The Blessed Virgin Mary or Mistaken Idolatry?
A common question and criticism of Catholics by
Protestants pertains to the relationship of Catholics to Mary. A
couple of points should be considered before digging into this subject: 1)
Orthodox (Greek, Russian, etc) Christians have held the Virgin in a place
of high respect and honor for centuries, pre-dating the Reformation,
as do Catholics, She is the focus of much eastern Christian art and
seen on Icons, important to Orthodox Christians. 2) Not all, but
many Protestant denominations of the United States developed out of the
early immigrants coming to American that came from England. Those
immigrants were seeking freedom from the Anglican Church or Church of
England, which was founded when Henry the VIII split from the
Catholic Church over a disputed divorce. It should be no
surprise based upon Henry VIII's treatment of his wives that he did not
hold women in high regard. Since the Church of
England paid little attention to Mary, it would be only natural that those
denominations that came out of the Church of England would as well pay
little attention to Mary.
Responding to the question:
All Christians agree that the Bible is the inspired word
of God.
Luke 1: 41-42
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
Luke 1:46-48 Mary responds to her cousin
Elizabeth:
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"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
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my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
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For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now
on will all ages call me blessed."
So, mankind is to "call Mary 'blessed' for all ages". How
many other creatures of the New Testament receive such an honor?
What do you do to live your life consistent with this scripture that was
the statement of Mary made while she carried the Incarnate Word of
God in her womb? This verse is an imperative statement.
It doesn't suggest that mankind will "consider" her blessed, but
rather to "call" her blessed. That is an action
verb! The concept of "being called" should be reminiscent
of the significance of the name changes associated with Abram to Abraham
and Simon to Peter.
While there is much debate and confusion about the verse, "call no
man Father", it should be understood by all that the very title "Father" has
many implications in regard to an ongoing relationship.
In the above cited scripture, Luke 1:46-48,(taken from the New American
Bible) the words "my soul proclaims" are translated
differently in different Bibles.
Using the site www.biblegateway.com
I find that the NIV Bible uses the word "proclaim" just as the
Catholic NAB. On the other hand, the Amplified Bible and the King
James Bible translate the word identical to the Catholic RSV, "my
soul magnifies". A reasonable question follows. How
many or what other created being has the ability to "magnify the
greatness of the Lord"?
Note: Some subjects pertaining to Mary have been so
thoroughly covered by professional scholars and writers that I find it
pointless to attempt such.
The following article pertains to the Assumption
& Queenship of Mary, authored by Steve Ray. Click here.
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