This question is for Protestants only. What do you have against Mary?

[Brony4life]

I understand why you wonder why people are so ignorant, but in my experience, it isn’t really worth it to know how they reach their conclusions.

Commendable and understandable response, so thank you for that. One thing I should’ve made clearer is that in my experiences, the anti-Marian sentiment comes (at least mostly) from the fundamentalists who are seemingly very anti-Catholic. A fundamentalist Baptist friend of mine once told another friend of mine who is Catholic that he’s “not going to argue with a Catholic about how to follow Christ” and later called him a “Catholic fool.” This same friend is also one who seems to shutter at the mere mention of Mary. I get the feeling that when he reads the bible, he skips over the first two chapters in Luke.

In short, even though I already said in the original post, I would like to state again that what I described does not apply to many, if not most, of the Protestants that I know. But there are some- like the individual I described- whom there is no exaggeration in how they react. They see a picture of Mary and they scorn. This reaction is what I’m curious about/ saddened about

 

[JonNC]

=Kal2012;10059781] A lot of people are very uneducated - or under-educated - about Mary.

Actually, I think they are uneducated about the Catholic piety regarding her.

Protestants simply don’t believe that Saints can intercede for people on Earth. People on Earth can intercede, but the idea that Saints in the heavens can do that is just bizarre at best. That’s why when Catholics talk about praying to Mary - it’s weird. It sounds to Protestant ears like you are praying to Mary in the same way you’d pray to Jesus or the Father. The idea that she can intercede is just insane to Protestants.

Not all protestants, to be sure. Lutherans, at least, recognize that the Blessed Virgin and all the saints in Heaven intercede (pray) for us continually. What we don’t see is a command, promise, or example in scripture that we invoke (ask) them to do so. They do so without our request. That said, there’s no reason why we can’t ask our Father in Heaven to listen to the prayers of His saints on our behalf.

Jon

 

[Tablefor9]

If Mary isn’t sinless then that means that every human other than Jesus fell to sin.

Does it make sense that all of humanity–which God in His creation said was good–that they ALL fell to sin and the devil?

Did God only make junk? Was His creation that weak? Or was the devil that strong?

Sinless Mary shows what God can do.

Non sinless Mary shows what the devil can do.

Which one do you most believe in?

Because of original sin, we are all of us born with the propensity toward sin. Mary remaining sinless through a special grace of God ensured Jesus remained free from the taint of original sin. (CCC 491)

Acknowledgement of the fact that all, save Jesus and Mother Mary, are sinners indeed doesn’t make humanity “junk” or take anything away from the majestic power of God. It speaks to the wonderful mercy of our Savior and the true Fatherhood of God.

To OP, I am a Catholic who married a Protestant and left the Church for 16 years. I’m on my way back home and can tell you that I have seen Christians of all kinds who put other things ahead of Christ in their lives. For some Catholics, Mary appears to be their de facto Goddess. When ALL you see & hear from these people is Mary, it does not draw you to “Christ in you the hope of glory” because you don’t see anything of Christ, except His Mom. That’s not okay, it’s a stumbling block to the gospel.

Grace & Peace
T

 

[englishredrose]

I have no idea if the forum still exists but i would love for any Roman Catholics to try and register on this forum and come back and say whats happened.

Its called the Altar of God I think and I am Anglican and I know how many you guys have thrown the red card at me saying I am not Roman Catholic. They did just the opposite to me and acccuse me of soundling like a Roman Catholic and if I am Roman Catholic then I am not Christian - honestly. I got barred for sounding like I am Roman Catholic in their eyes. They kept on at me about why do I pray to the saints and I couldn’t get over that I do not pray to the saints etc and couldn’t explain it enough because I don’t know how you guys actually do all of this. But it their eyes, I used the term ‘my priest’ and that dubbed me as Catholic and as hotly as you guys tell me I am not Roman Catholic - of which I agree they were equally telling me I sound like am Roman Catholic. I was lucky and know my faith well enough that I wasn’t threatend per se about them

The were American Baptists but I guess their attitude mayn’t be typical but I really got stamped on as the evil amongst them and treated as thus and I warn you of that so you know what you are getting in to but I would love for the stronger ones of you to have a go and see what you come back with …

peace be with you
xxx

 

[Lifesong]

I am a convert and I struggled with Mary in RCIA which is funny because now I am even in the Legion of Mary and wear a Miraculous Medal. As a Methodist we were not anti-Mary, just never heard about her for the most part except at Christmas time. Having said that John Wesley had a devotion to the Blessed Mother and prayed a daily rosary but I did not know any of that until I was coverting. My last Advent as a Protestant at that time with no thought of converting I felt a real pull toward the Blessed Mother- I just kept thinking that hers is what a truly surrendered life looked like. I did pray the Rosary all through RCIA but I had my doubts and questions and misconceptions. One of the things thar helped me get it was the Wisdom literature and particularly Proverbs which talks about Wisdom as a woman who cries in the streets. The Proverbs 31 woman always held fascination for me and I gradually began to see her as a type of Mary. Mary to me is a mentor, she is what all Christians are meant to be and devotion to her always leads to Jesus because that is where she always leads. Like the servers at the Wedding Feast of Cana, we are to do what Jesus tells us to do. And to me that is what healthy devotion is to Our Lady- it should always lead to a deepening of our relationship to her Son, Our Lord and Savior. The only advice I would give is that if Mary is stumbling block especially for those in RCIA, let the question rest and take it to God as she is not meant to be in the way. My husband is a cradle Catholic who has no particular devotion to Our Lady other than to acknowledge her role in salvation history and that is fine for him. I feel my walk with Jesus is enhanced by getting to know His Mom- I have made spiritual progress since praying the Rosary that all the Bible studies in the world could not do for me (even though I still study my Bible) but my belief is that it is all about getting to know Christ and walking closer to Him and whatever is doing that for you is what you should do.

Blessings,

Val

 

[englishredrose]

Im sorry opening poster that most of your responses seem to be of Roman Catholics who cannot really answer because they are not protestant and i guess my advice would be to go and register on some of non Catholic websites and ask them your question because here they are mostly Catholics and want to chip in even when they haven’t a real answer. Its amazing how all of a sudden Catholics like to claim their protestant past in a bid to answer but as you have found hardly anyone here has a problem with Mary herself and I am the only one who spoke up about how I feel about Mary in our services. If you really want to know what protestants think, like I say, ask the question on protestant websites rather than on Catholic websites and keep asking your question over the course of the year and collate all your answers and see what you get. But to ask it here when most are Catholic you’re going to get their answers and even the ones who were previously protestant are obviously okay with Mary or they would never have converted since Mary is a dominant figure within the Catholic Church so they won’t say anything negative about her because if they do then they be showing themselves in sin and would need confession and all the rest of it and show up just how far the conversion may have gone. So your best bet is to ask this on protestant websites if you truelly want protestant answers. I gave you my full answer

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

Im sorry opening poster that most of your responses seem to be of Roman Catholics who cannot really answer because they are not protestant and i guess my advice would be to go and register on some of non Catholic websites and ask them your question because here they are mostly Catholics and want to chip in even when they haven’t a real answer. Its amazing how all of a sudden Catholics like to claim their protestant past in a bid to answer but as you have found hardly anyone here has a problem with Mary herself and I am the only one who spoke up about how I feel about Mary in our services. If you really want to know what protestants think, like I say, ask the question on protestant websites rather than on Catholic websites and keep asking your question over the course of the year and collate all your answers and see what you get. But to ask it here when most are Catholic you’re going to get their answers and even the ones who were previously protestant are obviously okay with Mary or they would never have converted since Mary is a dominant figure within the Catholic Church so they won’t say anything negative about her because if they do then they be showing themselves in sin and would need confession and all the rest of it and show up just how far the conversion may have gone. So your best bet is to ask this on protestant websites if you truelly want protestant answers. I gave you my full answer

Or post your question in the Non-Catholics forum, but yeah, englishredrose’s suggestion works too

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Catholics love Mary because they love Jesus and because Mary always leads one to Jesus.

It’s not about Mary it’s about Jesus.

Mary always leads one to a Christocentric faith.

 

[englishredrose]

Catholics love Mary because they love Jesus and because Mary always leads one to Jesus.

It’s not about Mary it’s about Jesus.

Mary always leads one to a Christocentric faith.

Are you Protestant and have you read the opening post by any chance. It isn’t asking why Catholics Love her…

It is asking what if any Protestants have against her if any do… your post is typical of what i mean when Catholics jump in even though they don’t have the answer to the opening question. The opening poster probably knows that Catholics Love Mary hence why I suggested going to a protestant site so that they may get more honest answers because to declare anything else here would be a sin if Catholics do have any problems with her:thumbsup:

 

[inocente]

This is a very serious question, and not meant to be an attack in any way. Catholics can engage in this forum if they wish, but they won’t be able to help me with my question, because I want to hear from Protestants.

I don’t call myself a protestant as no one ever explained what we’re supposed to be protesting about.

But speaking as a non-Catholic, who is this Mary of which you speak?

I mean she doesn’t get mentioned much, she doesn’t seem to catch the imagination. Only time I can remember really thinking about what she might stand for was pondering Paul McCartney’s Let It Be.

 

[stevekehl]

I understand what you’re saying, but when Catholics use the term Co-Redemptrix, that isn’t what they mean, so please don’t say that. I dislike the term because in modern usage you’re right-that is what “co” means. But when Catholics use Co-Redemptrix we don’t make Mary equal to Jesus in redemption.

What does the term mean?

 

[stevekehl]

You are correct, anything that goes through Mary must then go through Jesus, who IS God. So the saying isn’t incorrect. If you pray directly to God, you are also praying to and through Jesus. If I ask you to pray for me, that in turn is its own prayer, a prayer through you to God.

If I can come boldly before the Great High Priest’s throne of grace why would I want to go through Mary? If you ask me to pray for you, you aren’t praying to me. We’re getting into intersession by the dead and this is off point, but these are reasons why Protestants don’t talk about Mary.

Co-pilot isn’t on equal level as a pilot in regards to flying the plane. A pilot has all the responsibility, and co-pilot shares in some of the responsibility when necessary, but not all. The co-pilot’s job is to assist the pilot with whatever the pilot requires of him. The “co-” does mean along with, but along with doesn’t mean equal. The same goes for a co-defendant.

If you’ve ever been on a flight where the pilot had a heart attack you’re betting your life the co-pilot is equal to the pilot. Pilots and co-pilots routinely take turn commanding the plane on long flights. The co-pilot has the same abilities as the pilot. It’s been pointed out by another poster that Co-Redemptrix doesn’t mean Jesus and Mary are equal in the role of redeeming sinners; then why the title?

 

[Sarcelle]

I don’t call myself a protestant as no one ever explained what we’re supposed to be protesting about.

But speaking as a non-Catholic, who is this Mary of which you speak?

I mean she doesn’t get mentioned much, she doesn’t seem to catch the imagination. Only time I can remember really thinking about what she might stand for was pondering Paul McCartney’s Let It Be.

I remember when I was a member of a Church of Christ. It was Mothers Day and all the mothers were made to stand up and be honored. In my time spent among Evangelicals, a lot of honor was paid to mothers, especially good Christian mothers and how noble it was for young Christian women to aspire to become good Christian mothers. However when it came to Mary, the mother of Jesus himself, dead silence.

 

[englishredrose]

What does the term mean?

move on a bit can’t we please
peace to you
xxx:thumbsup:

 

[stewstew03]

I don’t call myself a protestant as no one ever explained what we’re supposed to be protesting about.

Protestant = protesting the Catholic Church’s authority.

If you are not protesting her authority, good on you mate.

But speaking as a non-Catholic, who is this Mary of which you speak?

The Ark of the New Covenant, Blessed Mother of God.

Hope this helps!

:bible1:

 

[Lochias]

If I can come boldly before the Great High Priest’s throne of grace why would I want to go through Mary? If you ask me to pray for you, you aren’t praying to me. We’re getting into intersession by the dead and this is off point, but these are reasons why Protestants don’t talk about Mary.

I dunno…if Jesus came into the world through Mary’s cooperation, I think it’s good enough for me to come into Jesus’ kingdom through Mary’s cooperation.

If you’ve ever been on a flight where the pilot had a heart attack you’re betting your life the co-pilot is equal to the pilot. Pilots and co-pilots routinely take turn commanding the plane on long flights. The co-pilot has the same abilities as the pilot. It’s been pointed out by another poster that Co-Redemptrix doesn’t mean Jesus and Mary are equal in the role of redeeming sinners; then why the title?

It’s because of Mary’s fiat, her acknowledging the Will of God and saying Yes. That is what is meant by Co-Redemptrix, and where the phrase “To Jesus through Mary” comes from.

Frankly, just coming to Jesus all on one’s own can be freaking hard in a world full of temptation and hardship, and I’d like all the help I can get. Mary’s gentle resolve and trust are key for helping me to say “Yes” just like she did. I love Mary very, very much.

 

[JM3]

What does the term mean?

voxpopuli.org/response_to_7_common_objections_part1.php

 

[Marc_Anthony]

What does the term mean?

Ever heard the term “Through Mary to Jesus?” Something like that. Jesus redeemed us, but Mary’s job is to lead us to Jesus.

 

[TimothyH]

I don’t call myself a protestant as no one ever explained what we’re supposed to be protesting about.

But speaking as a non-Catholic, who is this Mary of which you speak?

I mean she doesn’t get mentioned much, she doesn’t seem to catch the imagination. Only time I can remember really thinking about what she might stand for was pondering Paul McCartney’s Let It Be.

I strongly advise you to show more care than you do in this post.

The mother of the king in the Old Testament was the queen. Twenty nine of them are listed in the Old Testament. Like all the kings of the Old Testament, Jesus the King has a queen, and Jesus’ queen is his mother Mary.

I urge you to consider your words carefully, for your own sake, when you deal with the King of Kings and his mother the queen.

-Tim-

 

[JonNC]

I don’t call myself a protestant as no one ever explained what we’re supposed to be protesting about.

According to the origins of the term, government restriction of the limiting of religious free exercise at the Second Diet of Speyer, 1529.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Diet_of_Speyer

Yeah, I know. Wiki. But it was a quick response.

Jon