A What & WHY question for all protestants

[PJM]

I know you are not C. S. Lewis or G. K. Chesterton, and neither am I. But just pointing out they communicated, using the light touch, without compromising their beliefs. You do a tiny bit of apologetics on the side, as I do, on CAF and maybe in person. The important thing is not just what gets written or spoken, but rather, what gets read, and heard.

I see you like to quote Fulton Sheen, deeply influenced by Chesterton, by the way. Sheen had far more education but GKC taught him about style, about reaching the reader where he or she is at.

Thanks. Love Sheen’s LIFE OF CHRIST; it’s one of the best IMO, Catholic books ever written!

GB

Patrick

 

[EqualinHim]

I went to a congregation for Messianic Jews that basically blasted Catholics and said vile things about them, which is one of the reasons I decided to leave that place of worship. In the other churches, I’ve been to they have mainly talked about Mary as the Mother of God. When I was in confirmation at a Methodist church we were taught a basic timeline lesson about our history as a part of the Catholic Church, our break from the church, etc. Once in a while there would be the occasional comment about Catholics spending too much time focusing on Mary or the Saints but none of the churches really lambasted Catholics as much as the Messianic congregation did.

 

[Tommy999]

Dear friend in Christ,

What does your church teach about “Catholics and Mary?”

What do you personally believe on this topic?

God Bless you,

Patrick

Hi Patrick,
No official teaching about Catholics and Mary at my church and not much from the pulpit on it, either. These are generally non-subjects at my church.

However, on one recent occasion, our pastor said complimentary things about Catholic worship regarding the Eucharist. When speaking of the importance and solemn nature of holy communion just before our congregation partook of it one Sunday, he said, “The Catholics have it right” and that we could learn from them in this area.

However, Catholics may not like all of his comments. On another occasion, he said there are several couples at our church (it’s one of the largest Methodist congregations in our region of the country) where one was a Catholic and the other a Baptist or something similar. When they got married and decided that one or both couldn’t handle going to the other’s church. they compromised and became Methodist, because Methodists tend to blend liturgy with an evangelical emphasis, or at least ours does. I personally know one lady who was Catholic who married a Methodist man and they attend our church. She sings in the choir and seems to be at home there.

My personal thoughts:
I think most non-Catholic evangelicals would be well served to give more time and credit to Mary and her role. Currently at my church, she is spoken of mainly around Christmas time as being an obedient and faithful servant who had the honor of giving birth to our Lord and Savior, but that’s about it.

I wish more was said of her faithfulness and obedience to God and for enduring potential death and scandal for being pregnant without a husband and for staying with Jesus throughout His life and death on the cross, which must have been an excruciating ordeal for her. But she did, and she remained faithful and dedicated to Jesus the whole time. She was truly an amazing woman and a role model for all Christians.

One concern I have, and I assume this applies mainly to poorly-catechized Catholics, is that sometimes they can go overboard with their devotion to Mary to the point where it sure looks (to me, anyway) like they ascribe her divine goddess-like powers.

For example, I grew up in a mixed neighborhood with some Catholic Chicano neighbors and I remember hearing a few say on more than one occasion how “The Blessed Virgin answered my prayer”. Out of respect, I said nothing to them to disrepect their faith, but it gave me the impression they were praying to Mary as if she were a goddess who answered their prayers instead of just as a “heavenly prayer partner” who brought the prayer to the Lord, which I thought was the Catholic official position.

if they were doing the former, I still have a concern about it. If they were doing the latter, I have no qualms with it and accept it.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

For example,** I grew up in a mixed neighborhood with some Catholic Chicano neighbors and I remember hearing a few say on more than one occasion how “The Blessed Virgin answered my prayer**”. Out of respect, I said nothing to them to disrepect their faith, but it gave me the impression they were praying to Mary as if she were a goddess who answered their prayers instead of just as a “heavenly prayer partner” who brought the prayer to the Lord, which I thought was the Catholic official position.

if they were doing the former, I still have a concern about it. If they were doing the latter, I have no qualms with it and accept it.

I hear this talk too, by people and it infuriates me. One God, three persons. None of them are the blessed Mother.

If you are interested into why the CC holds the blessed Mother in such high regard, I recommend “Behold, your Mother” by Tim Staples. Explains the OT typology well…her role as Ark of the New Covenant and Mother of the Church, etc.

Just hide it between your mattress/boxspring so you don’t freak out your protestant friends and family

God bless you!

 

[Le_Cracquere]

Probably the most fortunate. The the greatest? I think Jesus would disagree. Matthew 11:11

Well, you have a point there. But on the bright side: one trusts we’ll never be in a position to have to pick one over the other!

 

[MichaelP3]

Dear friend in Christ,

What does your church teach about “Catholics and Mary?”

What do you personally believe on this topic?

God Bless you,

Patrick

Well you asked 2 things there in the start.

“My Church teaches she was the mother of Jesus and we celebrate that at Christmas”.
About Catholics I can’t be sure anything was actually ever said… I could be wrong. (But in my view and experience of a few decades, Protestants rarely if ever say ANYTHING about Catholics.)

Personally, I think Mary is enjoying her double Martini and chatting to Moses as he is having a good German Beer. Discussing his ordeal when the Egyptians were chasing them. (I really mean no disrespect, I actually can imagine this and with a good heart).

Regards

 

[PJM]

Hi Patrick,
No official teaching about Catholics and Mary at my church and not much from the pulpit on it, either. These are generally non-subjects at my church.

However, on one recent occasion, our pastor said complimentary things about Catholic worship regarding the Eucharist. When speaking of the importance and solemn nature of holy communion just before our congregation partook of it one Sunday, he said, “The Catholics have it right” and that we could learn from them in this area.

However, Catholics may not like all of his comments. On another occasion, he said there are several couples at our church (it’s one of the largest Methodist congregations in our region of the country) where one was a Catholic and the other a Baptist or something similar. When they got married and decided that one or both couldn’t handle going to the other’s church. they compromised and became Methodist, because Methodists tend to blend liturgy with an evangelical emphasis, or at least ours does. I personally know one lady who was Catholic who married a Methodist man and they attend our church. She sings in the choir and seems to be at home there.

My personal thoughts:
I think most non-Catholic evangelicals would be well served to give more time and credit to Mary and her role. Currently at my church, she is spoken of mainly around Christmas time as being an obedient and faithful servant who had the honor of giving birth to our Lord and Savior, but that’s about it.

I wish more was said of her faithfulness and obedience to God and for enduring potential death and scandal for being pregnant without a husband and for staying with Jesus throughout His life and death on the cross, which must have been an excruciating ordeal for her. But she did, and she remained faithful and dedicated to Jesus the whole time. She was truly an amazing woman and a role model for all Christians.

One concern I have, and I assume this applies mainly to poorly-catechized Catholics, is that sometimes they can go overboard with their devotion to Mary to the point where it sure looks (to me, anyway) like they ascribe her divine goddess-like powers.

For example, I grew up in a mixed neighborhood with some Catholic Chicano neighbors and I remember hearing a few say on more than one occasion how “The Blessed Virgin answered my prayer”. Out of respect, I said nothing to them to disrepect their faith, but it gave me the impression they were praying to Mary as if she were a goddess who answered their prayers instead of just as a “heavenly prayer partner” who brought the prayer to the Lord, which I thought was the Catholic official position.

if they were doing the former, I still have a concern about it. If they were doing the latter, I have no qualms with it and accept it.

Thank you so very much for sharing this.

Continued Blessings,

Patrick