Is it possible for Protestants to actually learn what Calvin, Luther and Zwingli believed about the Blessed Virgin Mary and then explain why they’ve strayed so far from those beliefs?
They can always start here:
From The 95 Theses by Dr. Martin Luther (added emphasis is mine):
75. It is foolish to think that papal indulgences have so much power that they can absolve a man even if he has done the impossible and violated the mother of God.
Ok...My curiosity is piqued. Do you have any links?
It was my understanding that Calvin and Luther rejected praying to saints and Mary to ask for intercession with God. Am I correct that they preached we should pray directly to God in Jesus name, and they rejected praying the rosary?
But...Hey! My mind is open to reading what these men had to say about these topics.
By the way,....Yes, Protestants do not pray directly to Mary, but we **DO** hold her in very high esteem and have great respect and reverence for her and her contributions to Jesus’ and His Father's plan for our redemption. We acknowledge that she was a very special and unique person to have been chosen to be the mother of Jesus.