IMHO, it is far safer to simply state God is revealed to us in three persons, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Also to recognize the Son was born of Mary and she was His mother, but not to confuse the Hypostatic Union of Christ as having been provided by the mother of Jesus.
The arguments regarding the identity, naming, and meaning of the Son of God and the mother of Jesus are easily confused so as to encourage placing Mary before God, which removes a believer from fellowship with Him by violating the most important commandment.
What a very civil discussion. And they said that it couldn’t be done!!! Thank you all for being grown up and civilized.
I agree that there are some who would elevate Mary to the status of Godhood; this is not a fault of the faith, rather, a fault of either the teachers or the lack of teachings. I would equate this false belief with the equally false belief that one can party with the devil their entire lives and then repent on their deathbed and everything becomes hunky dory at that point.
Mary is very special; however I would reiterate that she can be an aid in our journey to Him, a means to the end of attaining everlasting life with God, not an end in herself. That’s like saying that the Crucifix is an end in itself. Silly.