Something about Mary
There are those who “envision a coming clash of civilizations which they are ever more ready to see as a confrontation between Islam and the West. But here in America, Muslims and Christians are factually in a position to show that the circumstances of democracy can just as well foster a dialogue among the believers in the one God,” Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore said in Washington, Dec. 8, 1995, in an address to an interreligious banquet in his honor sponsored by the American Muslim Council. The council gave Keeler its Mahmoud Abu Saud Excellence Award for 1995. In his acceptance, the cardinal urged Muslims and Catholics to work together to promote “a restoration of basic moral teaching in the public schools”; oppose all forms of pornography, “especially that directed at children”; and approach media leaders and advertisers “regarding immorality and violence in the media.” Noting that the interfaith banquet was held on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Keeler said: “Catholics are delighted to learn that there are more verses in the Qur’an — 34 of them — which name the Blessed Virgin Mary than there are in the whole New Testament.” He said that while Muslims do not believe that Mary is the mother of God, they hold her in great esteem. Keeler said that although a “radical difference in faith forever separates us” with regard to Mary, “it paradoxically also holds us forever in conversation.”
In 1854 Pope Pius IX gave official voice to the belief of Catholics that “the Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God … preserved free from all stain of original sin” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 491).
(”The Imrans” III:35). Indeed, to Mary herself, according to the Qur’an, the angel said, “God has chosen you and made you pure (”tahharaki”), and he has chosen you above the women of the universe” (”The Imrans,” III:42). For according to the “Qur’an”, Mary, “a saintly woman (”siddigh”) (The Table V:75) was destined, together with Jesus, her son, to be “a sign (”ayyah”) to the universe” (”The Prophets” XXI:91), to play a unique role in the history of salvation.
Christian tradition also records, of her purification, of the annunciation, of her virginal conception of Jesus and of the birth of her son, the Messiah. It is no surprise then that just over 30 years ago the fathers of the Second Vatican Council, in their historic document “Nostra Aetate” (Oct. 28, 1965), wrote:
Upon the Muslims too the church looks with esteem. They adore one God, living and enduring, merciful and all-powerful, maker of heaven and earth and speaker to humankind…. They also honor Mary, his virgin mother; at times they call on her too with devotion (No. 3).
For Christians she is the all-holy “Theotokos,” the mother of God, the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate. For Muslims she is the mother of Jesus, the Messiah, “who was no more than God’s apostle and his Word, which he cast to Mary: a spirit from him” (”Women” IV:171). While this radical difference in faith forever separates us, it paradoxically also holds us forever in conversation with one another. And this conversation can, and should be, as the Second Vatican Council taught Catholics, a “jihad”, a “striving for mutual understanding.” And the council fathers went on to say of the Christians and Muslims together, “On behalf of all peoples, let them make common cause of safeguarding and fostering social justice, moral values, peace and freedom” (”Nostra Aetate,” 3).
The first point that is addressed here is the social one, which of course we all have concerns with in regards to morality and the betterment of our world. But a social gospel is not why God sent His son to die. He was sent for our salvation, and salvation only comes by hearing the Word of God. Again the emphasis is all wrong, the cross is not being discussed here, but rather social issues and Mary.
We also have a very good example of ‘Dialetical Synthesis’ which I spoke at length about in my last post called:
‘Emerging Church - Rick Warren - and the New World Order’
In that post, I talk about how the ‘Social Gospel‘ will be the vehicle to bring about a ‘New World Order’. And how it will be done is by using a philosophical and scientific concept called ‘Dialectical Synthesis’. Walter Rauschenbusch was a Fabian Socialist who stated in 1893 that “the only power that can make socialism succeed, if it is established, is religion.” Religion was only a means toward achieving socialism.” Today in many Protestant as well as Catholic churches, one is more likely to hear a message about the need for “social action” than the need to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in order to be saved and go to heaven. (more…)
