[Magdalen] Images and words about Mary

[Sally Davies]

Fascinating - thanks Ian. This site has prompted me to download Tumblr
which looks like a good thing to have...

I have SUCH mixed feelings. At a purely emotional level I love "Our Lady"
far more than a Protestant should (and in Southern Africa the Anglican
church is firmly in the protestant tradition). The love I have for her is
simple and trusting, as the Mother of the church and one of the treasures
bequeathed to us by Jesus as he died, through the "beloved disciple".

But there are aspects, brought out by some of these contributors, that
annoy me so much I can scarcely stand to look at them. Such as, the world
of misogyny and anti-humanism implicit in notions such as "unstained", or
"undefiled". YECHH!!

What the heck does any of that mean? If Mary was "unstained by original
sin" then who was that person who fully identified with her people in the
joyous explosion of the Magnificat? Not a perfect woman, just a very young
human who gave her whole heart to the purposes of God.

Why do we allow a very dubious doctrine ("original sin") to subvert
everything like this?

And it gets worse - it's clear from some posts that "undefiled" means that
Mary never had sex. Now I don't take a position on that either way,
considering it her private business, but I cannot go along with any
discourse implying that being sexual somehow "defiles" a woman (it's
unlikely to be a man in that context).

Bah. Sorry to rant, but it's because I AM so fascinated by all this that I
end up biting off more than I can chew.

What say you, pub friends?

Sally D

On Friday, 29 January 2016, Ian Gomersall <ian.gomersall at gmail.com> wrote:

> Friends
>
> Our Church is hosting a friendly Facebook Group called 'Mary, images, words
> and music' simply for people of *any* Christian tradtion *(or none)* to
> share images or verse or prose about Mary.
>
> It doesn't assume a particular stance on devotion to Mary ...
>
> Please feel free to join if you're on Facebook. You'd be very welcome.
>
> <goog_1806472691>
> https://www.facebook.com/groups/986129021426449/
>
> Ian
>
> *Ian Gomersall*
>