Why Don’t Fundamentalists Call Mary “Blessed”?

[IanS]

Grace and Glory:

Mark P. Shea actually has a name for this: Mariaphobic Response Syndrome. He describes it here:

"Mariaphobic Response Syndrome: the irrational terror of the Blessed Virgin that paradoxically makes her loom far larger in many Evangelical imaginations than in Catholic ones.
…

Something in the gut stirs. The terror that the whole Catholic faith is a vast charade flares up in the mind. Say what they will, the “Catholic Mary” is some terrible pretty face on the worship of Babylonian deities! Must. Get. Out! Must. Escape! It’s all a trick! Once I’m in the Church I’ll be ushered into the Secret Chambers where Scary Marian Rites of Worship take place in the secret rooms beneath the sanctuary! There’ll be no escape! I will be forced to worship the Goddess!!!"

Part 1: here

Part 2: here

Thanks. This is what I had in mind about why they refuse to give her any honor. Although, I have to admit, I was hoping to hear it from someone who actually believes it.

It all seems to fall under the child-like mentality that each of us only has so much love to give, and if we show any love or respect to Jesus’ mother, that must automatically mean we are taking love away from Him.

If we are supposed to be imitating Christ, shouldn’t we all try to give His mother the same love, honor, respect, and obedience He gave her? Why should we love her any less than our own mothers? Personally, whenever I hear someone complement my own mom, it fills my heart with joy. If it filled my heart with anything else, it wouldn’t be very Christ-like.

 

[IanS]

Rand Al'Thor:

Peace be with you!

And mine as well! And I’ve been on these forums for quite some time and this is the first fear monger title I’ve seen given out. Here here!

In Christ,
Rand

I’ll be waiting for my certificate in the mail.

 

[AJV]

I think Protestants would rather say: “Mary is blessed” than “blessed Mary”. Since I presume prefixing “blessed” to a person’s name is a preclude to idolatory (i.e. to some Protestants)

 

[NonDenom]

I don’t understand how fundamentalists can know the Bible inside and out , shoot scripture at you from the hip out of their KJV, and yet refuse to follow even the most simple of teachings from the Gospels within it. Why aren’t they among the generations to call Mary “blessed”? Why do they treat the Blessed Mother like she was just some incubator when they are told to at least refer to her as ”blessed”? I have my own ideas, but what do you all think?

King James Version

Luke, 1
[42] And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb…
[45] And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
[46] And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
[47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
[48] For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

blessed defined
adj 1: highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace);

Hi
I’ve never said that Mary wasn’t blessed, scripture say’s that she was and I believe it. All I’ve said is that she was not sinless because scripture says Jesus was the only one who was sinless.
In Him and Only Him

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Sometimes when someone comes to me with an issue that they think is silly, I substitute it for something that’s even worse.

I got the strategy from Dave Barry, who in his book, “Babies and other Hazards of Sex,” described the best way to get a child to let go of something disgusting and probably diseased that it found in a shopping mall ash tray (back when there were any) is to find something even more disgusting to distract it.

In other words, if they engage me in a discussion about why we should honor Mary, I can turn it into a discussion about why we honor Christ. In Marian doctrine, as I understand, we are calling her “blessed” because she is in the Bible. Christ, on the other hand, refused to be called “good,” refused to take a position too high to wash Peter’s feet, and in general refused to allow himself to be esteemed above others while he was on earth. Yet, now that His body is gone we feel safe to put Him on a pedestal and bow down to Him when He truly did not allow that sort of worship in His real life. Further, He said that He would leave us a guide – the Holy Spirit – so why do we worship Him at all?

This strategy is to push them farther into their own beliefs rather than to try to manage their troubled feelings in areas they know little about. Well, they take “King Jesus” for granted and probably never tried to defend worshipping Him before except to atheists – I think it would be a fun exercise. If they cannot explain why they go against Christ’s apparent example and worship Him, then nor can we explain why we echo the Bible and consider Mary as Blessed.

That is, unless I’m all wrong here. Does the Bible ever tell us anywhere to “worship” Jesus? If it does it kind of blows my strategy. I know Christ said we can pray to the Father in His name, but is that the same as worshipping?

Alan

 

[Singinbeauty]

IanS:

I don’t understand how fundamentalists can know the Bible inside and out , shoot scripture at you from the hip out of their KJV, and yet refuse to follow even the most simple of teachings from the Gospels within it. Why aren’t they among the generations to call Mary “blessed”? Why do they treat the Blessed Mother like she was just some incubator when they are told to at least refer to her as ”blessed”? I have my own ideas, but what do you all think?

King James Version

Luke, 1
[42] And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb…
[45] And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
[46] And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
[47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
[48] For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

blessed defined
adj 1: highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace);

It really doesn’t have much to do with what people are thinking above. As a protestant I DO consider Mary to be BLESSED beyond all measure. I mean, come on, if God chose me to bear His Son I think I would feel blessed the rest of my life to have been chosen. We all feel blessed when God chooses us to do something for His cause here on earth. Granted, it’s on a much smaller scale but we feel blessed none the less. Mary = Highly Favored (according to your definition)? OF COURSE. God favored her amoung the other however many women of her time to bear the Christ-child, I would call that highly favored. It’s not that we don’t call her blessed but I think the trouble begins when you put TOO much on her that God never intended to have attached to her. I have to head to work now… I hope I have helped clear SOME of the air!

 

[IanS]

Singinbeauty:

It really doesn’t have much to do with what people are thinking above. As a protestant I DO consider Mary to be BLESSED beyond all measure. I mean, come on, if God chose me to bear His Son I think I would feel blessed the rest of my life to have been chosen. We all feel blessed when God chooses us to do something for His cause here on earth. Granted, it’s on a much smaller scale but we feel blessed none the less. Mary = Highly Favored (according to your definition)? OF COURSE. God favored her amoung the other however many women of her time to bear the Christ-child, I would call that highly favored. It’s not that we don’t call her blessed but I think the trouble begins when you put TOO much on her that God never intended to have attached to her. I have to head to work now… I hope I have helped clear SOME of the air!

Thanks for your perspective. I find it refreshing. So at exactly what point would you consider it to be, “TOO much on her that God never intended to have attached to her”?

 

[CindyGia]

** And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6: And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
7: And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God.
8: And David was angry because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Pe’rez-uz’zah, to this day.
9: And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”
10: So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite.
11: And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed O’bed-e’dom and all his household.
**

ALSO, TAKE NOTE HOW DAVID SAYS EXACTLY THE SAME IN SCRIPTURE AS ELIZABETH SAID OF MARY DURING THE “VISITATION”.

ELIZABETH SAID “HOW IS IT THAT THE MOTHER OF MY LORD SHOULD COME TO ME?”
AND NOTICE HOW THE ARK STAYED IN THE HOUSE OF O’BED FOR THREE MONTHS AND BROUGH MANY BLESSINGS TO THAT HOUSEHOLD!

JUST AS MARY STAYED WITH ELIZABETH FOR THREE MONTHS UNTIL THE DELIVERY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ST. JOACHIM IS ABLE TO SPEAK AGAIN!

Oooooooo, you Protestants! Never cease to amaze me! The ignorance! Or is it just ominous hatred for a Mother so gentle, so kind, forgiving, and wonderful! Don’t you realize that it was Mary Who taught the Apostles many things after Jesus had ascended into Heaven. Yes, the Holy Spirit came upon them, but it was also Mary Who instructed them and helped them form the Church. The Apostles needed and loved Mary as their own Mother! Just as we NEED AND SHOULD LOVE MARY AS OUR OWN MOTHER! It’s simple common sense!

JUST REMEMBER THIS YOU PROTESTANTS! IF IT HADN’T BEEN FOR MARY AND HER FIAT/“YES” TO GOD- THERE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SALVATION FOR ANY OF US! PONDER THAT YOU-YOU… (Edited for charity)

 

[Like]

CindyGia:
ALSO, TAKE NOTE HOW DAVID SAYS EXACTLY THE SAME IN SCRIPTURE AS ELIZABETH SAID OF MARY DURING THE “VISITATION”.

ELIZABETH SAID “HOW IS IT THAT THE MOTHER OF MY LORD SHOULD COME TO ME?”
AND NOTICE HOW THE ARK STAYED IN THE HOUSE OF O’BED FOR THREE MONTHS AND BROUGH MANY BLESSINGS TO THAT HOUSEHOLD!

JUST AS MARY STAYED WITH ELIZABETH FOR THREE MONTHS UNTIL THE DELIVERY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST AND ST. JOACHIM IS ABLE TO SPEAK AGAIN!

And a belated Happy Birthday,
CindyGia! God bless you!

 

[CindyGia]

Like:

And a belated Happy Birthday,
CindyGia! God bless you!

HEY THANKS DUDE! I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT ANYONE NOTICE - SO THANKS AGAIN AND GOD BLESS YOU TOO!

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

I never thought about God would have to trust Mary with baby Jesus, but that is what he did.

Phil 2 tells us that the Son of God empited himself, that is put the action or practice of his divine nature on hold for awhile. We are told that Jesus grew in knowledge, and that there were things as a man he did not know. So, it is possible as fully man, fully divine ( but on hold ) he did not fully know the future as a baby.

I see no problem with that.

Phil 2
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

 

[RonWI]

As someone who is neither a Catholic nor a Fundamentalist, let me add this perspective:

I believe two concepts are getting confused in this thread. The first is whether Mary is blessed. As others have said, no one disputes this.

The second is whether we should engrace her with the title “Blessed”. Catholics say: Hey we are just calling it as we see it; she is blessed, so we call her Blessed.

Fair enough. But then we get to this:

Matthew 5: 1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Why is it that only Mary is called Blessed when Jesus teaches that others are Blessed too? If only Mary is to be called Blessed, then Jesus’ response in Luke 11 certainly is curious:

27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

This certainly is a round-about way to instruct us that we should refer to his mother as Blessed, but not to others. Now I do not doubt for a minute that most Fundamentalists avoid the issue because they do not want to “give anything” to Catholics. But what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

 

[CindyGia]

Singinbeauty:

It’s not that we don’t call her blessed but I think the trouble begins when you put TOO much on her that God never intended to have attached to her. I have to head to work now… I hope I have helped clear SOME of the air!

I don’t know what happened to my first response to this post, but it was a good one but seemed to have not showed up!
Ok then, I’ll do it all over again!

Why is it that you Protestants refuse to acknowledge that God did indeed wish glory to be bestowed upon His Mother Mary? Don’t you people read the Old Testament? Mary is referenced so many times in the Old Testament that it’s amazing! Yet Protestants take no account of it!

The other night while reading the Second Book of Samuel, a passage hit me like a ton of bricks - and I prayed that I would be enlightened regarding it. Well I got the answer right quick - within an hour! I’ll post the scripture first, then give the wisdom pertaining to this passage:

** (2 Samuel 5And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6: And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
7: And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God.
8: And David was angry because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Pe’rez-uz’zah, to this day.
9: And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”
10: So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite.
11: And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed O’bed-e’dom and all his household. **

So how is it that Uzzah reaches out to grasp the Ark from falling and is struck down dead by God? But yet Mary is able to bear the God/Man in Her womb and raise Him, nurse Him, love Him, clothe Him, teach Him? Doesn’t this mean anything to Protestants?

There is so much going on about Mary in the Old Testament. Mary is more than “just” a jewish woman chosen at random. She was born without the original stain of sin to become the Mother of God - it couldn’t have happened any other way! For instance, you wouldn’t put your treasured jewelry in an old rusty coffee can would you? Of course not! So why would the God which the Heaven’s and Earth cannot contain, allow Himself to be incarnated in the womb of just “some” woman at random? God specifically made Mary to be His Mother! She was special - so special that He asked permission to take on Her Body and Blood!

Here are some beautiful passages referring to Mary in the OT. These coming from the Book of Judith…oh wait, hahaha… I forgot! Isn’t this one of the Books tossed out by Luther so he could form his “own rendition” of the Bible?:

** (Judith13:23)
Blessed art thou, O DAUGHTER, by the Lord the most high God,/above ALL WOMEN UPON EARTH!!!
13:25 - For He has so magnified thy name this day,/that thy praise shall not depart out of the mouth of men.
13:31 - In every nation which shall hear they name,/ the God of Israel shall be magnified ON OCCASION OF THEE!!!
15:10 - Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel,/thou aart the honor of our people
(Psalm 44:11-12) Hear O DAUGHTER, and see; turn your ear,/ for the King shall desire YOUR BEAUTY!
44:14 - All glorious is the KING’S DAUGHTER as SHE enters;/ Her raiment is threaded with spun gold.
(Psalm 97:1) Sing to the Lord a new song,/for He has done Wondrous deeds.

(Apoc, 11:19) And the temple of God in Heaven was opened,/and there came flashes of lightning, and peals of thunder.
12:1 And a GREAT SIGN APPEARED IN HEAVEN; a WOMAN clothed with the SUN. And the moon was UNDER HER FEET,/ and upon HER HEAD a crown of twelve stars.

(Cant. 6:10 - (another Book thrown out by Luther)) Who is this that comes forth like the dawn,/as beautiful as the moon, as resplendent as the sun?

(Sirach 24:24) I am the mother of fair love, and of fear,/ and of knowledge, and of holy hope.
24:25 - In me is all grace of the way and of truth,/in me is all hope of life and of virtue.

(Prov. 8:35) For he who finds me finds life,/and wins favor from the Lord!

**

**

Jesus gave Mary to us from the Cross! Mary is OUR MOTHER! How can any of you love your own mother and not venerate the Mother of God? Don’t you see the evil in this?

Don’t you think it rather odd that in the 7 sentences Christ said before he expired on the Cross that right before He died, He turns our ATTENTION TO MARY!!!

See next post – too long!**

 

[CindyGia]

Continuation of last post:

What is it with Protestants! Is it pure ominous hatred for a Mother that gave us the Son of God? God sent the Angel Gabriel to ask HER PERMISSION that He be incarnated in Her Womb! The Angel approached Mary and said: “HAIL MARY, FULL OF GRACE!!” Now if I’m not mistaken, only kings and queens are addressed using the word “HAIL!!” Mary is the Queen of Heaven and earth. It was through Mary that God came to us to redeem mankind - and it should be THROUGH MARY, that we should approach Her Son! For crying out loud, if Mary had never consented to allow God to be incarnated in Her Womb - THERE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN SALVATION AT ALL! GOD DEPENDED ON THIS HOLY, PURE CREATURE, TO REDEEM MANKIND! DON’T YOU PEOPLE GET IT!???

It is only Mary that knows Her Son better than anyone! Mary had GOD IN HER BODY! SHE CARRIED HIM IN HER WOMB FOR NINE MONTHS. Now, when a woman is pregnant, she has little conversations with her fetus that only she knows! Don’t you think that God’s Mother had alot more “conversations” with God while He was inside Her than you could ever imagine? SHE WAS FULL OF GRACE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! DOESN’T THAT TELL YOU PEOPLE ANYTHING?

(Edited for charity)

How sad when I think of (Edited for charity)f Protestants!

 

[RonWI]

(Edited for charity)

Jesus on Mary:
27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

(Edited for charity)

Jesus on salvation:
27"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

 

[hurst]

IanS:

If we are supposed to be imitating Christ, shouldn’t we all try to give His mother the same love, honor, respect, and obedience He gave her?

Yes! Let us foster devotion and love to our Blessed Mother Mary!

If there is any admiration, love, respect, deference, etc. that we are giving to any other person we know on earth, then we should be likewise giving it to Mary even more. This doesn’t happen automatically by a single act of the will, though. It takes time and thought and desire. The yeast has to be worked into the dough with effort and care.

hurst

 

[CindyGia]

RonWI:

27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

(Edited for charity) But isn’t it funny that this statement about Mary comes from the crowd of people. Now sir, the reason why God answers in this fashion is because He is well aware that people would want to “Worship” a goddess - and it is in His own Mother’s defense that He says this. (Edited for charity)

Jesus on salvation:
27"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

No one knows the Son except the Father - correct! The Divinity of the Son that no one could possibly fathom! But Mary knows Her Son as much as the Father, since SHE IS FULL OF GRACE! “Full of Grace” comes from the Father!

Jesus must always direct His Divinity toward the Father, simply because He is well aware of the dangers of people wanting to “worship” a goddess! Again, commen sense. Simply go to the Old Testament and read everywhere about the Mother of God!

Once again - if Mary was just a “no body” - why would the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lord’s, direct our attention to Mary directly before His death? I’ll tell you why! Because now He is telling us - My Mother will show you the way to Me! Take Her! She is your Mother now! You are Her Children! Listen to Her!

 

[RonWI]

"the reason why God answers in this fashion is because He is well aware that people would want to “Worship” a goddess "

And you know this…how?

I take that that since we all are wiser than the crowd that was following Jesus, we are free to ignore his response and get to Heaven by calling his mother Blessed.

 

[CindyGia]

"the reason why God answers in this fashion is because He is well aware that people would want to “Worship” a goddess "

And you know this…how?

I take that that since we all are wiser than the crowd that was following Jesus, we are free to ignore his response and get to Heaven by calling his mother Blessed.

(Edited for charity) Well then, I suppose you haven’t noticed this(Edited for charity) if you still feel that Mary was never “blessed”

(**Luke 142: and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! **

I don’t know about you - but that sure means something to me - as well as all the other scripture verses I referenced. It isn’t worth debating with Protestants because you refuse to see, hear, or take into account that a woman was chosen by God to bring salvation into the world - when He could have chosen any other way, simply because God can do anything! But ahhhhh - he chose Mary! A pure, holy creature Who He made so special only for Himself. And to think you Protestants hate Her!

(Edited for charity)

(Edited for charity)

 

[IanS]

And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6: And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
7: And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God.
8: And David was angry because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Pe’rez-uz’zah, to this day.
9: And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”
10: So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite.
11: And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed O’bed-e’dom and all his household. And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.
6: And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.
7: And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there because he put forth his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God.
8: And David was angry because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzzah; and that place is called Pe’rez-uz’zah, to this day.
9: And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”
10: So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite.
11: And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of O’bed-e’dom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed O’bed-e’dom and all his household.

It does sadden me that so many Christians do not all the types of the OT and treat the Ark of the New Covenant with he same level of respect that the Jews treated the Ark of the Old Covenant. In fact, they used to have to tie a rope around the ankles of the High Priest before he went into the presence of the Ark, because if there were any sin on him he would drop dead.

Remember, the Ark of the old covenant was created by men under the careful instruction from God. The Ark of the New Covenant was a creation by the loving hand of Almighty God Himself!

Treating our Blessed Mother like nothing more than incubator SHOULD be as insulting to all Christians as telling a Jew of the OT that the Ark was nothing more than a box with some stuff in it.