Protestants and Mary

I'd argue that you should think of it just the opposite. If they want you to pray for them or if you feel they need it, pray for them, regardless of if they're doing their best or "deserving" of it. That's the mercy we all need from each other. Maybe that's one of the differences between rote prayer that I practice and more specific prayer you find with a lot of Protestants, but if I were to pray for them, I'd use a rosary or some form of standard prayer, with focus on the divine mysteries, and ask for God's mercy on behalf of the people I'm praying for. Maybe that mercy comes in the form of them being inspired to pray for themselves, maybe some other form, but I'd let God figure that out, not make assumptions based on my limited views of God's plan as a human. I'm not praying for people because they've earned it or deserve it, but because they, like me, need God's love and mercy.

 

Mary has nothing to do with the de-focusing concern. Losing focus on Christ is an individual issue; it's not her fault, nor do I believe it was ever her desire. She always wanted her life to stand behind His, even as a young girl (which is probably why she was chosen for the role she played).

In other words, just because the author of the article found his faith amplified by incorporating Mary into his prayer life, that doesn't mean that is the case universally. Obviously, the reverse is true also.

 

I'm terribly sorry if I conveyed any indication that I'm reluctant to pray for people because I feel they don't "deserve it". To be honest, I'm not really sure how you got that impression from what I wrote.

I've tried dilligently to remove the word "deserve" from my vocabulary over the past few years. I've found it to be the pavement on a very slippery slope that leads away from the kind of heart God wants us to have.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of a monk -- ironically, a Catholic tradition.

 

Right, but in that scripture, she's implying that she could and should be used as a tool to help focus on Jesus. Whether people take that to heart and do it the right way is another matter. He's basically just challenging the reader to try it with an open heart and see for themselves how it feels.

 

Talk about a misunderstanding of Biblical proportions...

Nothing I've seen in Protestant doctrine forbids communion and fellowship with the family of God. Nothing. At the risk of daring to speak for such a wide and varied group of people, what they do frown upon is equating Jesus' family to Himself, or to speaking and communing with them instead of Jesus.

 

So Protestants are OK with praying through Mary as long as you don't only pray through Mary?

 

I understood her statement in that verse ("...my soul exalts/glorifies/magifies the Lord...") and the rest of that passage to mean that her life was to forever be seen as a very strong example of God's mercy and faithfulness and love. In that regard, I agree she can and should be seen as an example for all of us to look to and emulate to a degree, and draw encouragment from as someone who has been used by God in a very powerful way. But I respectfully disagree this sets her apart from any other great figure of the Bible (or in history) who was used in mighty ways by God.

 

I think Protestants are uncomfortable with the idea of soliciting prayer from saints who have passed on. I tend to think the reason for this is that there isn't much of a Biblical precedent for it. I think they want the focus to be on developing the direct relationship between the people and Christ Himself, without clouding the issue by bringing other options into the prayer picture.

In other words, I don't know that it's Biblically unsound, but I think Protestant doctrine would consider it only as an afterthought, not something to be actively encouraged.

As far as I know, there isn't even much indication that risen saints can even hear the prayers of the living anyway. I could be mistaken about that, though.

 

Here is where the author's scenario breaks down a little. He's singling out the mother figure, where Jesus did not. He saw all of His spiritual family members as equally valued and loved.