Furthermore, the Bible argues against anyone’s being taken bodily to heaven. In discussing the resurrection to heavenly life, the apostle Paul states: “There are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies. The splendor of the heavenly bodies is one thing, that of the earthly another. The sun has a splendor of its own, so has the moon, and the stars have theirs. Even among the stars, one differs from another in brightness. So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown in the earth is subject to decay, what rises is incorruptible. What is sown is ignoble, what rises is glorious. Weakness is sown, strength rises up. A natural body is put down and a spiritual body comes up. . . . This is what I mean, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor. 15:40-50, New American Bible) Like all others who gain immortal life in the heavens, Mary would have to give up her body of flesh in order to experience a change to heavenly nature.

So Biblical evidence unmistakably points to the conclusion that Mary was neither conceived free from every trace of sin nor was she ‘taken up bodily to heaven.’ This is something to which one should give sober consideration. Jesus Christ charged the religious leaders of his day with “making dogmas out of human precepts.” (Matt. 15:9, NAB) In view of the evidence we have considered, is not the dogma of Mary’s “assumption” derived from “human precepts”? So, if you have been taught this doctrine, should you not want to investigate whether other things you have learned are likewise not based on the Bible but are merely the product of human reasoning? By such investigation, you will be acting in harmony with the apostolic admonition: “Test everything; retain what is good.”​—1 Thess. 5:21, NAB.

Genuine Friendliness Is Powerful

TRUE worship has a wholesome effect on a person’s disposition. It stirs within him concern for others. Often this manifests itself in a friendly manner of speaking and dealing with strangers. At times such friendliness has had a wholesome effect on bitter opposers of the Bible’s message.

This is what happened on an island of southern Greece. A man was studying the Bible with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but his wife was bitterly opposed. The celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal was approaching and the man decided to attend. Noting that her husband was getting ready, the wife inquired as to where he was going. “Listen,” her husband said, “today Jehovah’s Witnesses are observing a unique celebration established by Jesus, the Memorial of his death. I am going to attend. You don’t know how happy I would be if you, too, would come.” The wife became enraged and began cursing the Witnesses and insulting her husband.

Finally the man got ready to go alone. As he was leaving, the wife suddenly called out: “Wait! I am coming also.” The man simply could not believe his ears. Tears came to his eyes. Both attended the meeting and the wife listened in silence. At the conclusion of the talk, a female Witness spoke to her in a very friendly manner and arranged to call on her at her home. A Bible study was started.

Right in the first month this woman told the Witness: “Now I also am a witness of Jehovah, a sister of yours. I have not yet told my husband. I will now disclose something to you that I had in mind doing. The day my husband told me about the Memorial, I had hidden a knife under my pillow and was looking for the opportunity to kill him. While I was determined to do this, he was inviting me to go to the meeting. I finally decided to go, and there call the police to have everyone arrested. I owe it to you for having come to know the truth. And it is owing to the truth that my husband is living and I am free and not in prison.”

What power the friendliness of that Witness had!