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God, our Heavenly Father bestowed upon the Virgin Mary the Greatest Blessing He could ever give to any of His human creatures, when He chose her to be the Mother of His Divine Son. Christ Himself, consecrated Mary as the Mother of His Church, when she stood at the foot of the Cross, during His crucifixion. Catholic and Orthodox Christians rightly honour and revere Mary as the greatest of all God's Saints. Most Protestants however (with the noted exception of the Anglican Church, and quite possibly the Lutheran Church), accuse us of idolatry, for our Marian devotion.
Steps
Know what worship actually is. Very few people do, which is why Protestants accuse Catholics and Orthodox of breaking the First Commandment, with our veneration for Mary. Had they all know the difference between actual worship and veneration, they too, would still be honouring our Blessed Mother today. The act of worship is to give sacrifices or offerings. When a Protestant is debating with you, ask him/her to tell what worship is. Then tell them it is the act of giving offerings, etc. The sacrifice of the Mass is offered to God alone. Not Mary nor any other saint. Even if a church is named in honour of Mary or any other saint, the Mass is offered to God only.
Reverence to holy persons play an important role in ALL religions. Note how Muhammad is honoured and revered in Islam, and yet, Muslims do not worship him. The same with Abraham and/or Moses in Judaism, and Guru Nanak and all the subsequent gurus in Sikhism. Point this out to our Protestant brethren.
When Protestants call Mary a sinner, point out to them that she is called "full of grace" by the angel in Luke chapter 1. That means she had no sin!!! They will cite the following biblical arguments to prove their point: Romans chapter 3, as well as when Mary calls God her saviour in Luke chapter 1, and even when she partook in a purification ceremony in Luke chapter 2. For Romans, explain to our Protestant friends that St. Paul was trying to teach his readers not to pass judgement on others. Mary called God her saviour, because He saved her from falling into sin. Also, challenge our Protestant friends: Since they claim that Mary was a sinner, ask them what was "this sin" that she committed. If they say "that is between her and God," tell them that they are the ones making the accusation, and therefore should be able to state what her sin was.
When they argue against Mary's assumption into Heaven, remind them that both the prophets Elijah and Enoch were both assumed into Heaven too. Why would such an honour given to these 2 Prophets be too good to give to Mary too?
When Protestants claim that the various appearances of Mary in various parts of the world (eg: Lourdes, Fatima, etc) are really tricks of the Devil, remind them that both Elijah and Moses appeared at the Transfiguration. Tell them that if apparitions of Mary are really from the Devil, then so were Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration. When they try to claim that is a different issue, reassert firmly, that if appearances of Mary are really the Devil in disguise, then so were the appearances of Elijah and Moses at the Transfiguration.
Protestants quote Jeremiah chapter 7, verse 13, when he decries the children of Israel worshipping the moon as "the Queen of Heaven," and claim that when we call Mary "the Queen of Heaven," it is the same thing. Tell them no it is not. They were worshipping (**OFFERING SACRIFICES**) to the moon. Moreover, elsewhere in the Old Testament, in the Psalms, there is a verse which says "the queen sits at your right hand, arrayed in gold (psalm 45). Give them this quote, every time they quote Jeremiah chapter 7.
Protestants will quote St. Luke chapter 11, where Christ tells a woman "Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it," after she cries out "blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that you nursed." They think that Christ rejected veneration for his mother. In reality, Christ blessed his mother, and not this woman. What this woman cried out would be the equivalent of someone saying today, "wow!!! Your mother should really be proud!!!" Tell them that St. Luke chapter 11, endorses devotion to Mary. Not decries it.
Protestants think that Mary and St. Joseph had other children besides Our Lord. They quote all the times our Lord's "brothers," are mentioned. Tell them that the word for brother and the word for first generation cousin were the same in ancient Greek, and point out to them that James "the brother of our Lord," is called "the son of Alpheus," in the Gospels. Also, referring back to when Christ consecrated Mary as Mother of His church, He did so by giving her into the care of St. John. That meant that there were no other children in the holy family to care for Mary.
Devotion to Mary and the saints go back to the earliest times of the Christian Church's history. Even the Protestant Reformers, such as Martin Luther venerated Mary. Rather, it has only been within the last few hundred years, that people have become afraid to honour Mary. Ask how can Christians have been so wrong, for well over a thousand years and onward?Advertisement
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Tips
- Satan and his minions ***HATE*** devotion to the Mother of God!!!Thanks
- Mary was also born without Original Sin seeing as she was with God from the moment she was conceived to her assumption into heaven.Thanks
- Unbeknownst to Protestants who quote St. Luke chapter 11, is that that particular Gospel chapter has been read on feast days honouring Mary.Thanks
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Warnings
- Many Protestants will still not accept devotion to Mary as being intrinsic in the worship of Christ.Thanks
- Envy of the spiritual gifts that are given to others is one of the sins against the Holy Spirit!!!Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- A Holy Bible
- Writings of the Church Fathers
- The writings of the Protestant Reformers on Mary
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