...”embrace your Blessed Mother”....
You really haven’t a clue how very offensive that statement is to a Biblical Christian. ....the Mary of Catholicism is not the Mary of the Bible, but a dangerous distortion that has led multitudes into idolatry and a false salvation hope.
The real Mary is the Christian’s sister, not his mother.....
Jesus was not called Mary’s “only-born” but instead Mary’s “firstborn,”.....Jesus was the real Mary’s “firstborn” who taught all “to come directly to Himself” for their soul’s salvation...... Never throughout the Gospels did Jesus ever make any sinner go through Mary to come to Him. Never!
Furthermore, none of the Lord’s Apostles, including Peter, ever taught: “Through Mary to Jesus.”
It's "offensive" because a "biblical Christian" A.K.A. a protestant adopts the view that Christ is exclusive to them. It's not Christ that is offended, but your "personal relationship" that is threatened. And so, like the jealous spouse the protestant reacts in kind. Christ honors His Mother. Protestants should do likewise.
As an aside, I will never concede that I am not a biblical Christian. The bible is not the exclusive province of the protestant even though on the surface it's an effective polemic for it ostensibly puts the Catholic on the defensive of having to argue that they are biblical Christians.
It's the theological equivalent of, "Have you stopped beating your wife?" It's not unexpected, however. In the grand scheme of things, however, Catholics are playing chess while protestants are playing checkers or pleasuring themselves mentally with their supposed wit.
the Mary of Catholicism is not the Mary of the Bible, but a dangerous distortion that has led multitudes into idolatry and a false salvation hope.
False dichotomy which stems from the notion that sola scriptura is the sole rule of faith. If it isn't explict within Scripture then it is not so. The bifurcation of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. A rather recent and novel invention. Protestants leave out half the story. Convenient for establishing new "doctrines."
“the Mary of Catholicism is not the Mary of the Bible”
Oh, but she is. The real problem is a drive-by, shallow interpretation/penetration of the Scriptures she is mentioned in.
The angel Gabriel says to her, “Hail, full of Grace! The Lord is with you (Luke 1:28).” An angel hails a human being! But she’s just like us? Too often the angels who have hailed me have been fallen angels. The early Church took the words “full of Grace” to mean Mary was sinless by a special gift of God. Can any of us say we’re “full of Grace” and have no need to increase in Grace?
What comes out of Elizabeth’s mouth immediately after we are told she is “filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41).”
“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by The Lord would be fulfilled (Luke 1:42-45).”
When I read the words of Gabriel and Elizabeth, I have no problem saying a Hail Mary:
“Hail, full of Grace! The Lord is with you. ... Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ... mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:28 - 42,43).
And then from Luke 1:46-56, Mary speaks her Canticle in which she says “all generations will call me blessed (1:48).”
“And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. ... his mother kept all these things in her heart (Luke 2:19, 51).” Why is the prayer life of Mary given two verses? Is there something profound about “her heart”, her meditation and contemplation? Yes! I’ve had it said to me that devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart is idolatrous. When I ask if the two mentions of “her heart” in Luke 2 are idolatrous, I get crickets.
At Mary’s words “They have no wine (John 2:3), Jesus starts His public ministry with a miracle He didn’t seem to be planning to do.
Mary’s singular role is in Scripture. The problem is too often those Scriptures are not fully understood, studied, interpreted or deeply penetrated. If Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit comes forth with profound praise for Mary, I think I’ll hold onto my devotion to, NOT WORSHIP OF, but devotion to Mary, the Mother of God.
I thought every Christian knew that there is only one Mediator between God and man.