I don't think that Protestants hate Mary, do you?

[LuxPerpetua]

If you could check out the "Mary hate" thread in General Theology, I'd appreciate it. I feel like so many Catholics and Orthodox Christians feel that their Protestant siblings in Christ "hate" Mary, and I really think we ought to rid them of this image. She is Christ's mother and for that reason alone we should not hate her (as if hate could be justified under any circumstances!).

Here is the link: http://www.christianforums.com/t107782

[Yitzchak]

This is a segment of protestant chruches which are vehemently anti-Catholic. I suppose it is possible to find individuals who go to extremes in that critical view of the catholic church.

The critics that I know of who are protestants see the whole Mary issue as a apart of a larger issue of the pagan influence upon the Catholic church. Issues include Christmas, obelisks, confession, saints, mary, etc. Most that I have spoken with or read about see the Mary that the Catholic church celebrates as a false mary and not the actual mary the mother of Jesus. Most of the criticisms are stemming out fo this distinction.
The majority of the protestant church sees Mary , the mother of Jesus, as a true believer who is in heaven now. I doubt there is much negative said about her if at all. owever, in the context of the protestant/Catholic debate many things are said which are extreme.

[LuxPerpetua]

Maybe we can at least do our best in that thread to let other Christians know that Protestants think very highly of Mary, too, we just don't pray to her. I'm really hoping that more Protestants will participate because right now it's mainly Catholics and Orthodox, and I don't want to perpetuate the image that Protestants are anti-Mary since we're not this. :)

[Yitzchak]

Maybe we can at least do our best in that thread to let other Christians know that Protestants think very highly of Mary, too, we just don't pray to her. I'm really hoping that more Protestants will participate because right now it's mainly Catholics and Orthodox, and I don't want to perpetuate the image that Protestants are anti-Mary since we're not this. :)
I will go on record as a protestant who is not anti-Mary. I don't hate mary and think such hatred would be foolish and unscriptural.

[LuxPerpetua]

I'm not anti-Mary either, so that makes two so far. Maybe others will join in. :)

[MsAnne]

I'm Protestant. I have a deep reverence and love for Mary. The more I learn about "praying to Mary" and the reasons behind it, the more I understand and respect the practice.

I just love threads that lump believers into different groups :rolleyes:
(I know that's not the purpose of this thread. I see it is trying to shed light on a misconception.) I just get wary the first moment I read any post that starts "All Protestants believe......." I'd prefer to be allowed to speak for myself.

[LuxPerpetua]

Protestants are all very diverse (obviously ;) ) but I think that under the banner of Christianity, we are all called to love . . . and unfortunately, many other non-Protestant Christians have not had good experiences with Protestants when discussing Mary, so it would be a nice gesture of love for us to show them that we also love and honor Mary, although not in the same way that they do. No obligations, though, but spreading a little Christian love is never a bad thing. :)

[InquisitorKind]

I feel like so many Catholics and Orthodox Christians feel that their Protestant siblings in Christ "hate" Mary, and I really think we ought to rid them of this image...Protestants are all very diverse (obviously ;) )
Aren't Protestants divided into 57 million-billion bickering denominations? How could any Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox generalize about anything Protestants believe?

I would also like to state that I do not hate Mary. Just because we are opposed to giving her worship-like hyper-dulia does not mean we hate her.

~Matt

[LuxPerpetua]

I think the problem is that a few ultra-fundamentalist Prot sects are very anti-Catholic and anti-Mary as a result. Most Protestants aren't like this, but (unfortunately :( ) we aren't as vocal as the anti-Mary folks in the ears of our Catholic and Orthodox siblings in Christ, so it seems that they aren't all that sure HOW most Protestants feel toward Mary.

[Bulldog]

I certainly don't hate Mary, I just believe she was a sinner like everyone else. Jesus always called her "woman", which made her seem lower than Orthodox and RC's believe.

[LuxPerpetua]

I think the Orthodox believe that Mary sinned, too, but that doesn't take away her blessedness (feel free to correct this if I'm wrong here).

I think it's only Catholics who believe that Mary could not sin due to her immaculate conception.

[MParedon]

I don't think any Protestant really hates Mary, they just hate what Catholics think of Mary. So, some (not all) Protestants try to tear her down to Catholics and that's where us Catholics get the thought from.

(did I make sense?) :)

[FreeinChrist]

What I have found is that when Protestants disagree with Catholics about praying to Mary, disagree with the perpetual virginity of Mary and disagree that Mary was sinless - they are called names, and accused of hating Mary. I have personally been called things and told this on other mb's - even though I beleive that Mary was blessed, was a wonderful example of obedience to God and I admire her greatly.

I haven't met a Protestant who "hates" Mary.

Now consider this:
I do not pray to Mary because I believe that only God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is omnipresent and able to hear our prayers. I don't believe that praying to someone who has passed on from this life is the same as asking a living (in the flesh) person to pray for me. And where in scripture does it tell me to pray to anyone but God? Where in scripture does it say to pray to Mary or other saints? It doesn't.

For saying the above on another mb caused the attack of "you hate Mary".
I have been told that of course Mary was sinless, because only a sinless mother could give birth to Christ. She called Jesus her Saviour. Do I hate her if I believe what she said? no.
I have even been told that Mary did not die, but was taken up to heaven. hmmm..if I don't believe this, do I hate her? no.
But...accusations were made. :(

[MsAnne]

I haven't met a Protestant who "hates" Mary.
Ditto. I'd never even heard of such a thing until I read these threads.

[Flynmonkie]

<~~~~Not a Mary Hater here!!

Actually I started a Thread on this in OBOB because of the Idolitry thread started here in PRE. Initially I did not think much of why Catholics had statues of Mary. Some have little reminders of biblical "trinkets" and such. To each their own. As you can read in the Idolitry thread...Until one day I passed a Knights of Columbus Hall and there on a very large Alter, was a statue of Mary. Lights shining on her, bench in front of her...very well landscaped. Smack in the front of the building right next to the sign!

Then I started realizing what the other side of the coin was. Up and until that point I really thought nothing of it. But then I thought Well NO wonder!! So I went to OBOB and asked .....Why did they do this instead of a Cross or something else (as that I remembered seeing this at Catholic Churches too) They said that it is like Jesus's Mother welcoming people to come see her son. I then asked well, aren't you concerned about first impressions? I mean if someone knows nothing about your faith....what kind of impression would that leave them with? They told me that they did not care to change their way of faith to accomodate others.....that was the end of that.

My stance is, It is suspicious. But I am still studying the Catholic faith. I have alot to learn on this subject. But I think that it seems that Catholics do not seem to be concerned - How it looks. Yet...just really did not make sense to me.

Icons: Idolotry or not?
http://www.christianforums.com/t100009
Confused on Mary Statue..hopes for clarification :) http://www.christianforums.com/t101611

[Wortel]

In John 14:6, Jesus said HE is the way, the truth and the light, not Mary. Although I understand the importance Mary played in the birth of Christ, she is surely was just as mortal as any of us.