Who Is Mary?

'Some people draw unwarranted conclusions from the fact that I never say more about the Blessed Virgin Mary than is involved in asserting the Virgin Birth of Christ. But surely my reason for not doing so is obvious? To say more would take me at once into highly controversial regions. And there is no controversy between Christians which needs to be so delicately touched as this. The Roman Catholic beliefs on that subject are held not only with the ordinary fervour that attaches to all sincere religious belief, but (very naturally) with the peculiar and, as it were, chivalrous sensibility that a man feels when the honour of his mother or his beloved is at stake. It is very difficult so to dissent from them that you will not appear to them a cad as well as a heretic. And contrariwise, the opposed Protestant beliefs on this subject call forth feelings which go down to the very roots of all Monotheism whatever. To radical Protestants it seems that the distinction between Creator and creature (however holy) is imperilled: that Polytheism is risen again. Hence it is hard so to dissent from them that you will not appear something worse than a heretic—a Pagan. If any topic could be relied upon to wreck a book about ‘mere’ Christianity—if any topic makes utterly unprofitable reading for those who do not yet believe that the Virgin’s son is God—surely this is it.' C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

• Quote
• Note
• Scripture
• Question

1. Preview
2. Are You an Accuser of the Brethren, a False Witness Against Them?
   • Do Catholics Worship Pagan Gods Under the Name of Mary?
   • Are Catholics Guilty of Mariolatry, Worshipping Mary?
3. Redeemed Creature
   • The Handmaid of the Lord
   • The Face that Most Resembles Christ's
   • New Eve
4. Ark of the New Covenant
5. Theotokus (God-Bearer)
6. Aeiparthenos (Ever Virgin)
7. Panagia (All Holy)
8. Mediatrix / Blessed Mother
9. Mary's Dormition
10. The Queen of Heaven
11. Apparitions
12. Do Protestants Give Mary Her Due?
13. Review
14. Sources

Judges of Angels

Don't you know that we will judge angels--how much more matters of this life? I Cor 6:3

1. Recognize your mind is as fallen as your heart and body.
(Read more about the fallen mind of man)

Based on nous ,the Greek word for mind, the common theological term describing the fallenness of the human mind is the noetic effect. This effect means that our reasoning abilities are no longer pure and proper all the time. But, it does not mean we will always reason improperly. We can think rationally, use mathematics, make proper judgments, etc. But, as is obvious, there are many false religions in the world that are believed and defended intellectually. So, the noetic effect of sin upon the mind most assuredly manifests itself in the belief of false gods, false Christ, false gospels, etc.... This is why we have so many different religions and, even within Christianity, we have so many different denominations. Our divisions the result of spiritual blindness and, ultimately, irrationality." Matt Slick, "What is the noetic effect of sin?"

I have seen many Christians sincerely humble about their performance as Christians, yet as puffed up as toads regarding the rightness of their Christian beliefs. They could see the wickedness of their heart's desires and the best-case scenario mediocrity of their Christian service, but were as blind any Pharisee to the possibility that they might have major flaws in their understanding of Christian truth.

If you are preparing to become a Judge of Angels, I believe you must hold to Christian Truth vigorously, but not viciously. God is the final arbitrer of Christian Truth, not you. You may prove in the end to have gotten it substantially wrong

2. Recognize that the Protestant doctrine of perspicuity of Scripture applies only to the major tenets of Scripture. (Perspicuity of Scripture defined)

   The doctrine of perspicuity means the Bible is clear in its essential matters and able to expose to man that which is comprehensible to him about God—His nature, His character, His dealings with mankind in the past, and His plans for the future. The Bible is clear in all that is necessary for man to know in regard to his sinful state, his need for salvation, and the means of attaining that salvation, faith in Christ (Romans 3:22).

   The doctrine of perspicuity does not mean that every passage of Scripture is equally clear as to its precise meaning. Certainly, there are passages that can be obscure to modern readers due to historical or cultural references. And some of the theology is difficult; Peter said that Scripture contains “some things that are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). The perspicuity of the Word of God does not eliminate the need for interpretation, explanation, and exposition of the Bible by diligent scholars.

3. Acknowledge that an honest and fair judge hears BOTH sides of a story: "The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him." Proverbs 18:17
4. Acknowledge that misrepresenting the beliefs of other denominations through a self-righteous satisfaction with your own doctrine is joining Satan in being the accuser of the brethren.
5. Expand your study beyond the things that only confirm your prejudices; what do Catholics and Orthodox say in their own defense about praying to the saints, Mary, the Eucharist, the place of Scriptures in their theology; the Church of Christ concerning Baptismal Regeneration, etc.

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Yes!	No!
John MacArthur, a popular Evangelical radio personality, and others accuse us of that. ... And so we come to address this same age-old goddess heresy of paganism in its newest form with the modern goddess having stolen the name of Mary, a terrible dishonor to her. (John MacArthur, Exposing the Idolatry of Mary Worship: Catholic Dogma, Pt. 1)	"The fact that we Catholics honour Mary in heaven is part of the reason that some Evangelicals say we worship a pagan goddess...This is unfortunate because we don't know of any serious Catholic who actually knows anything about pagan religions or their goddesses. When Catholics think of Mary in heaven we think of the mother of Jesus, who is a 24/7 prayer warrior for faithful Christians. Her only goal is to point people toward her Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus."

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Do Roman Catholics & Eastern Orthodox Worship Mary?
Yes!	No!
	"Orthodox Christians do not worship the Theotokos and the saints; rather they venerate them. Anyone who claims that the Orthodox worship saints is guilty of bearing false witness against his neighbor since we clearly do not believe this." Coniaris

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Incorrect and Correct Understanding of Mary as the Mediatrix [49 ↜ ⇑ ↝]

Incorrect Understanding	Correct Understanding

Why Do Catholics & Orthodox Feel They Should Petition Mary? [50 ↜ ⇑ ↝]

1. The saints are alive and praying for us.
2. We should enlist the saints' aid in praying for us just as we would enlist the aid of a brother or sister here on Earth.
3. Mary, as the handmaid of the Lord and the Mother of God, "sits in the front pew", i.e. is the most highly favored amongst the saints of God.
4. Mary, as the Mother of Jesus, still receives honor from Jesus in Jesus`s continued obedience to the 5th commandment
5. Scriptural Warrant...
   3 When the wine was gone, Jesus` mother said to him, 'They have no more wine.'
   4 'Woman, why do you involve me?' Jesus replied. 'My hour has not yet come.'
   5 His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.'

Mary [51 ↜ ⇑ ↝]

I don't know if it's been articulated in Roman Catholic dogma and theology, but I have heard lay Catholics explain petitioning Mary in this way: "When you want something, do you ask your Mom or your Dad?"

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• Catholic Bridge. "Do Catholics worship a pagan goddess in the disguise of Mary?" ND. https://catholicbridge.com/catholic/mary-a-pagan-goddess.php. Retrieved Feb 12, 2020.
• Hislop, Alexander. The Two Babylons or The Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and his Wife. Kindle Edition.
• Pelikan, Jaroslav. Mary Through the Centuries. New Have: Yale University Press, 1966.
• Woodrow, Ralph. The Babylon Connection? Palm Springs: Ralph Woodrow Evangelistic Association, 1997.