Many Protestants, particularly ones in the southern United States, have a visceral, alogical hatred of Catholicism. You can't argue them into reverence for Mary by referencing history, because their faith is inherently ahistorical. Anecdotally I've found it better to use parts of Scripture to help them understand, like showing her to be the new Ark of the Covenant and the closest to Christ because she bore Him in her body.
Thanks for this. I'll need to revisit this at my leisure. As a former Protestant, I found Mark Shea's Mother of the Son a useful bridge. Moreover I was surprised how highly Calvin, Luther, Zwingli (among others) held Mary in extremely high regard
Mary is present in no more than 130 of the near 8,000 verses of the New Testament. Do you not think that Rome exaggerates her relevance in the level of "veneration" devoted to her.
I don’t see why someone’s importance depends on the number of verses of Scripture that mention them. Is your mother mentioned at all in Scripture? If not, why is she so important to you?
In the gospel of John, chapter 2 : "first sign" : in Cana in Galilee... and the mother of Jesus was there... She didn't even ask Jesus, she just told him what was needed, and He did change the water into wine, and then the disciples believed in him. = Intercession, just for once ? anecdote ?
John 19, 26+ : behold, your son... your mother, and John took her in his home. In his time of dying on the cross, one of the last words Jesus said. John represents all the disciples of all time, Jesus gave us his mother and he gave us to Mary as her children. And by the way, if Mary had had other children as some say, she would have had other children to take care of her, her own family. Jesus commanded us to take her in our home when he was suffering on the cross, and we wouldn't take it seriously ? Mary is not a goddess for us catholics, that would be ridiculous to think so, but she is unique. Chosen among all women to carry God, the holiest person ever, and God gave her to his disciples that is to the church
Many Protestants, particularly ones in the southern United States, have a visceral, alogical hatred of Catholicism. You can't argue them into reverence for Mary by referencing history, because their faith is inherently ahistorical. Anecdotally I've found it better to use parts of Scripture to help them understand, like showing her to be the new Ark of the Covenant and the closest to Christ because she bore Him in her body.
Thanks for this. I'll need to revisit this at my leisure. As a former Protestant, I found Mark Shea's Mother of the Son a useful bridge. Moreover I was surprised how highly Calvin, Luther, Zwingli (among others) held Mary in extremely high regard
Mary is present in no more than 130 of the near 8,000 verses of the New Testament. Do you not think that Rome exaggerates her relevance in the level of "veneration" devoted to her.
I don’t see why someone’s importance depends on the number of verses of Scripture that mention them. Is your mother mentioned at all in Scripture? If not, why is she so important to you?
Good
In the gospel of John, chapter 2 : "first sign" : in Cana in Galilee... and the mother of Jesus was there... She didn't even ask Jesus, she just told him what was needed, and He did change the water into wine, and then the disciples believed in him. = Intercession, just for once ? anecdote ?
John 19, 26+ : behold, your son... your mother, and John took her in his home. In his time of dying on the cross, one of the last words Jesus said. John represents all the disciples of all time, Jesus gave us his mother and he gave us to Mary as her children. And by the way, if Mary had had other children as some say, she would have had other children to take care of her, her own family. Jesus commanded us to take her in our home when he was suffering on the cross, and we wouldn't take it seriously ? Mary is not a goddess for us catholics, that would be ridiculous to think so, but she is unique. Chosen among all women to carry God, the holiest person ever, and God gave her to his disciples that is to the church