Marian devotion is important to the Catholic, Anglican (particularly the High Church branch), and Orthodox traditions; but most Protestants reject it as improper.
Protestants argue that Marian devotion is akin to worship, but we are to worship God (the Holy Trinity) alone, and not Mary or the Saints. Catholics and Orthodox note that this is not worship but merely veneration; however, Protestants do not understand that argument. Protestants are of the opinion that Marian devotion, even if not worship, distracts from attention on God, and devotion to Mary is likely to give rise to tendencies to equate Mary with God. Catholics however would argue that is the wish of Jesus that we should venerate Mary because according to the New Testament she magnifies the Lord, and magnification of her magnifies God. Protestants also feel that many of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions about Mary are not found in the Bible, and therefore should be rejected. Catholics argue that Marian doctrine is implicit in the Bible.
The early reformers however, believed that Mary should be held in highest reverence, and even advocated the use of the Ave Maria through “and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus” as a sign of reverence for and devotion to the Virgin.
Moreover both Luther and Calvin believed the doctrine, now controversial among Protestants, of Mary's perpetual virginity. This belief is even attested to in the Augsburg Confession, one of the foundations of Lutheranism.
2007-09-05 07:37:10 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
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Her soul magnifies the Lord.
(Luke 1:46-55)
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2007-09-05 07:41:21 · update #1
There is no one in all of History whose relationship with God is as complex, fulfilled, and achingly beautiful as Mary's.
She is not only the greatest of Saints, she is our Mother, as Jesus is our Brother and Savior. In honoring her, we honor Him -- and imitate Him, as we are admonished to both honor our parents and imitate Christ, Who loved His Mother.
Our relationship with Mary is that of a child to a blessed Mother who was given to us as Jesus gave her to John at the Cross.
She is our spiritual Mother (Revelation 12:17 -- And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ).........
........and she wants to pray for us.
2007-09-05 07:59:20 · answer #1 · answered by cashelmara 7 · 11⤊ 0⤋
No where in the bible? do you remeber the story of aaron. Moses brother the Levites. Do you remeber the arc of teh covenant and the tent set up when ever the jews stopped. and the rituals that Aaron and the other levites God's chosen preists as the jews wondered the desert.
Well the arc held the 10 commandments and some of the manna that God provied to fed the jews on their journey. Now monthly a prest would have to go behind the curtain where the arc was kept. and of course he had to do all the rituals of purification, the priests dreaed when it was "their turn". Why? Well they tied a rope around the designated priests ankle, lest he go behind the curtain unpourfied on fit to be in God's presence and thus struck dead. And many presits levites were lost this way because God found them impure.
Now, Blessed mother was touched by the Holy sprit in a way that is incomprehisible to us. She carried God in her womb for 9 months. knowing what we know about the evites and the rope around the ankle. Do you really think that if she had been just another jewish girl of the right age, and had not as cathlic doctrine teaches been born without the origianal all the rest of us have save for adam and eve. do you realy think that if she had commited sin at all during her life that she would not have been struc down dead as an impure levite. This bein gthe case, also haveing see witnessed her being bodily taken my Our Lord into heaven yes "raptured" do you really think it is not right to honor, and venerate her. and ask her to intercedfor us to her son in a way only she can do.
A-we worte the bible and we are hapy to share it with you. Our church the one that Jesus founded came first then we produced the bible for you. It is Our teacing tool we invented it. I think if we were doing something wrong we would let you all know. BTW the bible didn't just fall from the sky one day into Luther's lad. so, trapes of to your littl ebible studies wiuth your wimpy pastors, but do not tell us what the bible says. We wrote it, and we were actually there when the events took place. WE ARE THE CHURCH THAT JESUS FOUNDED AND THE GATES OF HELL (not even Luther) SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST US.
B-No where in the bible doe sit say there is only one mediator. Jesus is not a mediator Jesus IS GOD.
2007-09-13 05:37:54 · answer #2 · answered by johnnydepp1118 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no doubt that Mary was a very good person. God certainly would not have chosen a person who was not suitable to raise Jesus. Joseph must have been a very good person, too. I also believe Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born, but I also know she had several other children, by means of her husband, Joseph, after Jesus was born. I also know that Mary passed away a very long time ago. The Bible says the dead are conscious of nothing at all. Why, then, should we ask Mary to pray for us when she isn't even conscious? Jesus was perfect, and he is alive, therefore I pray to God and ask that Jesus second the motion, so to speak.
2007-09-12 07:02:44 · answer #3 · answered by alikij 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Catholics are absolutely forbidden to worship Mary, or anyone else other than God, even if they wanted to. That would be idolatry, which is completely condemned in every form by the Catholic Church. On the other hand, praying to Mary for intercession is no different from asking any other Christian to pray for me. When we ask other Christians to pray for us, does that take something away from God? On the contrary, it multiplies the prayers offered to God for a particular intention. There are some of course who say that the saints are dead, but apparently they haven't read the Bible, for Jesus said that those who follow Him "will never die". Catholics believe Him. So, since the saints are alive and well, and in God's immediate presence, why would we not ask them to join their prayers to ours?
2007-09-06 03:39:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Martin Luther also believed in Christ's presence in the Eucharist as well as in the Sacrament of Confession. He is given a lot more credit than he is due. All he did was plant the seed. He did not do much except translate the Bible into German, Sola Scriptura and Sola Feda. Other than that, he was a good Catholic. He did not want to leave the Church, he was planning to change it from the inside, but to to nationalism and other circumstances, he had to leave the Church.
2016-04-03 05:00:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We should have respect for Mary she was chosen by God to carry our Savior. She was chosen because of her bloodline. If you look throughout the bible you see the talk of this. Thats why God sent the flood. The evil angels were producing giants with women (tainting the bloodline) Noahs family was saved because his bloodline was still pure.Jesus was born for Marys salvation as well as for us. She was born into original sin (she was born with 2 human parents) I have done lots of research on the lineage of Jesus. Here's a theory: Original sin is passed down through the father. The girls get it too but it is a trait passed down through our dads. That is why Jesus had to come from a female virgin.
2007-09-07 01:18:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"For as Eve was seduced by the word of an angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an angel received the glad tidings that she would bear God by obeying his Word. The former was seduced to disobey God, but the latter was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of the virgin Eve. As the human race was subjected to death through [the act of] a virgin, so it was saved by a virgin." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, V:19,1 (A.D. 180).
John 19:26 - Jesus makes Mary the Mother of us all as He dies on the Cross by saying "behold your mother." Jesus did not say "John, behold your mother" because he gave Mary to all of us, his beloved disciples. All the words that Jesus spoke on Cross had a divine purpose. Jesus was not just telling John to take care of his mother.
1 Kings 2:17, 20 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the King does not refuse his mother. Jesus is the new Davidic King, and He does not refuse the requests of his mother Mary, the Queen.
1 Kings 2:18 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the Queen intercedes on behalf of the King's followers. She is the Queen Mother (or "Gebirah"). Mary is our eternal Gebirah.
1 Kings 2:19 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom the King bows down to his mother and she sits at his right hand. We, as children of the New Covenant, should imitate our King and pay the same homage to Mary our Mother. By honoring Mary, we honor our King, Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 15:13 - the Queen Mother is a powerful position in Israel's royal monarchy. Here the Queen is removed from office. But now, the Davidic kingdom is perfected by Jesus, and our Mother Mary is forever at His right hand.
2 Chron. 22:10 - here Queen Mother Athalia destroys the royal family of Judah after she sees her son, King Ahaziah, dead. The Queen mother plays a significant role in the kingdom.
Neh. 2:6 - the Queen Mother sits beside the King. She is the primary intercessor before the King.
2007-09-05 07:59:30 · answer #7 · answered by Vernacular Catholic 3 · 9⤊ 0⤋
With the shape this world is in today, lets focus on the one who washes away sins, Jesus Christ, mary didn't die for me on the cross, mary was a sinner like you and me, she wasn't crucified, Every Christian on this planet needs to spend time everyday in prayer for all the lost people around and them and in their families, I believe if you are a Christian you would agree with what I just said. May God Bless YOU!!
2007-09-12 14:37:55 · answer #8 · answered by victor 7707 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since we are “members one of another,” we can, in Christ and only in Christ, seek the prayers and help of fellow members of the Body, both here and in Heaven. Seeing as all believers as a whole make up the one body in Christ, we are all connected to each other with Christ at the head.
The communion of the Saints is nothing more that the recognition that saints after death (and angels) are more alive than us, aware of happenings on earth, desirous of aiding us, and able to be asked for help and to assist us with their prayers of intercessions, always through Jesus, just as saints who are still ‘alive’ are able to do for us.
Paul asked many times to pray for each other even for him. We as Catholics understand that we (Christians) are alive whether physically dead or not, and not even physical death can seperate us from each other. We are simply asking others to pray to Jesus for us. We also pray for ourselves to Jesus, but there's nothing like others to pray for you as well.
God Bless
Robin
2007-09-06 03:45:42 · answer #9 · answered by Robin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mary is the exhortation of the dawn that today, well-lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. In this she is the dawn before the sun; the Sun of Justice--Jesus Christ; she is the ultimate facilitator. And her silent presence speaks without ceasing the magic and challenging words:
“Do whatever he tells you.”
She promotes the kingdom of God in us and around us.
Gospel According to Saint Luke
Chapter 1
46 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.
"Shall call me blessed"... These words are a prediction of that honour which the church in all ages should pay to the Blessed Virgin. Let Protestants examine whether they are any way concerned in this prophecy.
2007-09-05 08:22:11 · answer #10 · answered by Isabella 6 · 11⤊ 0⤋