Why did it change?

[Mickey]

Martin Luther had a very strong devotion to the blessed virgin Mary. Somewhere along the reformation time-line, this devotion disappeared, even in Lutheran churches. Today, there are many protestant denominations that rarely even acknowledge her. Some protestants, especially evangelicals, seem to have an antagonistic view towards her. Again, I don’t mean to generalize, but why did this happen? (please don’t respond if you plan on talking about how Catholics worship Mary–we already know this is not true).

 

[MrS]

Perhaps… as they did away with statues, the Cross, a formal sacrifical altar, vestments, celebacy, smells, bells etc… it was only natural for them to first ignore the Truths which these items represent (communion of saints…purgatory, papal authority etc), and then to feed the ignorance to the point of overall rejection.

 

[Gratias_Grace]

Mickey:

Martin Luther had a very strong devotion to the blessed virgin Mary. Somewhere along the reformation time-line, this devotion disappeared, even in Lutheran churches. Today, there are many protestant denominations that rarely even acknowledge her. Some protestants, especially evangelicals, seem to have an antagonistic view towards her. Again, I don’t mean to generalize, but why did this happen? (please don’t respond if you plan on talking about how Catholics worship Mary–we already know this is not true).

Interestening question, Mickey. How did it happen? Because men sin! This sentence just pupped up in my head. Let me try to explain:

Do you think that all the people that followed Luther did it out of faith? I don’t! For some it was all about what was the best investment on earth (a secular motive). Which king was richest, had the richest friends and so on? If faith alone was enough, that could make life more comfortable than before.

Luther won the north of Germany. In Denmark-Norway the king decided in 1537 that the people had to be lutheran. (Denmarks nearest border was the lutheran part of Gemany. Norway was under Danish government). The ordinary people protested. But what the king had decided, had to be the law. It was forbidden to be catholic and some catholic people got executed. The Swedish king almost stayed catholic because of his connection to the catholic Poland, but some economical transactions made it more favorable to become lutheran. No one asked the swedish people what they wanted.

But why did Mary disappear? Well, Luther thaught devotion to Mary was so usual that it did not need to be explaned. He got that wrong and got depressed when he saw all the destruction of statues and other Church-art.

Why did I say that devotion to Mary disappeared because of sin? It was all this “take the most easy way to God” that came into my head.

A lot of Mary-apperations started among ordinary people (who never wanted the lutheran church). Some people got killed because they told what they had seen. Devotion to Mary did not fit in among this new “tradition”: “Faith alone is enough.”

What I have said here, is a part of it, I think, not the whole story.
But the sin in the garden of Eden started with that the devil twisted some of Gods word …

G.Grace

 

[Stephen-Maguire]

Who knows, but they sure seem to forget these words.

Lk:1:48:
48 Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

 

[Scott_Waddell]

I read somewhere that Marian devotion went out of the Lutherans during the German Pietistic movement. I have no idea what that means, but I think it happened in the 18th or 19th century. That is the best lead I can give you.

Scott

 

[Deacon_Tony560]

I was surprised to hear of a number of Protestants that say the rosary. We have a Protestant minister in a town near us that makes no secret of the fact that he says the rosary. As God’s grace and Mary’s prayers continue, perhaps it will change back.

Deacon Tony

 

[St.James]

Sometimes a review of the meaning of the term “Protestant” (one who makes or enters a protest) places things in a clearer perspective.

The thing that Protestants protest is the Roman Catholic Church which does somewhat diminish their stature in my opinion, being that their existence is based in protest against another church.

Now given this spirit of protest against the Roman Catholic Church and given the Roman Catholic Church’s devotion to the Blessed Mother, it seems only natural that Protestants would protest against that devotion.

Maybe this is too simplistic …

 

[cyprian]

St. James:

Sometimes a review of the meaning of the term “Protestant” (one who makes or enters a protest) places things in a clearer perspective.

The thing that Protestants protest is the Roman Catholic Church which does somewhat diminish their stature in my opinion, being that their existence is based in protest against another church.

Now given this spirit of protest against the Roman Catholic Church and given the Roman Catholic Church’s devotion to the Blessed Mother, it seems only natural that Protestants would protest against that devotion.

Maybe this is too simplistic …

Your right in speaking of modern day Lutheranism. They protest the Church, period. I know a Lutheran who said that I was a pagan (in so many words ) because I prayed the rosary. Most modern day Luths don’t have any idea as to the history of what it is they follow. Luther wanted to do away with all veneration to saints, after his brilliant move.1500 years and all of a sudden he knew better?:tsktsk: