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MarcoPolo
Guest
Curious, since Jesus was born of Mary by the Spirit, do you think there is any sense in which Mary is the spouse of God?
Why or why not?
Why or why not?
Protestants: Do you believe Mary is the spouse of God in any sense?
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A
AgnosTheist
Guest
Do protestants believe Mary is the spouse of God in any sense? I dont think so. Do catholics?
Holy Mary, wife of God, pray for us sinners!
If Mary can be the mother of God, why not the wife of God? Afterall it was God who impregnated her. That makes some sense!
Holy Mary, wife of God, pray for us sinners!
If Mary can be the mother of God, why not the wife of God? Afterall it was God who impregnated her. That makes some sense!
B
bengal_fan
Guest
no. because the church is the “bride” of Christ not and individual person. i believe Mary in the theotokos (Mother of God) in the sense that she gave birth to the fully God fully man Jesus the Christ. she did not “marry” God. she did not have sex with God. she was miraculously impregnated by the Spirit of God (no carnal relations). she is the handmaid of God (as all women should be and men should be His servants as well) not His wife. God has no wife (or wives as mormonism teaches).
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AgnosTheist
Guest
so do catholics believe that mary is in some sense the wife of god?
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MarcoPolo
Guest
I don’t believe it has been infallibly defined but is still in development (someone can correct me on this if I am wrong).
But here is the teaching:
Pope John Paul II to the general audience on 30 July 1997
The Council uses the expression “temple” (sacrarium) of the Holy Spirit, intending to emphasize the link of presence, love and collaboration that exists between the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Spirit. The Blessed Virgin, who is already invoked by Francis of Assisi as the “Bride of the Holy Spirit” (Antiphon “Santa Maria Vergine” in: Fonti Francescane, 281), by her example encourages the other members of the Church to entrust themselves generously to the mysterious action of the Paraclete, and to live with him in constant communion of love.It is not she is either the Mother of God or the Bride. God’s truth comes to us at many levels. It is tempting to apply our human marriage attributes, but this is not a proper measure because that is not the sense in which she would be Bride. If that were the case, bengal_fan’s belief (along with Catholics’) that the Church is the bride of Christ would make no sense. That is not an earthly, physical marriage either.
Many other Saints through the centuries have asserted this as well, adding gravity to the teaching. For instance, St. Louis de Montfort in the 18th century echoed St. Francis and said: "…Mary was His faithful spouse, God the Holy Spirit…"
At any rate, the purpose of the thread is to get Protestants’ take on the matter.
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Mannyfit75
Guest
No, she isn’t the wife of God. She’s been symbolically address as spouse of the Holy Spirit. Because she took part in God’s divine plan by accepting to be the mother of Son of God.
I also like to point out that religious women consider themselves to be the Brides of Christ, or spouse of Christ. Of course they aren’t literally the spouse or Bride of Jesus Christ. In a deeply spiritual sense they are.
The religious priests consider themselves the spouse of the Mother Church. The Church is the Bride of all religious priests.
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AgnosTheist
Guest
“Spouse of the Holy Spirit”. Wow, another clear example of religious double standards. Catholics vigorously defend the phrase “Mother of God”, since Jesus is God. But then shy out with the phrase “Wife of God”, even though it runs through the same logic. “Wife of God” is just too much, eh? I hope this makes you understand why some christians cant stand the other term.
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ricmat
Guest
So far as I know, this isn’t dogma - which must be believed to be Catholic. But there is a tradition of seeing Mary as:
Daughter of God (as we are all children of God),
Mother of God (as the mother of Jesus), and
Spouse of God (as in "overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, etc.)
Mary being the spouse of God does not imply that the Church is not also the spouse of God.
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MH84
Guest
How does being the Mother of God (Jesus) mean that she is automatically the ‘wife of God’?“Spouse of the Holy Spirit”. Wow, another clear example of religious double standards. Catholics vigorously defend the phrase “Mother of God”, since Jesus is God. But then shy out with the phrase “Wife of God”, even though it runs through the same logic. “Wife of God” is just too much, eh? I hope this makes you understand why some christians cant stand the other term.
You must be one of the intellectual agnostics. Darwin wannabe.
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AgnosTheist
Guest
Please read Mannyfit75’s & ricmat’s rationalization.
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Mannyfit75
Guest
Do you understand the symbolism in the last post? I have wrote to you. That Mary is often addressed symbolicly as “Spouse of the Holy Spirit.” She is also address as the Daughter of God, the Father, and Mother of God, the Son. These terms are not to be taken literally, which is apparent you seen to think that Catholics believe that.“Spouse of the Holy Spirit”. Wow, another clear example of religious double standards. Catholics vigorously defend the phrase “Mother of God”, since Jesus is God. But then shy out with the phrase “Wife of God”, even though it runs through the same logic. “Wife of God” is just too much, eh? I hope this makes you understand why some christians cant stand the other term.
That is not the case. Why else did I bring up the fact that the Religious women consider themselves to be the Bride of Christ, or that Priests are consider the Bridegroom of the Church. Are the sisters literally married to Christ? Are the priest literally married to the Church?
Literally no. Symbolically yes.
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AgnosTheist
Guest
i did. but that doesnt change anything.
none of them were impregnated by god. So even symbolically, the title bears more weight on Mary.
why use ‘spouse’ instead of ‘wife’? arent they basically the same thing? the only difference i see is that the former is a unisex term. the other is gender specific.
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jmcrae
Guest
Maybe because “wife” has a particular connotation of ironing shirts and making suppers - obviously Mary has never ironed the Holy Spirit’s shirts, or made His supper for him.
But one of her titles (informally) is, in fact, “most chaste spouse of the Holy Spirit.”
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Mannyfit75
Guest
Why not?
To be honest, I don’t have an answer. Wife implies worldly things. Spouse gives a much deeper understanding on the unity that was forge when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and impregnant her.
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water
Guest
Ohhhh, what’s up bro, Jesus!
Has anyone said this term before?
Isn’t He our brother?
Has anyone said this term before?
Isn’t He our brother?
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jmcrae
Guest
I’m pretty sure I’ve heard people say that, before. I might have even said it, once or twice.Ohhhh, what’s up bro, Jesus!
Has anyone said this term before?
Isn’t He our brother?
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Mannyfit75
Guest
Yes. We are.Ohhhh, what’s up bro, Jesus!
Has anyone said this term before?
Isn’t He our brother?
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MH84
Guest
I think we need to remember that when we use the title, ‘Spouse of the Holy Spirit’, its meaning is deeper than listening/reading it at first glance, just like the church is also spiritually called the “Bride of Christ”. Didn’t St. Paul also refer to Christians as being the mystical body of Christ.
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MarcoPolo
Guest
I am very sorry.
If you are not Protestant and you just want to ridicule the Catholic Church, please start another thread. This one was intended by me to get Protestant opinions.
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AgnosTheist
Guest
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