My perspective...
Calm down...seriously. Where is this venom coming from? Most of the people arguing in favor of respecting the Theotokos are talking about how it upsets us when people DISRESPECT her as a way of arguing against Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism. We aren't talking about people who simply don't think about her much.
IMHO...
While I embrace some Marion concepts and not others, like most Protestants known to me, I call none heresy or false. I may not agree that they are doctrine or dogma, but that doesn't make them invalid opinions or practices.
In my roughly 5 years of active involvement in Catholicism, I saw and heard nothing that disturbed my rather Protestant heart and mind in this regard. Indeed, for many, the devotion of Mary was a very, very rich and helpful vehicle to enrich their faith in Christ. And while I own a beautiful Rosery but never adopted the custom, I know many who have and are blessed through it. I find it hard to rebuke such.
IMHO, there is a difference between not embracing something as Dogma and threating Mary with the distain being suggested in this thread. I adore, honor, respect and in a sense venerate her - as a PROTESTANT, without embracing all these views as dogma. IMHO, there's nothing here to suggest divisiveness or such mud slinging on various sides.
Orthodox and Catholics agree with you that worshipping the Theotokos is idolatry and yet you keep telling us that over and over again.
Actually, my priest taught us that Catholic DO worship Mary. When Catholics claim that they don't, this is causes Protestants to quote the Popes and official statements to the contrary. But what my fellow Protestants often don't appreciate is that "worship" does not imply divinity. They DO worship Mary (in the same sense that I do), but clearly and obviously not as divine (as Vatican II made crystal clear). When Protestants raise this point to me, I invite them to open their dictionaries and look up the word "worship." Then also "venerate" and "revere." These words (largely interchangeable) are not limited to the divine. This should be obvious to any Protestant when they see "Rev." in front of their pastor's name. "Reverend" comes from the word "revere" which means "to respect, to shown devotion, to honor." My dictionary lists "worship" as a syn. In England, some governmental officials have the title of "His Worship." It doesn't imply divinity, it does imply honor - pretty appropriate since "all generations will call me blessed."
IMHO, Protestants (who once revered her as much as Catholics once did) have largely abandoned this as Catholicism has more and more strongly embraced it. Sad and very inappropriate, IMHO.
Speaking for my fellow Protestants, some DO feel that Mary is sometimes attributed with qualities that rightfully belong to God. Positions like the Coredemtrix and Mediatrix of all Graces (while propertly understood are probably okay) are often viewed as reinforce this. The praying TO Mary rather than simply petitioning her prayers to Jesus on our behalf (again, this CAN be properly understood) are also sometimes seen as reinforcing this. And the very recent movement of these concepts to the status of Dogma are highly noted, too, by Protestants who see nothing in Scripture to affirm them. Protestants sometimes hear these things and observe what seems to THEM as pretty inappropriate - and this makes them uncomfortable. I sometimes wonder why Catholics often fail to see how this can happen - without any HATE in their hearts? IMHO, rather than concluding that the Protestant hates Mary and her Son or that these Protestants are Anti-Catholic, it might be better to explain things a bit. And sometimes take a little responsibility for those few Catholics who do - sadly, rarely - take this further than the Church approves and officially teaches. When that's admitted, Protestants understand - it happens among us, too - although perhaps in other areas, LOL.
My $0.01...
Pax
- Josiah
