“But she is not being treated as a demigod (or demigoddess or godlet,or hemi-semi-demiurge,or pixie, faerie queen, elf-maiden or anything of that sort.)”
Oh, clearly she is adored, bowed down to, statues kissed, etc. She is prayed to instead of God. Many “saints” are treated the same way.
We Christians are monotheists, you know!
“In theory, of course. In practice, not so much. I doubt many Catholics know what monotheism means (not here on FR).
“She’s being treated as Kecharitomene. We call her Blessed.”
She was singled out to bear Messiah as a vessel. For this reason, she was highly favored. The RC turned that into more than God says. Unfortunately, many Protestant groups turn it into less than God said. She was blessed to be chosen by God for this duty.
“She prophesied that we would.”
Many of us recognized she was blessed to be chosen. Many more -and probably a bigger number - elevate her beyond the meaning of God’s simple statement through the angel.
and continuing to #50
D-88, like any sensible person, realizes that the issue is not bowing, or kneeling, or any such gesture in itself. The issue is whether a creature is giving supreme adoration to God or to a creature --- because very creature is not only "less" than God, but infinitely less than God. Every creature's very existence is contingent upon the God Who Is.
The Bible illustrates a vast spectrum of gestures of honor to human beings, and even holy things (the Ark of the Covenant) and holy places (the Temple; the City of Jerusalem) to which people very properly gave honors such as bowing and even prostration. This is not a case of unfaithful Jewish apostates worshiping idols. These are the customary obsequies of a devout and courtly society.