Scott Hahn vs. David Christopher

Three days ago I listened to Dr. Scott Hahn's lecture on The Virgin Mary as Revealed in Scripture.  By the end of it I was ready to say the Hail Mary.  It was so convincing and compelling I wondered how anyone could refute it.

That's when I found David Christopher and found myself pretty much back to square one.

Both Hahn and Christopher use Scripture and texts from our early church fathers in their arguments.  I think Christopher does a better job linking the Exodus verses with the Wedding at Cana verses better than Hahn does with linking the Creation account to the Wedding at Cana verses.  What also bugs me is how can Hahn use the Creation account verses when so many Catholics don't even believe the Creation account is entirely true!?

In Hahn's support, I don't understand how Christopher can say that Mary can't be the New Eve because she was Christ's mother while Eve was Adam's wife.  I understand that the church is Christ's bride, but why not Mary as well?  Eve was also called "the mother of all living."  If we have to have so direct a parallel that wife and mother don't work, then Christ should have been burned on an alter instead of crucified.

The other hole in Hahn's argument is that the woman in Revelations with the crown of 12 stars is Mary.  How can that be Mary when the woman is travailing and pained in birthing when the Catholics believe that Mary birthed Jesus without pain and travail?  Christopher says that the woman in Revelations isn't Mary.  I have heard that the 12 stars refers to the 12 tribes of Israel.  I have heard that the woman is a complete metaphor.  There isn't a woman, really.  It's just a metaphor.

However, I still don't see how Christopher's rebuttal disproves the Catholic's beliefs on Mary.  He argued against the arguments Hahn used, but he didn't convince me that Mary isn't the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, and all the other roles she has within the Catholic Church.

On the other hand, I am still not completely convinced that Mary is all those things and that I can pray to her.  For me, I need to KNOW that this isn't a pagan goddess worship throwback.  That this isn't some form of idolatry.

It's just like with speaking in tongues.  Some churches believe it is downright demonic.  Well, I don't want to do anything demonic.  Just like I don't want to go to Mary if it would offend God or be against His will.

I will continue to study and continue to pray for TRUTH.  That's what I really want.

Ultimately, the other day, I actually fell into a sort of sadness over this.  I thought I was getting somewhere and I am back to square one with no clear answers.  I did realize that researching Catholicism has built me up in other ways, though and drawn me closer to God.

Some people need an encounter with Christ in order to believe in Him and sometimes God grants them that encounter.  I think I need an encounter with Mary in order to believe the Catholic doctrines on her.  Otherwise, there's just too much I am unsure of to dive in with both feet.

Pray for me.