Is Reverence of Mary Justifiable?

Catholics Revere Mary

            Catholics claim they do not worship Mary but worship God alone. Catholics supposedly revere or honor Mary [1]. They justify their reverence through verses such as Genesis 37:7–9, 49:8; Exodus 18:7; Romans 13:7; 1 Timothy 5:17 et al.

            Catholic.com justifies reverence of Mary, “…there certainly can be no argument against giving honor to saints whose lives are done and who ended them in sanctity…” [2].  

            Mary’s statue is a familiar sight in Catholic Church. But Catholics claim that they do not worship statues, “The fact that someone kneels before a statue to pray does not mean that he is praying to the statue…” [3]. Catholics justify presence of statues in their churches through Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Chronicles 3:10-14 et al.

            Catholics believe in four Marian dogmas [4]:

            Immaculate Conception declares that Mary was conceived without original sin by the grace of God. This dogma has no Scriptural foundation.

            Divine Motherhood refers to Mary’s role as the mother of Jesus, who is God incarnate. This is the most acceptable of Marian dogmas.

            Perpetual Virginity implies that Mary never had sexual intercourse with a man and was a virgin till her death. Thus, her purity from original sin and personal sin is implied. This is a hotly contested dogma.

            The Assumption declares Mary’s elevation or assumption into heaven by God’s grace and power. Similar to Immaculate Conception, the Assumption has no Scriptural foundation.

Is Marian Reverence Justified??

            The Infancy Gospel of James (a.k.a. Protevangelium of James) offers the notion that Mary was a perpetual virgin. However, this apocryphal book is erroneous for the following reasons [5]:

            1. It was a late text written in the 2^nd century (140-170AD).

            2. The author of Protevangelium of James claims to be Christ’s half -brother (son of Joesph from a prior marriage) but appears ignorant of Jewish customs of 1^st century.  

            3. Textual critics claim that the author of Infancy Gospel of James could not have been James. This gospel takes much of its content from gospels of Matthew and Luke.

            Apostle James’ death at the hands of Ananias occurred in AD 62, whereas gospels of Matthew and Luke were authored after AD 62. Hence the author of Protevangelium of James could not have been James, the brother of Christ.  

            4. The Infancy Gospel of James was first mentioned by Origen in 3^rd century, who, in his commentary on Matthew, rejected this gospel as heretical and untrustworthy. (At one stage, in his homily on Luke 7: 4, Origen held to the view of perpetual virginity of Mary.)

            5. Pope Gelasius condemned Infancy Gospel of James in his 5^th century “Gelasian Decree” and advised Catholics to avoid this book.

            6. The Infancy Gospel of James contradicts the Bible [6].

             The Bible categorically states that Mary had sons and daughters other than Christ (Matthew 12:46-50, 13:55-56; Mark 3:32-35, 6:3; Luke 8:19-21; Acts 1:12-14; Galatians 1:19). However, Catholics dispute these verses by claiming that these siblings of Christ were not born of Mary but were Christ’s stepbrothers, stepsisters, cousins or distant relatives.

            The Greek words for cousin and relatives are “anepsios” and “suggenes,” respectively. These words were not used by the New Testament writers while referring to Christ’s brothers and sisters. Instead, Matthew and Mark used the words “adelphos” and “adelphe” terming them as Christ’s own brothers and sisters – born of Mary.

            Claiming that Christ’s siblings mentioned in the Bible were not born to Mary is to argue from silence. The Bible does not offer any indication to this effect. So the Catholic teaching that Christ’s siblings were not born of Mary is erroneous, and should be discarded.

            Significantly, perpetual virginity of Mary is unnecessary for her veneration by the Catholic Church. Christ’s brothers and sisters were born to Mary and Joseph within the sanctity of their marriage. Hence, Mary did not commit a sin while bearing her children.

            Perpetual virginity of Mary has a dubious reasoning and an invalid source. Mary was a mere subject chosen by God to bring forth Christ in human form.

            The dogmas of Immaculate Conception and Assumption are Catholic fabrications. These dogmas have no Scriptural foundations.

            The Bible neither mentions that Mary was preserved from original sin nor does it state that Mary was taken up into heaven à la Enoch and Elijah. The Bible does not accord a special place in heaven for Mary.

            The Catholic Church reveres saints and prays through them. The fundamental problem with the Catholic dogma is elevating human beings as mediators between God and man.

            The Catholics justify their reverence of saints by hermeneutically twisting verses such as 1Timothy 2: 1 - 4 and James 5: 16. These verses refer to people on earth and not those in heaven.

            There is a marked distinction between prayers with fellow believers and prayers through fellow believers. Prayers with fellow believers constitute Christian fellowship in the precincts of the Church. But prayers through fellow believers elevate people to a co-equal status with Christ, who is the only mediator between God and man (1Timothy 2: 5).

            It is a sin when man is elevated to status of God. Reverence for Mary or other saints cannot be justified. Therefore, Mary need not be glorified or venerated.

Conclusion

            Protestant churches are not pure in comparison to Catholic church. 

             Divisions within Christianity are not God’s intent but God’s sanction of man’s corrupt freewill. When we point one finger there are three fingers pointing at us.  So, at the most, this article is an instance of pot calling kettle black.

            Protestants should be well aware of the failures in the protestant worship system. Some Protestant churches worship in vacuum to lead believers away from Christ.

            False teachings are abundant. For instance, prosperity or health & wealth gospel is a dangerous phenomenon. Some churches teach that Christ is unnecessary for salvation and that the Bible need not be trusted.

            Worship songs in which Jesus, God, and Christ are never mentioned are sung in churches these days. How could these songs draw people closer to Christ other than the fact that these are sung in the church? These so-called worship songs if sung in the context of a Hindu temple or a mosque could well relate to their worldviews.

            Protestants strive not to commit similar errors as Catholics. This was the purpose of the reformation. But as sinful humans, Protestants commit novel errors that are equally deplorable. By no means is a Protestant worship more proximal to God than Catholic worship.

            However, a minority of Protestant churches remain true to Christ. Errors in worship, in these churches, are minimal in comparison to the other churches.            

            Our worship systems may have systemic inconsistencies and errors but every honest Christian ought to consider if he/she believes in Christ as the only way to heaven and if he/she remains in Christ to love, honor and glorify HIM. 

            God has given much to both Catholics and Protestants. HIS salvific mind, knowledge and future plan for mankind is adequately revealed in the Bible.

            So let us ensure that our worship is acceptable to God. This verse should ring loud in the ears of both the Catholics and Protestants, “…from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12: 48b, NIV).  

Endnotes:

[1] http://www.catholic.com/tracts/saint-worship, last accessed 21/Sep/2015.         

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/mary/general-information/the-four-marian-dogmas/, last accessed 21/Sep/2015.

[5] http://coldcasechristianity.com/2013/why-shouldnt-we-trust-the-non-canonical-gospels-attributed-to-james/, last accessed 21/Sep/2015.

[6] https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/is-the-perpetual-virginity-of-mary-a-biblical-view/, last accessed 21/Sep/2015.