What about Mary?

[Testicular Diabeetus]

Well she was the only lady on Earth without sin, so God saw that and well along came Jesus.
If it wasn't for her being without sin, Jesus would have never died on the cross for us...

So why don't we give Mary props too? I mean I hardly ever hear about her.
I mean she is really important...
If it wasn't for her we would have never been forgiven, I mean Jesus died for us right?
So if Mary never gave birth to him that would have never happened...

Why don't people talk about her more?
She seems to play a very important role in Christianity to me.

 

[Rednal]

?

Where... does it say in the Bible that Mary was without sin? I was under the impression that she was simply the one God chose to use as the human mother of Jesus, considering her lineage as a descendant of other important figures. A note of doctrine in Christianity is that all humans are sinners, save for Jesus alone. All humans. If it's a question of parentage, then wouldn't everyone in the line of humanity from Adam to Mary be important? Mind you, most of them seem to be at least named, but...  

[Testicular Diabeetus]

That's what my mom told me...
0.o

She told me that Mary was without sin.

 

[Shadows-shine]

I don't doubt that she sinned, but the reason why she was a chosen vessel to be the mother of the Saviour was because she was a virgin, untouched by man. That's a symbol of purity. And I'd imagine she was humble and devoted to God and a faithful servant of His. The scriptures aren't specific about her history. They just say she was a virgin, and virginity often symbolizes purity. Oh yeah and her lineage played a role in it.


What do you mean by giving props to Mary? Like worshiping her or praying to her like the Catholics do?

My theory is, if Mary wasn't chosen to be the vessel then some other woman would have been chosen. The Saviour would have been born and came to the world regardless of who the virgin was.  

[Testicular Diabeetus]

I guess so, I mean I always thought that she could be prayed too...
I mean my mom prayed to her and she got pregnant with me.
She wanted another baby, and she was having a hard time with it.
But she prayed to Mary because she believes that Mary knows about a woman's heart or something like that.

 

[Rednal]

Without specific evidence in the Bible (and an accurate translation) asserting as such, I'd... be hesitant to believe such a claim. There's definitely a trend towards revering major figures in church doctrine. It's pretty hard to think of a lot of the Apostles as sinners, for example, or a number of the Saints, since we largely hear about the good things they did, rather than the bad. But they, too, were sinners, just like the rest of us.

That's a detail that tends to set Christianity apart from other forms of beliefs. To be a Christian basically means acknowledging that you're a sinner and then asking for forgiveness; we're not inherently better than anyone else, we're not somehow special because we're Christian... we're ultimately just as unworthy as those who don't follow the Lord, but through grace alone we are saved. I'm certainly not afraid to state that I don't deserve to go to Heaven.

I do believe that Mary is an interesting point in theological discussion, like how it must have felt to be a mother who was raising God, but I also believe the primary focus should be on God himself, not humans. And... I don't pray to any except God; it's way too easy to get into the idea of idol worship with that, and start assigning belief to someplace it probably shouldn't be. The only being I acknowledge as holy and divine is the Lord himself. No others, however great they were, and however faithfully they followed the Lord and helped His work.

An all-knowing God probably knows about a woman's heart too, wouldn't you think? ~.^  

[Shadows-shine]

That's idol worship. She isn't God. God knows a woman's heart too. He after all did create male and female and every thing that has to do with both sexes. God knows our hearts better than we do. Mary was just a woman. Her only role in Christianity was that she was the chosen vessel to bear the Messiah. She has no other significance to us as Christians than that. I am not undermining Mary in the fact that she isn't important, or that she didn't have a big part, but she really is just another human when you look at the big picture of salvation and why Jesus was sent to us. Jesus is the most important factor in Christianity.  

[Hitoma]

Nobody is without sin other than Jesus. Mary was a sinner just like everyone else. She may not have stolen, killed, etc, but she still has the original sin, which makes everyone a sinner.

She did however have favor with God. But that is not to be confused with having no sin.


Luke 1:30-33 (New International Version)

30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."  

[Varjokani]

In Finnish translation of Bible it has been said that she did what God wanted and was loyal and faithful but even she was sinner. She was not perfect but I m sure that she tried to do as God´s law said. I believe that we still should pray only God and Jesus and Holy spirit, because Jesus asked us to pray him and father and Holy spirit.. Not for her mom. smile  

[Lusitana]

♩♪♫ 𝔪𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔠 𝔱𝔬 𝔪𝔶 𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 ♫♪♩

but catholic church presents Maria as already concepted without sin...
translating from my language, there exists this pray:
"Oh Mary conceived without sin
pray for us who have recourse to thee
oh my jesus forgive us and deliver us from the fires of internal
Lead all souls to heaven especially those most needed"
(i dunno if the grammar is correct cause i only know this pray in portuguese)

also there is "Ave Maria" pray - where is compilled the Angel's and Isabel greetings.
and the way the Angel greets her is very special: "Ave Maria Gratia PLENA, Dominus Tecum, Benedicta tu in Mulieribus et Benedictus Frutus Ventris tui Iesu".
also notice: "Sancta Maria Mater Dei" - Mother of God! I don't think God would choose some random girl for this.

what i think is that God created Maria sinless, by His choice.

and i think Marial will be spoken about during this millenium, cause she is the "Third Millenium's Guardian Angel", as once said by John Paul II.

but hey, it's only what i think. (:  

[Green_Fuu]

Here's a good answer to that question

You would be calling God a lier if you keep insisting that Mary was without sin:
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned"
-Romans 5:12-

And salvation didn't exist before Jesus' death on the cross.


Also marry had children after Jesus, so .... put 1 + 1 together....
That's why don't understand why people still refer to her a the "virgin" Mary still.
She wasn't virgin for long.
I actually admire her disposition and willingness to be used by and serve God, that's it.
I bet not one of us would have fit the part.
I think she's actually a good "Role Model" but nothing close to being a mediator.
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
-John 14:6-
and that's that.

 

[Azkeel]

Marry is dead; waiting for resurection. So your prayers are to the dead if you pray to her.  

[Azkeel]

And salvation existed before Jesus' death on the cross. (Don't get confused with this) God is eternal, timeless; God isn't making it up as He goes. Salvation is eternal and timeless therefore as soon as we bit that forbiden fruit we have had a chance for salvation. Don't twist it.  

[Green_Fuu]

Obviously, you know what I meant, (salvation as in being established and introduced to humanity) so I'm not gonna go in detail about it :U
and yes I agree with you, thanks for explaining it further though for anyone who might have confused my statement. ^^

 

[Azkeel]

=)