“Former evangelical Kimberly Hahn said there were three reasons she resisted Catholicism: Mary, Mary, and Mary. My own feelings for Mary were probably very representative of those of other Evangelicals—I never thought much about her. I did not particularly love her, nor did I specifically hate her. If anything I was a bit afraid to think too much about Mary, because of the Catholic ‘problem.” -David Currie, Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic

When Mary sings her song of praise in the Gospel of Luke she says, “From now on all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). As an evangelical, I was not part of that prophecy. I hardly remember her being mentioned in the 500+ hours of sermons I listened to growing up. If she was occasionally mentioned at Christmas, she was never referred to as blessed.

I’ve read that Marian devotion is one of the most difficult things for evangelicals who become Catholics to accept. That’s been true for me. Before I withdrew from seminary I went to a “Rosary for the Unborn” in Louisville. I joined four elderly women and we prayed 15 decades. I left shaking my head and thinking, “I’m pretty sure she’s been hailed enough!”

My advice to anyone considering Catholicism is to make sure you understand the actual Catholic position on Mary. You can refute any charges of “Catholics worship Mary” by simply reading the official positions in the Catechism or Catholic Answers. Relatedly, you might want to look into the charge of “Catholics worship statues.” You should also check out Martin Luther’s views of Mary and consider how novel the deemphasis of Mary is in the history of Christianity.

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