Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

General Christian Theology
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Bootstrap
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Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:59 am
Affiliation: Mennonite

Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by Bootstrap »

I think most Anabaptists are uncomfortable with the kind of veneration of Mary you see in this video because it feels like she is being worshiped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7s0B48KaGg

I have heard the same theological explanations you give, but it still makes me uncomfortable because (1) I do not know of any part of the Bible that tells us to make images of human beings, surround them with candles and flowers, bow to them, and kiss them, and (2) having talked to people who go to these churches, I'm not convinced that everyone is aware of the details of the theology - the way they relate to an icon of Mary is not much different from the way they relate to an icon of Jesus.

I do, however, treasure the Mary we read about in the New Testament. I don't think that icons of Mary typically teach us much about her, because they don't depict much of that.

I don't really want to debate that here, but I do want to be clear about what makes me uncomfortable. In this thread, I am simply trying to explain how Anabaptists / Mennonites relate to this. Others can weigh in to say how they do.
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Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?
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