I guess the question is more speculative than anything else.


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## MMasztal (Mar 31, 2011)

I am also former RC and cannot recall hearing doctrine like this. Additionally, the example the Jesuit cites is fiction. There was no opportunity for Mary to refuse to bear the Messiah. The angel did not say, “Say, Mary. Jehovah is thinking you might be the right woman to bring the Messiah into the world. How about it?” 

This Jesuit’s example sounds like building doctrine based on hypotheticals.


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## Gryphonette (Apr 1, 2011)

I'm an ex-RC who is joining the choir. Never heard _that!_ I don't think the Jesuit priest knows what he's talking about. The RCC is so huge one can find almost every possible doctrinal variation and permutation if one looks hard enough.

The RCC _does_ teach there's no such thing as unintentional sin, but am not sure that's applicable.


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## dudley (Apr 1, 2011)

I agree with Michael and Ann and it appears that we 3 are all ex Roman catholics turned Protestant and I am sure that it was for them as for me ...that I left the Roman catholic church for many reasons ..One reason I did becoem a Protestant and a Presbyterian is I wanted to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it was given to us..without Romish distortions of the truth.....it is why also my motto is now .."May we all be Sons of the Reformation and continue to proclaim what it means to be Reformed Protestant Christians!"


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