Protestantism

Protestants do believe in Mary as the woman chosen to bear the infant Jesus. However she is not venerated as in Catholicism. Protestants do not see her as a mediatrix between God and man, seeing Jesus as the one mediator. They also do not see her as sinless and therefore she is considered wholly human although commanding respect as a woman who found favor with God.

They believe in the divine nature of His conception, and that Mary was a virgin at the time of Jesus' birth.

Protestants don't see her as anything more than Christ's mother and that she was a human as well. She later had more children with Joseph. On the other hand the word of God tells us that Christ is the and only mediator between God and man 1Timothy 2:5. Mary herself humbled before Jesus for she knew He was God.

As a starting point, it helps to first distinguish whatthe four central Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church are, so that it might be better understood where various Reformed denominations stand in relation to these dogmas; i.e. what are the salient objects of belief regarding Mary? The four central Marian doctrines held by, but not limited exclusively to, Catholics are:

• the Immaculate Conception of Mary
• the Divine Motherhood of Mary (Mary is Mother of God)
• the Perpetual Virginity of Mary
• the Assumption of Mary into Heaven

Beliefs in Protestant communities vary widely on these Marian dogmas. On the one hand, many communities hold only to Mary as mother of God. On the other hand, some Protestant communities hold to all four. Notable examples here, not to the exclusion of others, include various Anglican communities who seek ecumenical dialogue with the Catholic Church.

Martin Luther

Many of Martin Luther's own statements also provide a path for ecumenical discussion between contemporary Lutherans and Catholics. Regarding the Immaculate Conception, Luther writes:

• It is a sweet and pious belief that the infusion of Mary's soul was effected without original sin; so that in the very infusion of her soul she was also purified from original sin and adorned with God's gifts, receiving a pure soul infused by God; thus from the first moment she began to live she was free from all sin (Sermon: On the Day of the Conception of the Mother of God, 1527) This is found in Hartmann Grisar's book, Luther Vol. IV. Grisar cites the source as "Werke," Erl. Ed., 15 Page 58.
• . . . she is full of grace, proclaimed to be entirely without sin. . . . God's grace fills her with everything good and makes her devoid of all evil. . . . (Luther's Works, American edition, vol. 43, p. 40, ed. H. Lehmann, Fortress, 1968).

There is also the possibility for ecumenical dialogue between contemporary Lutherans and Catholics on Mary's Perpetual Virginity when Luther writes:

• in childbirth and after childbirth, as she was a virgin before childbirth, so she remained. (Sermon on the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, Luthers Werke 52:688- 99,quoted in Jaroslav Pelikan, Mary Through The Ages, 158.)

and again when he comments on John 2:12 as follows:

• I am inclined to agree with those who declare that "brothers" really means "cousins" here, for Holy Writ and the Jews always call cousins brothers. (Luther's Works, 22: 215.)

Ulrich Zwingli (founder of the Swiss Reformed Churches)

Ulrich Zwingli provides ground for dialogue on both the Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity of Mary when he writes:

I esteem immensely the Mother of God, the ever chaste, immaculate Virgin Mary. (E. Stakemeier, De Mariologia et Oecumenismo, K. Balic, ed., (Rome, 1962), 456.)

and again on the Perpetual Virginity of Mary when he writes:

I firmly believe that Mary, according to the words of the gospel as a pure Virgin brought forth for us the Son of God and in childbirth and after childbirth forever remained a pure, intact Virgin. (Zwingli Opera, Corpus Reformatorum, Volume 1, 424)

John Wesley (founder of the Methodists)

John Wesley also provides ground for dialogue between Methodists and Catholics on the Immaculate Conception and Mary's Perpetual Virginity when he writes:

• I believe that He was made man, joining the human nature with the divine in one person; being conceived by the singular operation of the Holy Ghost, and born of the blessed Virgin Mary, who, as well after as before she brought Him forth, continued a pure and unspotted virgin. (To a Roman Catholic, Dublin July 18, 1749. Emphasis added.)

Only liberal Protestant churches, that don't adhere to Biblical teachings and instructions, would accept homosexuality as normal. Those, which are conservative, Bible-believing churches, would call homosexuality sin, along with adultery, and sex outside of marriage.

There has been a split in many denominational churches of recent times over this issue, especially when ordination of homosexual individuals are in question. Usually, the issues extend beyond the homosexual issue.

Another View

Perhaps not most, but certainly a good number do. Protestants have, historically, been more accepting than most bible believing christian-based religions.

They take "Love thy neighbor" to heart and when they state that "All are welcome", they mean it. Plain and simple.

If you feel that calling yourself a "Christian" and hanging out with other "Christians" is helping you grow in Spirit, go for it. If you get to the point that you feel you are not growing, or even worse, the religious environment is keeping you from growing, look elsewhere. Spirit will provide.

It was in English and not Latin!

The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and of other Anglican churches, used throughout the Anglican Communion. The first book, published in 1549 in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English Reformation following his father, Henry VIII's break with Rome. Prayer books, unlike books of prayers, contain the words of structured (or liturgical) services of worship. The work of 1549 was the first prayer book to contain the forms of service for daily and Sunday worship in English and to do so within a single volume; it included morning prayer, evening prayer, the Litany, and Holy Communion. The book included the other occasional services in full: the orders for baptism, confirmation, marriage, 'prayers to be said with the sick' and a funeral service. It set out in full the Epistle and Gospel readings for the Sunday Communion Service. It also set Old and New Testament readings for daily prayer, along with psalms and canticles

I would first determine is the Catholic party is attending Mass on a "regular" basis. If yes, continue....

..... If no, ask the parents to delay the baptism until the Catholic party demonstrates a desire to communicate the Catholic faith to the child.

One of the questions asked during the initial interview is "are you married in a Catholic Church?" If yes, continue...

.....If no, (remind the Catholic party that [I do not berate the couple, but try to remind them that "they the Catholic member that "they are living in sin," and as such cannot receive the Eucharist,) the a prayer in the closing of mass is prayed for the father of the child: "you and your wife will be the first and best of teachers in the way of the faith"...

.....As the Catholic party is a member of, and attending Mass, I offer them the opportunity of 'convalidating' (sacramentalize) their marriage [this is not a "second" marriage] so the Catholic party may give good example, by receiving the Eucharist with the child.

.....As long as the Catholic party is attending Mass (all Catholics, no matter what their state in life, are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation) I do not consider the lack of marriage in the church to be an impediment. It is not a requirement for the non-Catholic party to convert to Catholism. I do however urge that they practice their own faith, faithfully, as to give good example.

--- Godparents. One may be a non-Catholic (not really a God parent -- technically, a "Christian Witness". [Christian means a baptized, practicing member of a church community that worships the "Tri-Uine" God.

A Catholic "Godparent" 1) must attend Mass regularly. 2) must be confirmed 3) if married, must be married in the Catholic Church. 3) must not to be co-habiting. 4) if married in the Catholic Church, their children (if any) mustbe enrolled in a Catholic religious education program.

A member of the Roman Catholic Church that fails to meet any of the above stated requirements MAY NOT participate (take an active roll) in the Baptism.

It was a short question, I appologize for the long answer.

In my opinion, I think the answer can be found in 2 Corinthians 11:8 as spoken by 'Apostle' Paul - the man who in my view started the religion of Christianity.

• I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service [2 Corinthians 11:8]