Mary in Islam and Protestantism

[JonNC]

That’s good.

Lutherans have a strong esteem for Mary. All Lutheran theologians known to me accept Marys perpetual virginity, Luther agreed that she was protected from sin while she carried Jesus.

I tend to agree on these subjects. Others in my denomination disagree. That’s fine too.

Great points! I am always miffed when I hear Lutherans say that the Blessed Virgin had other children, considering the testimony of the confessions, and that of virtually all the great Lutheran theologians, that she was ever-virgin. I don’t deny them the freedom to believe she had other children, I just don’t understand why Lutherans would.

Jon

 

[House_Harkonnen]

Great points! I am always miffed when I hear Lutherans say that the Blessed Virgin had other children, considering the testimony of the confessions, and that of virtually all the great Lutheran theologians, that she was ever-virgin. I don’t deny them the freedom to believe she had other children, I just don’t understand why Lutherans would.

Jon

I think it more stems from the anti catholic sentiment that was prevalent about one hundred years ago in America. That’s about when we stopped calling our bishops bishops. Even so I discussed it with my pastor and he is of the opinion that it’s simply not a necessary doctrine, which I agree with, although its fitting. I am inclined to accept it based on tradition, and that’s fine.

 

[ltwin]

I think of it like that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, that God wouldn’t share Mary with Joseph. To think Mary had offspring first with God then with Joseph goes against everything I believe. That, to me, wouldn’t make sense.

There is nothing to share. God is Mary’s creator. Joseph was Mary’s husband. Yes, the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, and she conceived Jesus. However, Mary was never married to God as evidenced by the fact that she married Joseph. That would be bigamy.

If Mary had relations with Joseph, it would make her unfaithful to her real spouse, the Holy Spirit, and would be wrong to falsely accuse her of something she didn’t do.

Yet, it’s not wrong to say that Joseph’s and Mary’s marriage was not real??? I find this reasoning odd. If Mary was the spouse of the Holy Spirit but living with Joseph and raising a child with Joseph and telling everyone that her and Joseph are married (i.e. consummation and becoming one flesh as the Bible talks about), then that would mean that Joseph and Mary were perpetrating a sham marriage for Jesus’ benefit. Now that’s a wild accusation with no biblical support.

 

[JonNC]

I think it more stems from the anti catholic sentiment that was prevalent about one hundred years ago in America. That’s about when we stopped calling our bishops bishops. Even so I discussed it with my pastor and he is of the opinion that it’s simply not a necessary doctrine, which I agree with, although its fitting. I am inclined to accept it based on tradition, and that’s fine.

I agree. It is fitting because of the frame of reference the confessions put it in, that being in Article VIII, the Person of Christ, of the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord.

24] On account of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, bore not a mere man, but, as the angel [Gabriel] testifies, such a man as is truly the Son of the most high God, who showed His divine majesty even in His mother’s womb, inasmuch as He was born of a virgin, with her virginity inviolate. **Therefore she is truly the mother of God, and nevertheless remained a virgin. **

bookofconcord.org/sd-person.php

It just seems curious that in one sentence, the one I’ve bolded, some American Lutherans will accept the first clause, and dismiss the second.

Jon

 

[GaryTaylor]

That’s the contemplative part And how did that supernatural event occur?

 

[Peter_J]

Nice thread. I agree that we need to be careful when speaking of similarities between Christianity and Islam. Judaism is most definitely closer to Christianity than Islam is – that’s not to say that we shouldn’t acknowledge any commonalities we have with Muslims, we just need to be careful not to exaggerate them.

 

[daler]

Mark 3:35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

It’s an awesome verse to contemplate, along with all the others of course.

Kliska,
. I’ve gotta agree with you here. Obsessing on much of the rest of it totally misses “this boat”, which is the one I want passage on…

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