#1 It really doesn’t matter what those men believed. Some of it is *pure* speculation. She had other children with Joseph, so she could not be a perpetual “virgin” for one.
#2 However, I believe some of it as well and I believe Mary should be thought of in a very high regard.
#3 That does not mean that you can a) pray to Mary or b) have Mary intercede on your behalf as both of those are unbiblical.
You got it. bttt
“#1 It really doesn’t matter what those men believed. Some of it is *pure* speculation. She had other children with Joseph, so she could not be a perpetual “virgin” for one.”
Who were these children?
“#3 That does not mean that you can a) pray to Mary or b) have Mary intercede on your behalf as both of those are unbiblical.”
Can I intercede on behalf of you?
These Protestant Reformers do not agree with you at all -- they believed in the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Also -- one Catholic viewpoint.
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Mary: Virgin and Ever Virgin
Luther, Calvin, and Other Early Protestants on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Luther, Calvin, and Other Early Protestants on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary
The Protestant Reformers on the Virgin Mary
Zwingli’s’ Mariology: On Mary “Full of Grace”
Nothing's stopping you from praying to Mary. It just seems a little redundant (at least to me).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but when you're praying, you've got a direct connection via the Holy Spirit to God the Father and the Son. When you pray, you're talking to the big guy himself.
So, when we confess at the beginning of mass, and "ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, to pray for me to the Lord our God", we're basically asking God to tap Mary on the shoulder and tell her to talk to God. Why ask God to ask Mary to ask God? Why not just ask God, directly?
This one bugs me. Can somebody explain it to me? Thanks.
P.S. This one is right up there with not being able to understand people when they "speak in tongues". It's basically indicates to me that the Holy Spirit is not in the room.