Responding to Protestant Attacks on Mary

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Sara_Balzano

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Every now and then, I visit my sister in Virginia. For the most part, I enjoy going there and I love communicating with the locals, especially when they ask about my homeland. However, there was this one instance where I got into an argument with an old woman who was a Baptist. When I defended the church’s teaching on Mary, this woman lost her mind and called Mary a whore. I felt angry and asked how the Mother of our Lord can be a ‘whore’? I cannot exactly remember her response, but I recall how desperate she seemed to change the subject.

My sister tells me that she has had similar encounters. She even told me about a very nasty encounter, where an evangelical claimed that Mary was burning in Hell!

So, I am wondering, how is a Catholic to respond to such hatred?
 
Sara_Balzano said:
Every now and then, I visit my sister in Virginia. For the most part, I enjoy going there and I love communicating with the locals, especially when they ask about my homeland. However, there was this one instance where I got into an argument with an old woman who was a Baptist. When I defended the church’s teaching on Mary, this woman lost her mind and called Mary a whore. I felt angry and asked how the Mother of our Lord can be a ‘whore’? I cannot exactly remember her response, but I recall how desperate she seemed to change the subject.

My sister tells me that she has had similar encounters. She even told me about a very nasty encounter, where an evangelical claimed that Mary was burning in Hell!

So, I am wondering, how is a Catholic to respond to such hatred?
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I came across one such person…I this is what I asked in return:

I asked…what would you feel if someone insulted your mother the way you are insulting the Mother of my and your Lord (I cited the passage in Luke where Elizabeth calls Mary…Luke 1…43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? )?

Don’t you think Jesus hears what you are saying? Do you think Jesus will not take this into account on your day of judgement?

I then cited the following Scriptures:

Romans 2…6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”

And Rev 14…13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

I further asked…From Rom 2…how do you think Jesus will repay your insults of His mother?

And from Rev 14, I asked…Are you sure Jesus will take you to Heaven…if when in Heaven…since your deed follow you…you will be insulting His mother?
 
Take the Beatitudes to heart. Do what Jesus tells us to do, forgive. Forgiveness goes a long way. As Catholics, I’m sure many of us have had similar encounters and will in the future.
 
ScriptureCatholic.com is a good resource. Simply tell them to read the Bible. The “real” one. Not the watered down, butchered and massively changed, man made protestant version
 
I would ask the person making derogatory comments about Mary if Jesus would approve of such talk about his mother. Many Protestants are into the WWJD? movement - well, what would Jesus do if he heard nasty comments about his blessed Mother? I think it would make his tirade in the Temple look like a cake walk!
 
SusiQ217 said:
I would ask the person making derogatory comments about Mary if Jesus would approve of such talk about his mother. Many Protestants are into the WWJD? movement - well, what would Jesus do if he heard nasty comments about his blessed Mother? I think it would make his tirade in the Temple look like a cake walk!
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What is WWJD?
 
I recite the rosary alternately in English, Irish, Latin, and French. It takes me longest to recite it in Latin. My wife has to show up at church early to play the organ and rehearse the choir, so sometimes I can recite the rosary twice before mass. Do you think I really care who likes it and who doesn’t. God does things in his own time, and in his own way if you ask me.
 
Sara_Balzano said:
Every now and then, I visit my sister in Virginia. For the most part, I enjoy going there and I love communicating with the locals, especially when they ask about my homeland. However, there was this one instance where I got into an argument with an old woman who was a Baptist. When I defended the church’s teaching on Mary, this woman lost her mind and called Mary a whore. I felt angry and asked how the Mother of our Lord can be a ‘whore’? I cannot exactly remember her response, but I recall how desperate she seemed to change the subject.

My sister tells me that she has had similar encounters. She even told me about a very nasty encounter, where an evangelical claimed that Mary was burning in Hell!

So, I am wondering, how is a Catholic to respond to such hatred?
Click to expand...
I am not 100 % sure what you can say to someone so irrationa and full of venom. She is way too crazy to have a sane conversation. The best suggestions were those already offered: What would Jesus think if He heard you speak of his mother in such a derogatory fashion? You may remind her that Mary is the daughter of God, the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the mother of Jesus. Anyone of them would take serious offense to Mary being called a whore and I would prefer NOT to be on their bad side.

As an example of the high regard Jesus held for Mary: In Luke 11:27. And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee and the paps that gave thee 28. But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.

Some Protestants like to use these verses in Luke as an example of Jesus rebuking Mary, but would that not be a violation of the “Honor Thy Father and Mother” Commandment?

To the contrary of what Protestants and crazed fanatics like the woman you encountered think, Jesus is, in fact, exalting Mary by emphasizing her obedience to God’s word as being more critical than her biological role of mother.

Ludwig Ott worte: Page 212 – “Mary, by her obedience became the cause of our salvation.”

I once had a very heated dialogue with a woman from CARM who was so full of hate and venom toward Mary it was incomprehensible, but that CARM Website is pretty fanatical in its anti-Catholic sentiment.
 
I respectfully disagree sometimes with the focus on Mary within Catholicism, but this lady with the anger issues has way more problems than just being Protestant.

Pray she finds peace,
 
Refer them to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:46-55):
“”
And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
Code: 
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever. ""
 
Sara_Balzano said:
Every now and then, I visit my sister in Virginia. For the most part, I enjoy going there and I love communicating with the locals, especially when they ask about my homeland. However, there was this one instance where I got into an argument with an old woman who was a Baptist. When I defended the church’s teaching on Mary, this woman lost her mind and called Mary a whore. I felt angry and asked how the Mother of our Lord can be a ‘whore’? I cannot exactly remember her response, but I recall how desperate she seemed to change the subject.

My sister tells me that she has had similar encounters. She even told me about a very nasty encounter, where an evangelical claimed that Mary was burning in Hell!

So, I am wondering, how is a Catholic to respond to such hatred?
Click to expand...
don’t try to be defensive ask them to justify their possiton when they begin to think about it you may be able to lead them to belief in the Church.

another thing don’t get into lets see who can quote scripture better, you will always loose. Try to show them that Jesus Christ is the one who reveled the entire truth and that he used more then just the scriptures. Because I’m sure people who attack mary use scripture to back up what they say, and if you only use scripture you are already at a disadvantaged, you are using a false understanding of divine revelation.

Divine revelation with only Scripture is only part of divine revelation. Divine revelation is scripture and TRADITION. Not only scripture.

If we don’t try to convince non-catholics of this fact we will have little hope of converting them to catholicism. The simple fact is that there are many things the church teaches that just really aren’t in scripture, or things that the church teaches as doctrine that are really only hinted to in the scriptures.
 
The answer given by Marianists that I knew was “The man who honors the mother honors the Son. What man would not be happy if somebody brought flowers for his mother?”

Scott Hahn talks about how Christ is reflected in Mary as the sun is reflected by the moon. Would Christ have chosen a less than pure vessel in which to dwell?
Of course, this statement could lead to a discussion of the purifying effect of the Holy Spirit dwelling within sinful man.

What was the angel’s greeting to Mary? “Hail Mary, full of grace,” or “most favored of God.” Scripture tells us that Mary found favor with God. What right do we have to demean what God finds pleasing?
 
Sara_Balzano said:
Every now and then, I visit my sister in Virginia. For the most part, I enjoy going there and I love communicating with the locals, especially when they ask about my homeland. However, there was this one instance where I got into an argument with an old woman who was a Baptist. When I defended the church’s teaching on Mary, this woman lost her mind and called Mary a whore. I felt angry and asked how the Mother of our Lord can be a ‘whore’? I cannot exactly remember her response, but I recall how desperate she seemed to change the subject.

My sister tells me that she has had similar encounters. She even told me about a very nasty encounter, where an evangelical claimed that Mary was burning in Hell!

So, I am wondering, how is a Catholic to respond to such hatred?
Click to expand...
Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Calling the Catholic Church “the Whore of Babylon” was part of Reformer rhetoric, in the early political struggle between Protestantism and Catholicism, but it has managed to hang around. In fact, the propaganda of that political contest was the source for the vast majority of anti-Catholic commentary, including a great deal about the evils of “Mariolatry”. All too often, modern Protestants are taught that these slanders are true, and go around believing all kinds of ridiculous things about Catholicism.

There are situations in which you can correct such misunderstandings, but only when a/ your audience is not getting emotional, and b/ you can convince them that you have greater authority than whoever told them the lie in the first place.

So, in the mean time, pray for them.
 
Sara_Balzano said:
Every now and then, I visit my sister in Virginia. For the most part, I enjoy going there and I love communicating with the locals, especially when they ask about my homeland. However, there was this one instance where I got into an argument with an old woman who was a Baptist. When I defended the church’s teaching on Mary, this woman lost her mind and called Mary a whore. I felt angry and asked how the Mother of our Lord can be a ‘whore’? I cannot exactly remember her response, but I recall how desperate she seemed to change the subject.

My sister tells me that she has had similar encounters. She even told me about a very nasty encounter, where an evangelical claimed that Mary was burning in Hell!

So, I am wondering, how is a Catholic to respond to such hatred?
Click to expand...
I’m not Catholic, bu I can promise you my response would have been , how shall I say, much firmer than yours. The Holy Theotokos, the mother of my Lord is not a whore, and not burning in Hell. She is, perhaps, the greatest Christian of all eternity.

Jon
 
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