Why don’t Protestants honor Mary as Catholics do?
Question:
The original question was: Why do Protestants not honor Mary as Catholics do? We are to imitate Jesus Christ, are we not? Well, Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly, and part of the Law is the Fourth Commandment. Jesus honored his Father and his Mother, so we should do the same.
Answer:
The command is: ""Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."" (Ephesians 6:2-3). Notice the use of the word "your."
Jesus honored his earthly parents. "Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart" (Luke 2:51). We do the same when we are subject to our parents as well.
But you have made a flawed logical twist by stating that because Jesus honored his parents, then we should honor his parents as well. Because I am honoring my parents, it does not follow that you are commanded to honor my parents as well.
Paul said, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (I Corinthians 11:1). I'm sure Paul honored his parents, but it doesn't follow that all Christians are to honor Paul's parents.
It does cause me to wonder that if you wish to argue that we should honor Mary because Jesus honored his parents, then why do you not argue that we should honor Joseph to the same degree that you claim to honor Mary?
While Mary holds an honorable place in history, there is no command in the Bible to give her honor or to pray to her. Doing so adds to the teachings of God.
