[NYer]

Ping!

[Genoa]

Is it proper to call Mary’s father the grandfather of God?

[LibFreeOrDie]

I was visiting an inner-city church one day and in the vestibule some graffiti was written on the wall which said, "Catholics, God has no mother," obviously referring to Mary's title as "Mother of God." How does one respond to such an objections?

Finding and prosecuting the idiot who defaced the church would be a start. Writing a detailed theological response to the statement is useless... the perp isn't listening and doesn't care.

[ravenwolf]

I have no objection to mary being called the mother of god, if i did they would not count for anything anyway.

Discusing religion always comes to a dead end unless the discusion directly comes from the Bible.

But i think it is wrong to worship mary.

God told her that she was blessed, but she was not blessed because she was the mother of Christ, but being the mother of the saviour was her blessing, she was already blessed, thats what her blessing was.

Blessed be the mother of God so many times in order is just mans religion.

[Jihadi Du Jour]

Thanks NYer.

As a revert to Catholicism I had the opportunity to work in the spiritual guidance department of the Billy Graham Association both as a Protestant and then as a Catholic. Many many Protestants do not understand the name Theotokos, Mother of God. They could if they wanted to but alas many are content to be spoonfed their beliefs about Church and History by those believing that Real Church History begins with the Reformation. all the rest is to them error that began at the end of the Canon of Scripture (for those who don't know - That is what they called it when the Catholics compiled the books of the Bible).

So any theological jargon that was not picked up by the "reformers" is therefore ignored and called false. Little do they know that Theotokos fought off the heresy that Jesus was not both human AND divine. Or that most of what they believe as tenents of the faith was determined by the Catholics they consider heathen.

[rogue yam]

So I suppose “God’s baby momma” is out too, huh?

[Salvation]

BTTT!

[annalex]

in the vestibule some graffiti was written on the wall which said, "Catholics, God has no mother," obviously referring to Mary's title as "Mother of God." How does one respond to such an objections?

Acts of vandalism are not "objections". Respond with pity.

[Bayard]

Honestly, I don’t understand the problem with the explanation that Mary is mother of God.

Scripture seems to support Jesus being son of Mary, I believe he was specifically described as being born of a virgin somewhere in the Bible.

If one is having trouble grasping that God became man, and was born, it seems just as likely they should have just as much, even more troubles, understanding that God died on the cross for our sins.

Both are only possible if God assumes the full nature of Man.

[Gamecock]

Of course she is the mother of God.

That doesn’t mean we are to worship her.

[Iscool]

On June 22, 431, the Council of Ephesus convened to settle this argument. The Council declared, "If anyone does not confess that the Emmanuel is truly God and therefore that the holy Virgin is the Mother of God (Theotokos) (since she begot according to the flesh the Word of God made flesh), anathema sit." Therefore, the Council officially recognized that Jesus is one person, with two natures — human and divine — united in a true union. Second, Ephesus affirmed that our Blessed Mother can rightfully be called the Mother of God: Mary is not Mother of God, the Father, or Mother of God, the Holy Spirit; rather, she is Mother of God, the Son — Jesus Christ. The Council of Ephesus declared Nestorius a heretic, and the Emperor Theodosius ordered him deposed and exiled.

Ephesus affirmed that our Blessed Mother can rightfully be called the Mother of God: Mary is not Mother of God, the Father, or Mother of God, the Holy Spirit; rather, she is Mother of God, the Son — Jesus Christ.

Nonsense...You can't separate God from the Holy Spirit from Jesus...They are one...If Mary is the mother of God, the Son, she would also have to be the mother of God the Father...And that's ridiculous...

And then that religion had Nestorius deposed and exiled...

[Iscool]

Following his own reasoning, Nestorious asserted that the human Jesus died on the cross, not the divine Jesus. As such, Mary is not "Mother of God," but simply "Mother of Christ" — the human Jesus. Sound confusing?

No, not at all...

It is, but the result is the splitting of Christ into two persons and the denial of the incarnation.

That isn't true at all...The more I read of Nestorius, the more I tend to agree with him...