The most intense debate between Catholic and Protestant:Mary the Mother of God

[inkaneer]

Let’s get this straight. I recognize and respect Mary’s place in history. I respect her life and contributions. However, if “respect” in the eyes of Catholics means I have to bow down in front of a statue named Mary, then I’m fine with being seen as disrespectful in your eyes.

You know I am tired, really tired, of you protestants who go around spreading lies about Catholicism. Tell me where did you learn that Catholics bow down in front of a statue of the Blessed Virgin? Was it from an Assembly of God minister? Where did he learn it, from another Assembly of God minister or bible school teacher. Talk of the blind leading the blind. Does it at all matter to you that you are perpetuating lies or do you not care? You say you respect the Blessed Virgin Mary’s place in history, her life and contributions. I say you don’t. How could you when you refer to her as Mary and don’t even call her by what scripture says to call her?

"46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;” [Luke 1:46-48]

Apparently that must have been excised from your bible.

 

[placido]

You are very stubborn.

Thank you!

God uses me. God uses you. God uses priests. God uses the Church. It is NOT a bad word, despite our modern concept of it. God USED Mary, but MARY submitted herself to God’s will and ALLOWED herself to be used by Him. Why is that bad?

I understand that, but words depend on the tone too.

placido

 

[PLeeD]

I hope you will be honest and show me where Catholics are required to ** “bow down in front of a statue named Mary”. ** Failure to do that would reveal who you really are.

I suppose I’ve seen it on TV. Someone bowed down in front of a statue of Mary, prayed a bit, then did the cross on the chest gesture, and walked away. Maybe it was an incorrect portrayal of Catholic practice - I don’t know. As I said previously, I’ve never heard any anti-Catholic remarks in any protestant church service EVER.

Does that show who I really am?

Some of my best friends are Catholic. That isn’t like a person accused of racial prejudice who declares “some of my best friends are black!” I’ve stood with the grooms in wedding parties at four different Catholic weddings. So some of my best friends are, indeed, Catholic.

None of them act like some of the people here. Come to think of it, none of the atheists or Mornons I know act like that either. Neither did Jesus.

Does that show who I really am?

I’m just appalled at the absolute hatred I’m seeing here. Guess I came to the wrong place for answers and honest discussion?

 

[PLeeD]

I say you don’t.

Who are you to judge the servant of another?

(Romans 14:4, BTW, that seems to be missing from your bible)

 

[FNDRB58]

Who are you to judge the servant of another?

(Romans 14:4, BTW, that seems to be missing from your bible)

I haven’t seen anything in this thread that is any more inappropriate than things said in debates by Karl Keating or Patrick Madrid or others. They all call people on what they say. I think that is what is happening here. We all know that in text form things get taken out of context. Heresies abound and any Protestant, God bless them for their courage in even posting on here as they are outnumbered, must realize that Catholic teaching dictates that when someone contradicts the Catholic faith on serious matters it is indeed heretical…or stems from a heresy. Protestants in this thread have said things that are a misrepresentation of what we believe. One should expect to be called out on that. Those Protestants who are on this site should not be offended by a Catholic referring to their views as heretical. But seeing how sensitivities are being tested I would encourage us to tone down in order to continue a respectful dialogue. After all, it is our hope to lead these to learn more about the faith.

Catholics are NOT required to bow down in front of a statue of Mary.

Catholics never talk negatively about Protestants in Church. It is outside Church that we find many Protestants, usually evangelicals or “generic” Christians let loose their feelings about the Church.

 

[PLeeD]

Catholics are NOT required to bow down in front of a statue of Mary.

OK, so the problem was my use of the word ‘required’.

I wasn’t using the word ‘required’ to imply that Catholics are required to do it. I didn’t believe that when I said it, and don’t believe it now. I was simply giving an extreme example of something I might have do to prove to KShaft that I harbor no disrespect for Mary.

Is the depiction of what I saw on TV something that would never happen? I don’t know, I’m just asking.

If it is something that a Catholic might do, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I wouldn’t criticize them for it. I simply am not drawn toward a need to do that, either intellectually or spiritually, and my conscience is clear on the matter.

So how about showing a little Romans 14:4?

 

[Chris258]

You know I am tired, really tired, of you protestants who go around spreading lies about Catholicism. Tell me where did you learn that Catholics bow down in front of a statue of the Blessed Virgin? Was it from an Assembly of God minister? Where did he learn it, from another Assembly of God minister or bible school teacher. Talk of the blind leading the blind. Does it at all matter to you that you are perpetuating lies or do you not care? You say you respect the Blessed Virgin Mary’s place in history, her life and contributions. I say you don’t. How could you when you refer to her as Mary and don’t even call her by what scripture says to call her?

"46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;” [Luke 1:46-48]

Apparently that must have been excised from your bible.

Friend, there is no need to be so hostile. PLeeD has given us no reason to believe that he is driven by anti-Catholicism in his discomfort with the practices of some Catholics in their love for the Theotokos. I have been a convert for two years, and if I were to see a Catholic prostrating himself before a statue of Mary, I would still feel some immediate unease. All of this talk of devotion to Mary will sound completely alien to anyone who does not practice the doctrine of the Communion of Saints as we do. You must try to understand his situation if you want to share our faith with him. Surely we ought to thank God that he has accepted the Gospel and strives to fulfill it?

PLeeD:

I suppose I’ve seen it on TV. Someone bowed down in front of a statue of Mary, prayed a bit, then did the cross on the chest gesture, and walked away. Maybe it was an incorrect portrayal of Catholic practice - I don’t know. As I said previously, I’ve never heard any anti-Catholic remarks in any protestant church service EVER.

What you saw is not an incorrect portrayal of Catholic Marian devotion. However, while the Church does not discourage the pious actions like these in devotion to Mary or any of the saints (of course discouraging any hint of making a goddess out of her), the Church also does not mandate actions like bowing before a statue of Mary if you want to ask her intercession. If it makes a Catholic uncomfortable, they don’t have to do it. I have known some Catholics whose Marian devotion is limited purely to an occasional, sincere Hail Mary prayer.

To be honest, I do think many, hopefully not most, Catholics have an infantile, immature view of Mary that needs to go through a testing, maturation process to place her in the proper light. The beauty and purity of Mary are great, indeed, but in the end this redounds all to the glory of God. As the old analogy goes: Mary is God’s masterwork painting. We rightly sing of Mary’s beauty and purity in our hymns, but all this ultimately should call forth in our minds the love and greatness of the artist who made her. Among the saints, she is the greatest testament of God’s love for mankind and desire to bring us into lasting happiness through the means of frail humanity. But again, we absolutely must remember that the very foundation of Mary’s greatness, indeed all the communion of saints, is the one and only God-man, Jesus Christ.

We should all consider the words of St. Louis de Montfort, known for his very great devotion to Mary:

Since grace enhances our human nature and glory adds a still greater perfection to grace, it is certain that our Lord remains in heaven just as much the Son of Mary as he was on earth. Consequently he has retained the submissiveness and obedience of the most perfect of all children towards the best of all mothers.

We must take care, however, not to consider this dependence as an abasement or imperfection in Jesus Christ. For Mary, infinitely inferior to her Son, who is God, does not command him in the same way as an earthly mother would command her child who is beneath her. Since she is completely transformed in God by that grace and glory which transforms all the saints in him, she does not ask or wish or do anything which is contrary to the eternal and changeless will of God.

PLeeD:

Does that show who I really am?

Some of my best friends are Catholic. That isn’t like a person accused of racial prejudice who declares “some of my best friends are black!” I’ve stood with the grooms in wedding parties at four different Catholic weddings. So some of my best friends are, indeed, Catholic.

None of them act like some of the people here. Come to think of it, none of the atheists or Mornons I know act like that either. Neither did Jesus.

Does that show who I really am?

I’m just appalled at the absolute hatred I’m seeing here. Guess I came to the wrong place for answers and honest discussion?

You are who you are, by the grace of Christ. While I always hope that our Protestant friends might see true beauty of the Catholic faith and join us, we Catholics must always be conscious of where people are now.

P.S. I really wish it didn’t take me so long to write these posts. Already a few messages have gone up.

 

[Axion]

Two points

1. “Bowing down before statues of Mary”.

This is a (perhaps unwitting) caricature of Catholic belief and practice that is perpetuated by some non-Catholics. No one is obliged or asked to bow down in front of statues of Mary or anyone else. This mis-attribution is used by some anti-Catholics to bash Catholicism, contrasting it with the “you shall not bow down before idols” commandment.

Statues are not there to be “bowed to” they are visual aids and reminders of the heavenly. Of course people see Catholics bowing when they enter church, or bowing their heads in prayer and ASSUME they are bowing to the statue. Protestants could be as easily accused of bowing to the bible or their minister!

2. Mary being “used”.

I objected to this language because I believe it is a symptom of a certain disrepectful usage by which some protestant groups disparage Mary. In saying Mary was “used” by God to bear His Son, Mary is being dehumanised and turned into an object, as if she were a pot or kettle. If I said your dad “used” your mother to bear you, I feel sure you would object.

I have seen this usage a lot of times - and its origins are not accidental. In a desire to ignore and back-seat Mary, her very significant role in salvation history is downgraded and disparaged by some groups. Not only is she not lauded for saying Yes to God, it is presented as if she had no choice, or that God “used” her as a “vessel” - another word that often appears in similar contexts. Both are dehumanising terms. “Vessel” has an additional heretical Gnostic dimension implying that Jesus took nothing of Mary, but merely passed through her in some way.

If this were just one aspect of a protestant fundie approach to Mary, there would be some counter-argument. But this is generally the WHOLE protestant fundamentalist approach to Mary. Unlike Paul, Peter, Moses, Daniel, even Esther, she is almost NEVER the subject of positive sermons, books or bible studies. She is never lauded or discussed as a central Christian figure - let alone Mother of God. In fact she is hidden away and rarely mentioned - except when an attempt is made to “prove” she had other children, or was a “sinner”, or that Jesus hated her, in opposition to Catholic teaching. Just look in most protestant books and bible studies.

 

[FNDRB58]

OK, so the problem was my use of the word ‘required’.

I wasn’t using the word ‘required’ to imply that Catholics are required to do it. I didn’t believe that when I said it, and don’t believe it now. I was simply giving an extreme example of something I might have do to prove to KShaft that I harbor no disrespect for Mary.

Is the depiction of what I saw on TV something that would never happen? I don’t know, I’m just asking.

If it is something that a Catholic might do, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I wouldn’t criticize them for it. I simply am not drawn toward a need to do that, either intellectually or spiritually, and my conscience is clear on the matter.

So how about showing a little Romans 14:4?

Romans 14:4? We are not being hypocritical on the point of Mary. No one is telling you you are doing something that we also are. No one is damning you to hell. No one is saying you are a bad person or that we are better…we aren’t. What you are experiencing here is prudential judgement. We are pointing out the wrong of another as the bible tells us to do. We are defending the faith as the bible also tells us to do. We are defending the love, honor, and veneration of our Blessed Mother. If you understood how much we love our Blessed Mother you would understand our desire to protect her and defend her name. When a Protestant comes here, and they are as welcome as any Catholic, and gives their position on our Blessed Mother that is contrary to our position, expect some dissent. The only thing anyone said that I could even slightly understand your getting upset is that your belief is heretical. We believe it is (someone correct me if I am wrong on this point). That’s been mentioned once and once only and I don’t think you should dwell on that comment. See how others are explaining the position and you will see that most are just defending and not attacking. This is an interesting subject and it is interesting to get the Protestant perspective and your comments are always welcome.
And yes, one does have to be careful in his use of terms, especially when talking about such a profound topic as this. One word can misrepresent the Catholic faith as you have seen and you have attempted to clarify your comments which is appreciated.

 

[Ann1231]

Two points

1. “Bowing down before statues of Mary”.

This is a (perhaps unwitting) caricature of Catholic belief and practice that is perpetuated by some non-Catholics. No one is obliged or asked to bow down in front of statues of Mary or anyone else. This mis-attribution is used by some anti-Catholics to bash Catholicism, contrasting it with the “you shall not bow down before idols” commandment.

But this is generally the WHOLE protestant fundamentalist approach to Mary. Unlike Paul, Peter, Moses, Daniel, even Esther, she is almost NEVER the subject of positive sermons, books or bible studies. She is never lauded or discussed as a central Christian figure - let alone Mother of God. In fact she is hidden away and rarely mentioned - except when an attempt is made to “prove” she had other children, or was a “sinner”, or that Jesus hated her, in opposition to Catholic teaching. Just look in most protestant books and bible studies.

In a Catholic Church in Des Moines, people WERE bowing to the statue of Mary, there was nothing else around and they went and stood right in front of the statue and bowed, so there are some who do this practice. And I am a Catholic saying this, not an “anti-Catholic” that you mention.

In the Catholic Church I have attended for over a year, there has not been a single sermon mentioning Mary, there are not people there early (visibly) praying the rosary, and the only time we sang about Mary was Ave Maria at Easter. She hasn’t been discussed as a central Christian figure as you put it and even during RCIA, Mary really wasn’t discussed at all. The most I hear about Mary is on this forum!
As a Protestant for over 47 years, I never heard that Jesus hated her, I never heard any of those things in Bible studies nor read them in any protestant books I read, and I read quite a few. Please stop throwing all protestants into the the same basket. As a previous poster stated “I’m tired, really tired of you Catholics (change of word) who go around spreading lies about protestants (again, switching the words).” It applies both ways.

In other words: PLAY NICE, EVEN IF THE OTHER GUY ISN’T

 

[FNDRB58]

In a Catholic Church in Des Moines, people WERE bowing to the statue of Mary, there was nothing else around and they went and stood right in front of the statue and bowed, so there are some who do this practice. And I am a Catholic saying this, not an “anti-Catholic” that you mention.

In the Catholic Church I have attended for over a year, there has not been a single sermon mentioning Mary, there are not people there early (visibly) praying the rosary, and the only time we sang about Mary was Ave Maria at Easter. She hasn’t been discussed as a central Christian figure as you put it and even during RCIA, Mary really wasn’t discussed at all. The most I hear about Mary is on this forum!
As a Protestant for over 47 years, I never heard that Jesus hated her, I never heard any of those things in Bible studies nor read them in any protestant books I read, and I read quite a few. Please stop throwing all protestants into the the same basket. As a previous poster stated “I’m tired, really tired of you Catholics (change of word) who go around spreading lies about protestants (again, switching the words).” It applies both ways.

In other words: PLAY NICE, EVEN IF THE OTHER GUY ISN’T

I am sorry but I do not believe for one minute that your Catholic Church never mentioned Mary in a sermon in a whole year. That is impossible as there are many Feasts that celebrate her including Christmas, her Assumption, her Coronation, her Annunciation, her Visitation, the Immaculate Conception, her actual birth, etc. Perhaps you are daydreaming or staring at the stained glass… just kidding there! If it is true what you are saying then you are attending a fringe church claiming to be Catholic but they are fake and not in communion with Rome. Run away FAST!

Bowing IN FRONT OF a statue is not bowing TO the statue. When we bow it is a symbol of humility and a symbol of veneration to the saint we are praying to as we are asking them to pray to God for us. The statue is not the object of our posture, it is only because of
God that we kneel to any of the others.

Think of it this way…I kneel in an empty room and I am praying to Jesus, as I am doing so someone pushes a statue of Jesus in front of me. Am I now praying TO the statue? Of course not, I remain praying to Jesus only now I have the option of looking at an art piece that represents the figure of Jesus which may help me focus on Jesus because we are human beings and using another sense can aid in our thought process.

 

[placido]

I suppose I’ve seen it on TV. Someone bowed down in front of a statue of Mary, prayed a bit, then did the cross on the chest gesture, and walked away.

And based on what you saw on TV you conclude he or she was fulfilling a Catholic Church ** requirement? ** Did the TV presenter say so or how did you come to that conclusion?

Maybe it was an incorrect portrayal of Catholic practice - I don’t know.

No, the question is not whether is correct Catholic practice or not but whether it is a Catholic Church requirement or not.

As I said previously, I’ve never heard any anti-Catholic remarks in any protestant church service EVER.

Here where I am that would be a rare exception.

Some of my best friends are Catholic. That isn’t like a person accused of racial prejudice who declares “some of my best friends are black!” I’ve stood with the grooms in wedding parties at four different Catholic weddings. So some of my best friends are, indeed, Catholic.

I do believe that you are NOT anti-Catholic. But having Catholic friends is not the determining factor in whether one is or not anti-Catholic.

I’m just appalled at the absolute hatred I’m seeing here.

If we have reacted to your posts in a manner that shows hatred, then I am very sorry for that.
We are not here to hate any body neither to make any body feel unwelcome.
But the, some people come here, misrepresent Catholic doctrine or practice, only to cry “hatred” when some one tries to correct him.

placido

 

[Ann1231]

I am sorry but I do not believe for one minute that your Catholic Church never mentioned Mary in a sermon in a whole year. That is impossible as there are many Feasts that celebrate her including Christmas, her Assumption, her Coronation, her Annunciation, her Visitation, the Immaculate Conception, her actual birth, etc. Perhaps you are daydreaming or staring at the stained glass… just kidding there!

we do have beautiful stained glass…

I should have used “focus” instead of “mentioned” I meant mentioned as in Her being the subject of.

I know what you are saying but I swear it’s true. It’s the one issue my husband had with the Catholic Church (he grew up Lutheran) and because of the lack of Mary focus, he has attended every Mass with me! I honestly thought, going into the church, that we would hear a lot about Mary, but we haven’t at all. Now, one of my children in college going to their Catholic services has heard more than we have. I’m curious what this Sunday will bring. Now, as I said, let me reword my previous post, there has not been a single sermon ABOUT Mary. She, of course was mentioned at Christmas, but there again, there have been no sermons ABOUT her. She has not been the focus of any Mass in the last year. My husband said our Catholic Church is very much like the Lutheran churches he grew up in only now there’s more of a tie in between the Old and New Testament.

And you know? Our Priest is awesome. I love his homilies and have found that I pay attention!

 

[FNDRB58]

we do have beautiful stained glass…

I should have used “focus” instead of “mentioned” I meant mentioned as in Her being the subject of.

I know what you are saying but I swear it’s true. It’s the one issue my husband had with the Catholic Church (he grew up Lutheran) and because of the lack of Mary focus, he has attended every Mass with me! I honestly thought, going into the church, that we would hear a lot about Mary, but we haven’t at all. Now, one of my children in college going to their Catholic services has heard more than we have. I’m curious what this Sunday will bring. Now, as I said, let me reword my previous post, there has not been a single sermon ABOUT Mary. She, of course was mentioned at Christmas, but there again, there have been no sermons ABOUT her. She has not been the focus of any Mass in the last year. My husband said our Catholic Church is very much like the Lutheran churches he grew up in only now there’s more of a tie in between the Old and New Testament.

And you know? Our Priest is awesome. I love his homilies and have found that I pay attention!

I still say that if there hasn’t been a sermon about Mary then they must not be celebrating the Holy Days of Obligation (special days other than Sunday that we must go to church - for Protestants to understand). The Immaculate Conception and the Assumption and the Mary, Mother of God on New Years. Ann, if they are not celebrating the Mother of the Lord they are worshipping, especially on these important Feasts then I would advise you to bring this up with your pastor then your Bishop. This is not a true Catholic Church if this is the case. God bless and good luck.

 

[Ann1231]

I still say that if there hasn’t been a sermon about Mary then they must not be celebrating the Holy Days of Obligation (special days other than Sunday that we must go to church - for Protestants to understand). The Immaculate Conception and the Assumption and the Mary, Mother of God on New Years. Ann, if they are not celebrating the Mother of the Lord they are worshipping, especially on these important Feasts then I would advise you to bring this up with your pastor then your Bishop. This is not a true Catholic Church if this is the case. God bless and good luck.

The only Day of Obligation I missed was January 1st because I was snowed in with a blizzard, we all were! other than that, I’ve been there every Holy Day, many morning Masses and every Sunday Mass.

In all seriousness, you really think this is an issue with this church? Even on those days mentioned, the focus is Jesus and Scripture surrounding Jesus. I just thought that’s the way they all were. There honestly has been NO sermon about Mary.

 

[nickybr38]

I still say that if there hasn’t been a sermon about Mary then they must not be celebrating the Holy Days of Obligation (special days other than Sunday that we must go to church - for Protestants to understand). The Immaculate Conception and the Assumption and the Mary, Mother of God on New Years. Ann, if they are not celebrating the Mother of the Lord they are worshipping, especially on these important Feasts then I would advise you to bring this up with your pastor then your Bishop. This is not a true Catholic Church if this is the case. God bless and good luck.

Okay, I have to admit the way you worded this bothered me. I understand Mary is the mother of God, but how can a Mass focused solely on God be wrong? Do you really think Jesus would be offended that we are focusing on His sacrifice and Our Heavenly Father rather then spending time to honor His child and, yes, mother? Maybe I’m just reading what you wrote wrong but sheesh! To say a Catholic Church is not Catholic if days are not used to focus on Mary instead of Jesus seems… YIKES! to me.

 

[FNDRB58]

The only Day of Obligation I missed was January 1st because I was snowed in with a blizzard, we all were! other than that, I’ve been there every Holy Day, many morning Masses and every Sunday Mass.

In all seriousness, you really think this is an issue with this church? Even on those days mentioned, the focus is Jesus and Scripture surrounding Jesus. I just thought that’s the way they all were. There honestly has been NO sermon about Mary.

DISCLAIMER: Jesus is always the prime focus. Everything about the Mass and Catholicism is done by God and Jesus is our main focus in everything we talk about from the saints to the greatest of them all Mary. When we celebrate Mary we are celebrating God who made her and gave her to us. I hope this helps.

Having said that, your church from what you have described cannot be in communion with Rome if it is not celebrating the Feast Days. These beliefs were infallibly declared so by Councils. If you were there on two Marian Feasts, I don’t see how they did not talk about her. This just doesn’t make sense. What are we missing about this Ann?

Yes, if a Catholic Church does not abide by the infallible teaching of the Pope in council with his Bishops then that is correct, the church cannot be in communion with Rome. They are not a true Catholic Church. Jesus established one true Church. He told the Apostles, “Who hears you hears me.” So to be disobedient to the Pope and the Bishops, especially when they speak infallibly with regards to faith and morals then yes that is sinful. A church can’t make its own rules and priests can’t follow their own rules either. Every church is in sychronicity so to speak with every other church in the world. This ensures that the Church is of one faith…not many, which is why it has lasted thanks to the Holy Spirit for 2000 years.

 

[Ann1231]

DISCLAIMER: Jesus is always the prime focus. Everything about the Mass and Catholicism is done by God and Jesus is our main focus in everything we talk about from the saints to the greatest of them all Mary. When we celebrate Mary we are celebrating God who made her and gave her to us. I hope this helps.

Having said that, your church from what you have described cannot be in communion with Rome if it is not celebrating the Feast Days. These beliefs were infallibly declared so by Councils. If you were there on two Marian Feasts, I don’t see how they did not talk about her. This just doesn’t make sense. What are we missing about this Ann?

I totally understand what you are saying. I just never thought about it from that angle. It IS celebrating the Feast Days but the focus has been Jesus, not Mary…so…yeah…

hmmm… making a note to ask Father this Sunday

thank you for your perspective. And I must say, I do respect your posts. Some of these posts get way too much into personal attacks but you seem to maintain your position well. You are a good representative of Catholics here on these forums.

thanks, you have me thinking now

 

[beehumble]

What most (all?) Protestants miss is that not counting God (Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit) Mary is the most important person in the Bible. In the beginning, in Genesis, there is the Woman. At the end, in Revelation, there is the Woman. And in the Gospel of John, Jesus defines the Woman as Mary.

This is an inconvenient truth for many, but there she is, right there in the pages of Scripture, from beginning to end.

Scripture is God’s plan for our salvation, in writing. Mary has a prominent role in that plan as evidenced by her appearing in it from beginning to end.

God bless you.

 

[Ann1231]

What most (all?) Protestants miss is that not counting God (Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit) Mary is the most important person in the Bible. In the beginning, in Genesis, there is the Woman. At the end, in Revelation, there is the Woman. And in the Gospel of John, Jesus defines the Woman as Mary.

This is an inconvenient truth for many, but there she is, right there in the pages of Scripture, from beginning to end.

Scripture is God’s plan for our salvation, in writing. Mary has a prominent role in that plan as evidenced by her appearing in it from beginning to end.

God bless you.

I think that is because some (I’m not going to make assumptions about “most” or “all”) Protestants aren’t taught that the Woman in Genesis, the Woman in Revelation, and the Woman (Mary) that Jesus identifies are all Mary. Now, that may seem commonplace for cradle Catholics, but not for those of us that were raised Protestant. I never heard of the Woman in Revelation being Mary. I heard many other things (the Church, this or that) but never that it was Mary until I joined the Catholic Church. Why? I don’t know and I won’t be arrogant enough to make assumptions on why this wasn’t taught. It just wasn’t.

The Protestant churches I was a part of never made this grand scope of Mary being the Ark, or any of the things I’ve heard attributed to Her since joining the Catholic faith.

Don’t know why, and I won’t make assumptions on why. I’m sure it goes way back in history and has been exaggerated and distorted ever since. All that matters now, is that it’s a shame it’s not taught and the best way for Protestants to learn it is by Catholics patiently and kindly explaining, sharing, teaching, and repeating the explaining, sharing, teaching, with patience and kindness…