[huldah1776]

Children are blessings. Women who did not have children were deemed not blessed. Nothing more, nothing less. Magnify the LORD and rejoice in God our savior alone, as did Mary.

[Aliska]

I understood from the passage in scripture I quoted that in that culture, it It could be said or was taught and believed that women who were barren were not blessed, were stigmatized, were discriminated against, were unequal, were inferior. I think even God called it a reproach but not across the board. Sometimes it was to magnify himself as in Sarah and Elizabeth.

But nobody can get around what is written that Elizabeth addresses Mary as Mother of my Lord and I doubt anyone could argue context. It's pretty clear that that passage means what it says. Furthermore, who could not call her blessed? If they don't believe we should pray to her, then that is what they believe. The bible doesn't say explicitly one way or the other.

So then we get into sola scriptura and go round and round, endlessly, rancorously, and perhaps in the process condemn ourselves..