Seeking Protestant opinions on this article on the Rosary

[Rushing Jaws]

I guess I just don't care that much to what extent it has pagan origins, to be honest. Christianity has always been an adapting religion in terms of art, philosophy, festival days, etc. Taking useful aspects of pagan forms and fitting them to more specifically Christian content. All truth is God's truth.

## The argument from pagan origin proves too much, and nothing. *Everything* is "pagan" in origin - Abraham was a Gentile, and certainly a worshipper of "other gods", according to Joshua 24.2. If the Mother of God shares a title with Isis, how does that make Mary not the Mother of God ? She is or she is not, Isis or no Isis. One might as well argue that Christ cannot be called "Saviour", because that title had also been given to Zeus. The argument looks impressive at first, but it breaks down on inspection.

Besides, one could perfectly well take an argument made by J. H. Newman in the 1820s - long before he became a Catholic - and think of the pagan things adopted by the Church as being Christian things in a pagan setting, which the Church was reclaiming for Christ, to Whom Alone those things belonged. Following that line, the title "Mother of God" belongs to Mary the Mother of the True God, and not to Isis at all. If all things belong by rights to Christ, as the NT shows they do, then all these "pagan" things belong, not to the pagans & the demons, but to Christ. The same could apply to those mystical phenomena in the Church that have "pagan" parallels. And since He is the Origin & Rationale of all creatures, the whole point of their existence, the universe is Christ-centred; to exist, is to be intended for Christ. So all creation is from its very origin meant totally for Him - it is not neutral in value, but meaningless apart from Him. So in reality, nothing is pagan in origin - in origin, everything is meant for Christ and is in need of Him to redeem & to grace and renew it. The Church has made a beginning of doing this, by using "pagan" things for their proper, Christian, use. So the Rosary would be intended for the praise of God & the recollection of His Saving Works - not for Buddhist use.