What do other Christians believe about Mary (Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, etc.)?

Christians believe that Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of Christ. In general, however, Mary plays a much less significant role in Protestant faiths than in Catholicism. In post-Reformation Europe, Protestants viewed Catholic devotion to Mary as excessive and non-Biblical. For many, that feeling has persisted over the centuries.

Though it’s hard to generalize, certain Catholic beliefs about Mary are rejected by most Protestants. These teachings include the Immaculate Conception (the belief that Mary was conceived without original sin), the Assumption, Mary’s perpetual virginity, and the role of…

While the Deacon has the responsibility in the Mass to do some proclamations, (for instance, he says, “Let us give each other of sign of that peace,” or “The Mass is ended…”) the proclamation “Let us proclaim the Mystery of Faith” is in the Eucharistic Prayer. The priest should be the only voice heard throughout the Eucharistic prayer.…

Mary’s words are recorded in four passages in the Bible. Three of the four passages are from the Gospel of Luke: the Annunciation, when she speaks with the angel (Luke 1:34 and 38); her visit to Elizabeth, when Mary sings the psalm of praise known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55); and the time that Jesus is lost in the Temple and Mary admonishes him (Luke 2:48).
We also find Mary speaking in the Gospel of John, during the story of the Wedding at Cana. She tells Jesus that there is no more wine (John 2:3) and then tells the servers, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5) — which, as someone once told me, is perhaps the best bit of advice in the entire Bible.…

Jesus lived in an agrarian society in which the majority of people would have had experiences living on farms or working with food crops and/or livestock. His audiences would have included shepherds, grape growers, wheat farmers, laborers in fruit orchards, and families raising livestock as just a few examples.
As the son of a carpenter in the Middle East 2,000 years ago, Jesus would have had exposure to the agrarian lifestyle even if he never worked on a farm himself. His family might very well have raised chickens and tended a vegetable plot, which would have taught him about the manner of a hen mothering her flock, or the surprise of weeds growing up among the crop that had been sown, or how some seeds fall on good…

Sexual intimacy is meant to unite a married couple and help them express their love for one another; it is also meant to be life giving, open to the gift of a child and to a greater sharing of their love with the world. In Catholic understanding, masturbation cannot fulfill these twin purposes of sexual activity. Because it is a solitary activity, it is necessarily inwardly focused and cannot lead to greater union with another. And, obviously, it cannot be open to the gift of life. While moral theology today recognizes that psycho-sexual development takes place over a period of time, and that immaturity can mitigate what is usually a serious sin, Catholic teaching maintains that masturbation is an improper use of…

“Ecumenical” refers to the work for unity among different denominations of Christians. The question you raise is an inter-religious one because it relates to members of other world religions rather than other members of other Christian churches. The dialogue among Christians is not an interfaith or interreligious dialogue because, even though we belong to different traditions of Christian faith, we are still all members of the one world religion known as Christianity.

Regarding our relations with members of other religions such as Buddhism and Judaism, the Second Vatican Council’s A Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate), recognizes the existence…

First and foremost, we must have a little patience and understanding. Although having crying babies and noisy children at Mass is distracting, it is also important to welcome all to the Table of the Lord — no matter how quiet or noisy a person may be.
If this is a particular problem at your Church, you may investigate the Cry Room. For instance, if there is one at your Church you can make sure it is properly stocked and supplied for all a parent needs. The Cry Room should also be somehow connected to the worship space, so parents who are trying to worship can still celebrate with the gathered community. Finally, if you are willing to go the extra mile, consider volunteering some of your time in the cry room at a Mass,…

The Church does not teach that Mary will have a second coming as Jesus does. Here it’s probably useful to distinguish between “second coming” and “apparition.” When we talk about the second coming of Jesus, we’re referencing the belief that Christ will come again at the end of time. As the Catechism states, “When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace. “(CCC 682) Thus, Christ’s second coming is connected with the Last Judgment and the end of time.
That said, it has long been believed by Catholics that Mary can and…

We celebrate the Feast of the Ascension forty days after Easter, and many people, like you, will be pondering just how it was – or if it was – that Jesus literally ascended bodily into heaven as described in Luke 24:50-52 and Acts 1:9-11. Did he jump really high? Did he sprout wings and fly? Did an invisible hand lift him gently upward? It’s a natural question, especially since our modern sensibilities generally lean toward wanting to read the Bible as history.
The Catechism (#115-117) and the writings of Vatican II teach us that the Bible works on two levels, the literal/factual and the spiritual. We believe the Bible teaches the spiritual truth, even as Catholic and mainline Protestant teaching…

Catholic moral teaching on sexual intimacy is clear – it has twin purposes, union and procreation, and is meant to unite a man and woman in love and to allow them to be co-creators with God if they are blessed with the gift of a child. This means that sexual intercourse is reserved to married couples. But as anyone who has navigated the graced and confusing world of dating in the 21st century knows, real relationships are not always clear, and the beautiful gift of human sexuality extends far beyond any specific expression such as intercourse. Thus many couples find themselves asking some version of your question: Can we do X, but not Y? How about Y, but not X? How far is too far?
One principle that flows from Catholic…

Yes, we do. What makes Christians unique from other monotheists like Jews and Muslims, for example, is the belief that who God is and what God is like, we find most clearly in Jesus. So for Christians, the way to God is through Jesus and in the power of his Holy Spirit.

Not cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus would be like buying a house and being handed the keys to it, and then trying to get into the house without using the door. Pentecostal and evangelical piety really gives central importance to putting the key in the door, opening it, and stepping inside to enjoy the warmth and intimacy of home, of life-in-God through Jesus. Catholic piety stresses this, too. The best example is the centrality of the Eucharist…

There are many places in the United States that you can study to be a liturgist! First, you can look into doing a Certificate in Liturgical Studies. Most Graduate Theology Schools (Graduate Theological Union, Catholic Theological Union, and Notre Dame, for example) have programs that you can complete to get a Certificate in Liturgical Studies. If you are looking for a more serious program, I’d suggest starting an MA or PhD program in liturgical studies. Most major Catholic institutions have such a degree program, including the schools mentioned above as well as Catholic University and St. John’s College. If you are just fresh out of high school and interested in becoming a liturgist, I’d suggest starting…

This custom has its roots in ancient symbolism, not in Mary. Throughout history and across different cultures, women have worn veils as a sign of modesty or purity. Mary is usually depicted with a veil because as a Jewish woman of the first century, she would have worn a veil anytime she went outside the home and was seen by those outside her immediate family.
Traditionally speaking, the custom of a bride wearing a veil also has its roots in the idea of modesty and purity. The veil was commonly seen as a symbol of the bride’s virginity (thus it was a big moment when the groom lifted the veil off the bride’s face for a kiss). But this symbolism did not begin with Mary.…

There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of references to alcohol (primarily wine) in the Bible. The references fall into three categories, having one of the following connotations: neutral, positive, or negative. Countless examples are neutral in the sense that they indicate the commonality of drinking wine at mealtimes with no moral judgment being given for the practice. Many, many positive references use wine as a symbol of abundance and blessing (think here of Jesus’ miracle in changing the water to wine at the wedding at Cana) and sometimes it is specifically called for in rituals and festive celebrations. Jesus is portrayed as being a regular imbiber. The Bible does portray alcohol negatively when…

This is a very, very complicated question. In general, it should be said Catholic theology offers wide freedom to valid decision-makers to remove even life-sustaining treatment. We are finite creatures and should not grasp for more life when it is unjust or when the burdens of medical treatment outweigh its benefits.
Still, human persons have has irreducible value and should never be radically reduced to some other end by aiming at their death—whether that reduction is by an act (say, giving an overdose of pain medication) or by refusing to act (say, by refusing to give food or fluids). One may do something (or refuse to do something) that results in death as long as one is aiming at something else—but one may…

Well, it’s natural enough to want to go and see the place for yourself. Even people who know nothing about Islam use Mecca as a synonym for the ultimate goal. Every Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage (hajj) once in her or her lifetime; it’s one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Non-Muslims are not, however, able to participate in the hajj. The area around the two sacred cities of Mecca and Medina is a sacred area prohibited to non-Muslims. But nothing about the hajj itself is secret. Through several videos, you can vicariously share in the pilgrimage experience. In 1997 a team of Muslim camera men documented the hajj experience for ABC’s Nightline and the 25 minute video is available at this link.…

When a deacon is present at the Celebration of the Eucharist, he has some special duties that he is responsible for. These duties include proclaiming the Gospel (and possibly the homily), praying the General Intercessions, assisting in the distribution of Communion, and carrying out other liturgical duties as necessary. So although at World Youth Day there were tons of priests that could have proclaimed the Gospel, it is the rightful duty of the deacon to do so, if there is a deacon present at the Mass.…

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) is one of the congregations of the Roman curia, the departments that handle the various affairs of the universal Church. As its name suggests, the CDF addresses matters of doctrine. This includes issuing official statements on doctrinal points when necessary. It also includes investigating doctrinal concerns about specific works or scholars. When a theologian publishes material or officially advocates a viewpoint that gives cause for concern, a process of evaluation takes place. This process can be more or less transparent, depending on the case – usually the CDF will send a letter to the theologian, asking him or her to clarify, expand upon or retract…

Daniel relates that he saw a vision of four beasts that originated in the “great sea,” a symbol for chaos and the power of evil. He then relates that the vision continued with an image resembling a human being or “one like a son of man” coming from above “with the clouds of heaven” (Dn 7:1-14). The beasts are considered to be symbols of pagan kingdoms while the “son of man” figure represents someone from the kingdom of the Most High. In this context, the son of man is not meant to refer to a historical person, but is a figure of speech which later developed into a term for the Messiah himself.
Interestingly enough, in the gospels it is only Jesus who uses the term “Son of Man” to refer to himself, and he uses…

Since the ecumenical movement was really founded in Scotland, I’m concerned because the Catholic Church has recently closed the only seminary they had there.  Does this mean that the more “ecumenical” we become the less “Catholic” we might become?
In a logic text book, I think that would be called a “non sequitur” (the one does not follow from the other).
As you note, the World Missionary Conference that took place in 1910 in Edinburgh, Scotland, is generally considered to be the launch pad for what is today known as the ecumenical movement. Scotland, however, has by no means been the laboratory for that international  movement; it just happens to be where that meeting…