Re: Mary as deity -- Catholic Friends Forum

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, [7], 8 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 14:22:09 07/25/07 Wed
Author: Joan
Author Host/IP: ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net / 68.0.253.131
Subject: Re: Mary as deity
In reply to: Catie 's message, "Re: Mary as deity" on 06:44:09 07/25/07 Wed

"Why is it acknowledged and emphasised that she is the Mother of God?"

Because she is. :-)

"She was human always."

Are you thinking that Catholics think that Mary was something other than human?

"What purpose does it serve to associate Mary with the resurrected Christ?"

Why do Protestants assume that God dropped Mary after the resurrection, that she no longer played a role in his life? Don't we all interact (in a way) with God when
we respond to the Holy Spirit?

Mary is the mother of Jesus who is truly God and man at the same time. He didn't drop his Godness (like that word?) to become a man. So Mary is his mother. Since he is both God and Man at the same time, Mary is the mother of God.

I'm not sure I understand your question. What do you mean by "associate Mary with the resurrected Christ"? How do you think we make this association.

Do you believe that Jesus was God while he was on Earth? Do you believe that he was truly man while on Earth? Do you believe that he was both truly man and truly god?

joan

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Mary as deity -- Catie, 04:17:54 07/26/07 Thu [1] (h166.243.213.151.ip.alltel.net/151.213.243.166)

I believe Jesus is a third of the trinity, the God-head. He became flesh in order to live among us here on earth. He was crucified, died and rose from the dead and is now ascended to the right hand throne of God where ever makes intercession on our behalf.

It seems to me that Catholics regard Mary in a way that is beyond human capabilities. They seem (to me at least) act as though she's still alive and is capable of doing deeds attributed to God. (work miracles, answer prayers, etc) If she was but human, how can she have any special "pull" with God, mores so than anyone else? The scriptures say God is not a respector of persons. My stand is that God used Mary ("used" lack of better term) for the purpose he intended, a human vessel, surrogate, et al. She was human, she lived and she died. She is deceased. She has now, nor has she ever had any power other than that of a beloved Mother.

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Mary's Call -- Joan, 04:48:51 07/27/07 Fri [1] (ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net/68.0.253.131)

"It seems to me that Catholics regard Mary in a way that is beyond human capabilities. They seem (to me at least) act as though she's still alive and is capable of doing deeds attributed to God. (work miracles, answer prayers, etc) If she was but human, how can she have any special "pull" with God, mores so than anyone else? The scriptures say God is not a respector of persons. My stand is that God used Mary ("used" lack of better term) for the purpose he intended, a human vessel, surrogate, et al. She was human, she lived and she died. She is deceased. She has now, nor has she ever had any power other than that of a beloved Mother."

This is another thing that confuses me about "Bible only" Christians. Though the Bible sets Mary aside as special, the "Bible Only" Christians don't accept it. The Bible calls her "Hail, full of Grace." No one else in the Bible is called *full* of grace. She is called blessed among women, yet the "Bible Only" Christians afford her no special place among women.

"They seem (to me at least) act as though she's still alive and is capable of doing deeds attributed to God."

This is where, I think, the CC fails to get it's true position out there in a clear way. But then few will accept the truth anyway, so I can see why the leaders don't bother. When we explain what the true belief on a matter is, others accuse us of lying, or of misunderstanding what we're actually doing. :-) Not true.

Yes, we believe that Mary is alive. Alive in Heaven, as every other soul in Heaven is alive.

We believe in intercessory prayer by the Saints in Heaven who are more alive than we are on Earth. We don't believe that they perform miracles. We believe that miracles are performed by God through intercessory prayer of the saints, those in Heaven or our freinds on Earth. You can pray for yourself of course. But we also believe in intercessory prayer. We believe in the true communion of saints, not the limited understanding that other Christian groups have of the communion.

But I don't know why people have such a problem with Mary alone, above all of the other saints that we might ask for help. I say a prayer to St Michael every Sunday for the end to war in the world.

"St Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and do thou, oh prince of the heavenly hosts,

**by the power of GOD**,

thrust into Hell Satan and the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen."

And in the Hail Mary prayer.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
**pray for us sinners**,
now and at the hour of our death."

These are petition to these Saints for help. They aren't addressed as if we think they are gods.

Why do so many Protestants, after hearing the truth, insist that we are treating Mary as a God?

Why don't they believe in the Communion of Saints and that those in Heaven are impotent to help us, but those on Earth who might still be stained w/ their own sins, have the power to petition God. Aren't the Saints in Heaven more alive than we are? Doesn't the Bible say that our petitions are placed before God in Heaven by others? Who are those others, then, if not the Saints. If the Saints can place the petitions before God, they must have knowledge of us and our sufferings (a concept that's also supported by the Bible). And that is proof of the true Communion of Saints.

We do believe that Mary is special, because it says she is in the Bible--"blessed art thou among women".

Joan

PS: Believing that she is blessed among women doens't mean that we beleive that she is a God.

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Please excuse the typos. Also... -- Joan, 04:53:02 07/27/07 Fri [1] (ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net/68.0.253.131)

"and that those in Heaven are impotent to help us, but those on Earth who might"

Should be

but instead, that those in Heaven are impotent to help us, and those on Earth...

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]