Mary Worshipers

[mojoala]

I just found this and found it very defending.

Catholics worship Mary
No We don't
Yes you do
No We don't
Yes you do...etc.

That accusation can be easily flattened.

Catholics love Mary as a human being, as a mother. They feel quite free to "call her blessed" (Luke 1.48) with a "loud voice," (Luke 1.41), just as the Holy Spirit instructed (same passage).

For those who say Mary is dead and can't hear it, I have some words straight from the mouth of Jesus--"God is God of the Living, NOT of the Dead."

If Moses and Elijah put in an appearance on Mount Tabor and chatted with Jesus about his ministry (as Scripture records), then I'd highly posit that these men were "in the know" through God's power and not "dead." Moreover, if the martyrs beneath the altar in the book of Revelation (6:9-11) are appealing to God about things going on across the earth and asking God when he was going to take action, then I'd highly posit that they are NOT dead, either.

Really: to "worship" Mary would require that the *intellect* makes a firm decision to believe that Mary is Divine or that she created the world. Even the most uneducated catholic, I believe, does not make that kind of intellectual decision. Thus, Mary cannot be worshipped unless a person claims, with full intellect, that she is divine. Case closed.

Otherwise, Mary is loved and appreciated with the same sort of devotion one renders to one's own beloved mother, for example. Jesus doesn't get "jealous" or "green with envy" when we "love" our own mothers. There's no passage in Scripture that forbids us to "love" his own Mother, who was explicitly given to christians as their own mother, as well.

Protestants often make the grave mistake of treating Mary as if she were a mere "vessel" -- which is the same thing as saying she was a Petrie Dish that God used and threw away. They also often make the mistake of believing that God "woke-up" one day, yawned, decided it was time to "send his Son to earth," and then started looking, at random, for the proper "gal" to serve as a temporary incubator.

It is written that God knows each of us from the very moment of conception..."from the womb"...and that God has a plan and mission for each of us and prepares us according to our free will and cooperation with his grace.

God didn't just "pick" Mary out of some Galileean "line-up." She was destined, prepared, and graced to be the MOTHER of the Divine Word. Not a temporary "holding-tank." She gave human nature to the utter, omnipotent "DIVINE," according to her free will, faith, and cooperation--even to the point of possibly losing her own life, her husband, and her entire world.

Mary's faith was the 'contact point' for the greatest event that ever happened in this universe or any other, the greatest miracle in that thing we humans call "time"-- the Divine becomes part of matter, part of the material "existence." It gives me the shivers simply to think about the astonishing, mind-blowing reality of it. And Protestant literalists so often toss Mary aside the way they foolishly think that God "tossed her aside" after demanding temporary use of her reproductive organs.

She raised him. Educated him. Nursed him. Shared her own faith with him. LIVED with Jesus for 30 years as mother first in faith, and THEN in flesh. Her grace (given lavishly by God: Luke 1.28) and her free response to that saving grace, made it possible for all of humanity (and creation) to be redeemed by Jesus. It was the greatest "collaborative effort" that could ever possibly be effected or even imagined, through all ages, all times, all places, all possibilities.

Also, if Protestants want to bully Catholics for having sacred artwork, then they had best be prepared to throw their Bibles into the garbage cans. Why? Because every single letter, on every single page, in every single Bible in the world, is an IMAGE. It's created "material" of ink, made by human beings. *Every* letter. Do these letter-images convey truth and inspiration? Yes. Just as sacred art does. Protestants should also be ready to throw-out all of their family photo-albums and cherished "films." All are images.

But some Protestants have a valid point about excessive displays of "reverence" paid by Catholics to statues, pictures, et al. I would personally prefer to see sacred Christian art "considered" rather than "fussed-over." Statuary and icons may be cherished and revered as material things representing and conveying truths that inspire and teach us, or lift our minds to the Divine (just as the ink letter-IMAGES of scripture do), but I find no point in dressing statues in gowns or jewels and grovelling before them. Christian art can be properly revered without such excess.

We need to pray for vocations, but we need to inspire vocations, too--in proper candidates. This takes a community--from the family to the entire parish.

I just had to share it.

Cheers.

 

[BobRyan]

For those who say Mary is dead and can't hear it, I have some words straight from the mouth of Jesus--"God is God of the Living, NOT of the Dead."

If Moses and Elijah put in an appearance on Mount Tabor and chatted with Jesus about his ministry (as Scripture records), then I'd highly posit that these men were "in the know" through God's power and not "dead."

First of all - I will show some RC quotes that SHOW the extent to which mariolotry is practiced in direct opposition to the Word of God.

I also totally reject the RC error of praying to the dead.

OK - so now you know where I stand.

But having said all of that -- I want to give you a point. You have done well to bring up the case of Matt 17 and the transfiguration. THIS is where you have the most common ground with non-Catholic Christians that think just as you do in that one particular case!

Well done!

Your error of course IN THAT case is that Elijah never died (see 2 Kings 2) and your other error is that we have that pesky little book "The ASSUMPTION OF MOSES" quoted in the book of Jude.

BOTH of these facts together make a good case for the LIVING Elijah in Matt 17 and the LIVING Moses!

Not Christ engaged in a seance as the RCC had so hoped to spin that chapter.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[BobRyan]

Also your reference to Matt 21 and Christ saying to the Sadduccees "God is not the God of the dead but of the living" -- totally destroys your own argument.

Christ states in that chapter that He is PROVING the resurrection! He is not PROVING that you should "pray to the dead".

The only way His argument REQUIRES "resurrection" when He says that God said to MOSES "I AM the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob" is IF the COMMON GROUND views are correct in Matt 21.

TO make a good debate point you have to take facts that both sides AGREE to -- place them together such that the opposing side CAN NOT deny IT!

That is exactly what Christ did. HE SHOWS that the view of death held by the Sadducees REQUIRES them to accept the teaching of the resurrection as the ONLY SOLUTION to the puzzle they are faced with. And that view did NOT allow for "dead men walking" as you seem to hope in the arguments made for praying to dead ancestors made by the RCC.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[LeBuick]

Your error of course IN THAT case is that Elijah never died (see 2 Kings 2) and your other error is that we have that pesky little book "The ASSUMPTION OF MOSES" quoted in the book of Jude.

Is this really a book? You have a link to it? I find so many books I've yet to read on this forum that I can just scream!

 

[BobRyan]

Is this really a book? You have a link to it? I find so many books I've yet to read on this forum that I can just scream!

This is a book in the Pseudepigrapha. But if you have an NIV study Bible or just about any other good study Bible - go to Jude 9 and look at the notes. The study Bibles will explain that Jude is quoting from the book "The Assumption of Moses" which deals with that very subject.

The problem is that half of the book has been lost over time.

 

[BobRyan]

Here is a source you can reference online.

J-F-B

Jamieson, Fausset, Brown

http://www.studylight.org/com/jfb/view.cgi?book=jude&chapter=001

about the body of Moses--his literal body. Satan, as having the power of death, opposed the raising of it again, on the ground of Moses' sin at Meribah, and his murder of the Egyptian.

That Moses' body was raised, appears from his presence with Elijah and Jesus (who were in the body) at the Transfiguration: the sample and earnest of the coming resurrection kingdom, to be ushered in by Michael's standing up for God's people. Thus in each dispensation a sample and pledge of the future resurrection was given: Enoch in the patriarchal dispensation, Moses in the Levitical, Elijah in the prophetical. It is noteworthy that the same rebuke is recorded here as was used by the Angel of the Lord, or Jehovah the Second Person, in pleading for Joshua, the representative of the Jewish Church, against Satan, in Zechariah 3:2 thought that also here "the body of Moses" means the Jewish Church accused by Satan, before God, for its filthiness, on which ground he demands that divine justice should take its course against Israel, but is rebuked by the Lord who has "chosen Jerusalem": thus, as "the body of Christ" is the Christian Church, so "the body of Moses" is the Jewish Church.

But the literal body is evidently here meant (though, secondarily, the Jewish Church is typified by Moses' body, as it was there represented by Joshua the high priest); and Michael, whose connection seems to be so close with Jehovah-Messiah on the one hand, and with Israel on the other, naturally uses the same language as his Lord. As Satan (adversary in court) or the devil (accuser) accuses alike the Church collectively and "the brethren" individually, so Christ pleads for us as our Advocate. Israel's, and all believers' full justification, and the accuser's being rebuked finally, is yet future.

JOSEPHUS [Antiquities,4.8], states that God hid Moses' body, lest, if it had been exposed to view, it would have been made an idol of. Jude, in this account, either adopts it from the apocryphal "assumption of Moses" (as ORIGEN [Concerning Principalities, 3.2] thinks), or else from the ancient tradition on which that work was founded. Jude, as inspired, could distinguish how much of the tradition was true, how much false. We have no such means of distinguishing, and therefore can be sure of no tradition, save that which is in the written word.

 

[BobRyan]

The reformation scholarship considered Origen and Clement of Alexandria to have some knowledge of what Jude is using as a reference for Jude 9 - and so also more recent scholarship.

Robertson (on Jude 9)

http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/view.cgi?book=jude&chapter=001&verse=009

The Lord rebuke thee (epitimhsai soi kuriov).
First aorist active optative of epitimaw, a wish about the future. These words occur in Zechariah 3:1-10 where the angel of the Lord replies to the charges of Satan. Clement of Alex. (Adumb. in Ep. Judae) says that Jude quoted here the Assumption of Moses, one of the apocryphal books. Origen says the same thing. Mayor thinks that the author of the Assumption of Moses took these words from Zechariah and put them in the mouth of the Archangel Michael. There is a Latin version of the Assumption. Some date it as early as B.C. 2, others after A.D. 44.

 

[LeBuick]

More proof God hates our sins but loves us sinners... :saint:

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

I just found this and found it very defending.

Catholics worship Mary
No We don't
Yes you do
No We don't
Yes you do...etc.

That accusation can be easily flattened.

Catholics love Mary as a human being, as a mother. They feel quite free to "call her blessed" (Luke 1.48) with a "loud voice," (Luke 1.41), just as the Holy Spirit instructed (same passage).

For those who say Mary is dead and can't hear it, I have some words straight from the mouth of Jesus--"God is God of the Living, NOT of the Dead."

If Moses and Elijah put in an appearance on Mount Tabor and chatted with Jesus about his ministry (as Scripture records), then I'd highly posit that these men were "in the know" through God's power and not "dead." Moreover, if the martyrs beneath the altar in the book of Revelation (6:9-11) are appealing to God about things going on across the earth and asking God when he was going to take action, then I'd highly posit that they are NOT dead, either.

Really: to "worship" Mary would require that the *intellect* makes a firm decision to believe that Mary is Divine or that she created the world. Even the most uneducated catholic, I believe, does not make that kind of intellectual decision. Thus, Mary cannot be worshipped unless a person claims, with full intellect, that she is divine. Case closed.

Otherwise, Mary is loved and appreciated with the same sort of devotion one renders to one's own beloved mother, for example. Jesus doesn't get "jealous" or "green with envy" when we "love" our own mothers. There's no passage in Scripture that forbids us to "love" his own Mother, who was explicitly given to christians as their own mother, as well.

Protestants often make the grave mistake of treating Mary as if she were a mere "vessel" -- which is the same thing as saying she was a Petrie Dish that God used and threw away. They also often make the mistake of believing that God "woke-up" one day, yawned, decided it was time to "send his Son to earth," and then started looking, at random, for the proper "gal" to serve as a temporary incubator.

It is written that God knows each of us from the very moment of conception..."from the womb"...and that God has a plan and mission for each of us and prepares us according to our free will and cooperation with his grace.

God didn't just "pick" Mary out of some Galileean "line-up." She was destined, prepared, and graced to be the MOTHER of the Divine Word. Not a temporary "holding-tank." She gave human nature to the utter, omnipotent "DIVINE," according to her free will, faith, and cooperation--even to the point of possibly losing her own life, her husband, and her entire world.

Mary's faith was the 'contact point' for the greatest event that ever happened in this universe or any other, the greatest miracle in that thing we humans call "time"-- the Divine becomes part of matter, part of the material "existence." It gives me the shivers simply to think about the astonishing, mind-blowing reality of it. And Protestant literalists so often toss Mary aside the way they foolishly think that God "tossed her aside" after demanding temporary use of her reproductive organs.

She raised him. Educated him. Nursed him. Shared her own faith with him. LIVED with Jesus for 30 years as mother first in faith, and THEN in flesh. Her grace (given lavishly by God: Luke 1.28) and her free response to that saving grace, made it possible for all of humanity (and creation) to be redeemed by Jesus. It was the greatest "collaborative effort" that could ever possibly be effected or even imagined, through all ages, all times, all places, all possibilities.

Also, if Protestants want to bully Catholics for having sacred artwork, then they had best be prepared to throw their Bibles into the garbage cans. Why? Because every single letter, on every single page, in every single Bible in the world, is an IMAGE. It's created "material" of ink, made by human beings. *Every* letter. Do these letter-images convey truth and inspiration? Yes. Just as sacred art does. Protestants should also be ready to throw-out all of their family photo-albums and cherished "films." All are images.

But some Protestants have a valid point about excessive displays of "reverence" paid by Catholics to statues, pictures, et al. I would personally prefer to see sacred Christian art "considered" rather than "fussed-over." Statuary and icons may be cherished and revered as material things representing and conveying truths that inspire and teach us, or lift our minds to the Divine (just as the ink letter-IMAGES of scripture do), but I find no point in dressing statues in gowns or jewels and grovelling before them. Christian art can be properly revered without such excess.

We need to pray for vocations, but we need to inspire vocations, too--in proper candidates. This takes a community--from the family to the entire parish.

I just had to share it.

Cheers.

Thanks fot it - now I am more than ever convinced the Roman Catholic Church is antichrist.

 

[BobRyan]

CoRedemptrix -

"With equal truth may it be also affirmed that, by the will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of merciesgathered by God, for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ, thus as no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother....How grateful and magnificent a spectacle to see in the cities, and towns, and villages, on land and sea—wherever the Catholic
faith has penetrated—many hundreds of thousands of pious people uniting their praises and prayers with one voice and heart at every moment of the day, saluting Mary, invoking Mary, hoping everything through Mary." - Pope Leo XIII, Octobri Mense

"O Virgin most holy, none abounds in the knowledge of God except through thee; none, O Mother of God, obtains salvation except through thee, none receives a gift from the throne of mercy except through thee." - Pope Leo XIII, Adiutricem Populi

"Mary suffered and, as it were, nearly died with her suffering Son; for the salvation of mankind she renounced her mother's rights and, as far as it depended on her, offered her Son to placate divine justice; so we may well say thatshe with Christ redeemed mankind." - Pope Benedict XV, Inter Sodalicia

"Mary's suffering [at Calvary], beside the suffering of Jesus, reached an intensity which can hardly be imagined from a human point of view but which was mysteriously and supernaturally fruitful for the Redemption of the world." - Pope John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris, no. 25

In a 1985 address at the Marian shrine in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Pope John Paul II said:

"Mary goes before us and accompanies us. The silent journey that begins with her Immaculate Conception and passes through the ‘yes’ of Nazareth, which makes her the Mother of God, finds on Calvary a particularly important moment. There also, accepting and assisting at the sacrifice of her son, Mary is the dawn of Redemption....Crucified spiritually with her crucified son




(cf. Gal. 2:20), she contemplated with heroic love the death of her God, she ‘lovingly consented to the immolation of this Victim which she herself had brought forth’ (Lumen Gentium, 58)....In fact, at Calvary she united herself with the sacrifice of her Son that led to the foundation of the Church; her maternal heart shared to the very depths the will of Christ ‘to gather into one all the dispersed children of God’ (Jn. 11:52). Having suffered for the Church, Mary deserved to become the Mother of all the disciples of her Son, the Mother of their unity....In fact, Mary's role as Coredemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son" (Inseg VIII/1 (1985) 318-319 [ORE 876:7]).
[/quote]

 

[BobRyan]

Some of our Catholic brethren have argued the point by saying "you never find us worshipping Mary".

For in support of that you will NEVER find anything like the Following praise and worship to God given to Mary.

Here it is phrased as WORSHIP to CHRIST with Mary “added” as IF this adoration and worship due to Christ can ALSO be given to Mary WITH Christ.

"Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, Oh Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother....we adore and praise the peerless richness of the sublime gifts with which God has filled you above every other mere creature, from the moment of conception until the day on which after your assumption into heaven, He crowned you Queen of the Universe. Oh crystal fountain of
faith, bathe our hearts with your heavenly perfume. Oh Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin which makes the soul detestable to God and the slave of hell. Oh well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cries which rise up from every heart in this year dedicated to you. Then tenderly, Oh Mary, cover our aching wound; convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and the oppressed. Comfort the poor and humble. Quench hatred,
sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity and protect the Holy Church. In your name resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that all are brothers...Receive, Oh sweet Mother our humble supplications and above all, obtain for us that on that day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymnwhich is sung today around your altars. You are beautiful Oh Mary. You are GloryOh Mary. You are the joy, you are the Honor of
our people." - Pope Pius XII, celebration of the Marian Year in Rome, 1950

In this form it would appear that all this praise, prayer, honor, veneration and glory applies to Mary and would even at that small level be a gross error.

So – we sure are glad that it is not out there.

However - to "correct" that quote so that it IS "exactly" what we DO find the Papal authority saying -- all we have to do is remove all the references to God - and replace them with references to Mary.!!!

Here is the correct quote – this is what Pope Pius XII “DID” write…

In this case we just TAKE CHRIST OUT of the incorrect quote above – so that it just references MARY ALONE!! Doing that gives us the EXACT teaching as the Pope actually taught it.

WORSHIP at Mary’s Altars

"Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, Oh Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother....we adore and praise the peerless richness of the sublime gifts with which God has filled you above every other mere creature, from the moment of conception until the day on which after your assumption into heaven, He crowned you Queen of the Universe. Oh crystal fountain of
faith, bathe our hearts with your heavenly perfume. Oh Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin which makes the soul detestable to God and the slave of hell. Oh well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cries which rise up from every heart in this year dedicated to you. Then tenderly, Oh Mary, cover our aching wound; convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and the oppressed. Comfort the poor and humble. Quench hatred,
sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity and protect the Holy Church. In your name resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that all are brothers...Receive, Oh sweet Mother our humble supplications and above all, obtain for us that on that day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymnwhich is sung today around your altars. You are beautiful Oh Mary. You are GloryOh Mary. You are the joy, you are the Honor of
our people." – Pope Pius XII, celebration of the Marian Year in Rome, 1950

 

[BobRyan]

All Powerful Mary –

"Is the Blessed Virgin powerful enough to obtain the salvation of her true servants? Yes. [b]The Blessed Virgin is powerful enough to obtain the salvation of her true servants[/b], that is, those who from the bottom of their hearts without ceasing ask her to help them to rise from sin, to live in the light of the Gospel, and to die in the love of God."
- Short Catechism Of Mary, Cardinal Charles Journet, pg 56

"Mary is all powerful with her divine Son who grants all graces to mankind through her" - Pope Benedict XV, Fausto Appetente Die

[b]"All power is given to Thee [Mary] in heaven and on earth[/b] that at the command of Mary all obey, even God." - Alphonsus de Liguori, Roman Catholic Cardinal and "saint", from his book The Glories of Mary

Since the Mother, then, should have the same power as the Son, rightly has Jesus, who is omnipotent, made Mary also omnipotent; The Glories of Mary. (pp 180-181)

"She is omnipotent, because by her prayers she obtains whatever SHE wills. (The Glories of Mary pp 182)

"With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love, let them continue to [bvenerate, invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God[/b], conceived without original sin. Let them fly with utter confidence to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears. Under her guidance, under her patronage, under her kindness and protection, nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless. Because,
while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection and having in her care the work of our salvation, she is solicitous about the whole human race." - Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus

 

[Eric B]

Catholics love Mary as a human being, as a mother. They feel quite free to "call her blessed" (Luke 1.48) with a "loud voice," (Luke 1.41), just as the Holy Spirit instructed (same passage).

Here is a verse, which I have never seen cited in this debate, but it suddenly dawned on me how pertinent it is:
Luke 11:27, 28: And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare you, and the breast which you have sucked.
But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Someone comes thinking that His mother is worthy of special veneration, and He quickly deflects the focus to the Word of God. So she may be blessed, but Jesus Himself tells us that that is not our concern, but rather God's.

 

[BobRyan]

That is a very good point Eric.

Jesus seems to be going back to the idea God stated through Samuel "To obey is better than to sacrifice". Christ is saying that as much as it is true that Mary is blessed, favored and was shown special honor by God in being given the priviledge of being the mother of the Messiah - STILL GREATER (by comparison) is the blessing and honor and priviledge of anyone (including Mary) who chooses to switch from rebellion against God to obedience. (I.E accepts the new Birth, born again with the law of God written on the heart).

It is amazing that Christ (as King of the Universe) still views this "rebellion thing" as an issue of loyalty and choice.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[mojoala]

You all cited good counter arguments.

I've been doing some study on this.

The problem is these are just from books and letters.

They are not official teachings to be believed as doctrine by All Catholics. Anybody can write what they want to or what they believe.

Until the Vatican puts it out as an Official Doctrine then it all an opinion. Just like the writings of the "Early Fathers of the Reformation Era"

Nice try.

But these guy's defense against the accusation still stands and is strong and powerful.

I would worried more about those that engage in bibleidolatry.

How many people pray before a Bible.?

How many hold the Bible up in their hands while they pray.

Some people will after reading the Bible, bow their heads in the direction of the Bible and began praying.

Answer me this.

A. How many hours to do you spend praying to God?
B. How many hours do you spend reading the Bible?

If the answer to B is greater than the answer to A, then you're are guilty of BibleIdolatry.

Reading the Bible is not worshipping God.

You spend more time reading the Bible then you do worshipping God, then your guilty of breaking the First Commandment.

Matter of fact anything that you do that is pleasurable and that you do more than Worshinping God than you're guilty of Idolatry.

We are called to pray unceasingly.


Anyway back to the articles. None of those declare Mary as Divine. And niether is worshipping is implied.

I person that has left this world is either:

Dead: living out in torment in Hell.

or

Alive: basking in the Glory of God.

Bible says he is not the God of the Dead but of the Living. He is God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Lets break it down.

1. God is the god of the living.

2. God is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

3. Based on statement 2, we can rightfully say that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are in Heaven.

4. Therefore we can conclule that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are ALIVE.

5. Mary is beyond a shadow of a doubt is in Heaven.

6. By evidence of Revelation (6:9-11) that those in heaven are very well are aware of everything that is going on earth.

7. There seems to be a gross misunderstanding of what is going on in heaven. Some say that once we get there, we will be doing nothing but standing before the throne before for all eternity before. If that is the case what is the purpose for all those mansions that Jesus is preparing for us? If we are in a continuous state of worship than how do these people in heaven in Revelations have time to worry about being avenged?

8. I am pretty sure that the prayers that Mary offers to Jesus on our behalf reach him with more effect than your own.

9. Why ask Mary to pray for us? For the same reason you would ask the person sitting next to you to pray for you.

10. Why ask the person sitting nest to you to pray for you. if praying directly to Jesus does it all. Why ask another to pray for you period.

11. I have no problem asking all those that are in heaven to pray for me. They have not need for sleep. They can pray day and night for us down here.

12. Remember we, once in heaven will share in Christ's ______________. I let you feel in the blank by doing some scripture search.

13. What is a Saint. Well if you look at the Greek word that is used and apply every definition than Saints are only those in Heaven.

H6918
קדשׁ קדושׁ
qâdôsh qâdôsh
kaw-doshe', kaw-doshe'
From H6942; sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary: - holy (One), saint.

G40
ἅγιος
hagios
hag'-ee-os
From ἅγος hagos (an awful thing) compare G53, [H2282]; sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated): - (most) holy (one, thing), saint.

THERE MAY ONLY BE A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH THAT MY QUALIFY AS A SAINT: ONE WHO IS PHYSICALLY PURE AND MORALLY BLAMELESS AND MORALLY RELIGIOUS AND CEREMONIALLY CONSECRATED AND HOLY.

We are called to be saints, but we all fall short of Glory.

 

[BobRyan]

You all cited good counter arguments.

I've been doing some study on this.

The problem is these are just from books and letters.

They are not official teachings to be believed as doctrine by All Catholics. Anybody can write what they want to or what they believe.

Until the Vatican puts it out as an Official Doctrine then it all an opinion. Just like the writings of the "Early Fathers of the Reformation Era"

Nice try.

The Vatican errors were condemned in scripture.

In Mark 7 Christ said "IN VAIN do they worship me teaching for DOCTRINE the commandments of men".

This was said of the ONE true church STARTED by God at Sinai.

The vatican failed that test many centuries ago.

(oh yeah - and why in the world would you offer a cult-style argument in favor of the RCC on a NON-RC web site???)

Next.

But - why not consider accepting the Bible as the Word of God instead of whatever man-made doctrine the authors of the "Dark Ages" hand you?

In Christ,

Bob

 

[BobRyan]

I would worried more about those that engage in bibleidolatry.

How many people pray before a Bible.?

How many hold the Bible up in their hands while they pray.

Instead of "making stuff up" why not FIND a quote from Billy Graham saying that we should create shrine or an altar to the bible and then worship at that ALTAR!!??

In other words if you really want to equivocate between Mariolotry and reverence for the Bible - AT the very LEAST you should find equivalent "quotes".

Anyway back to the articles. None of those declare Mary as Divine. And niether is worshipping is implied.

"Worship at your altars" ??? "SUNG around your ALTARS"???

Wake up and smell the coffee.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[BobRyan]

The problem is these are just from books and letters.

They are not official teachings to be believed as doctrine by All Catholics. Anybody can write what they want to or what they believe.

Until the Vatican puts it out as an Official Doctrine then it all an opinion

The problem is that the AUTHORS you are discrediting are Catholic Popes!!

(Nothing like watching Catholics discredit Catholic popes -- the successors of Peter).

The big problem is that the RC myth of "excathedra" pronouncements was not made up until the late 1800's.

So that means you have little if nothing in the RCC endorsed "excathedra" as an explicit statement!!

No wonder so many Catholics in the dark ages formed armies to fight fellow Catholics. They could not determine the "official" from the non-official!!

 

[LeBuick]

They are not official teachings to be believed as doctrine by All Catholics. Anybody can write what they want to or what they believe.

Which again highlights the weakness of the RCC faith. Don't anyone find it funny the only person with a Bible is the priest? They learn chants and responses but for the most part, the priest can present what ever he wishes to them and since he is the only ones with a Bible then it must be considered true.

As for the vaticans, they have been known to change their views. GOD does not change. With one pope divorce is acceptable under certian conditions then the next may tweak that a bit. Sin does not get tweaked. What was a transgression against GOD during the creation is still a transgression in these modern times.


Great, Great point Eric B. I'd never noticed that verse in this light... :thumbs:

EDIT... Let me add, I might more agree if the RCC had given the Popes Apostolic Authority based on what COULD be possibly passed down from Peter. However, to give Divine authority is giving something Peter himself did not have.

 

[mojoala]

Here is a verse, which I have never seen cited in this debate, but it suddenly dawned on me how pertinent it is:
Luke 11:27, 28: And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare you, and the breast which you have sucked.
But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Someone comes thinking that His mother is worthy of special veneration, and He quickly deflects the focus to the Word of God. So she may be blessed, but Jesus Himself tells us that that is not our concern, but rather God's.

I would respond by telling them to think about it in another context. You meet a nice young man, Godly, well groomed, successful, intelligent and well spoken. You hear him give an impressive speech, and afterwards you say the following to him:

"Your mother must be a wonderful woman to have raised such a fine young man."

Who is the compliment directed at? Well...both, really, but mainly the young man. It's barely about the mother at all. What would you think about things if he said the following:

"No she's not! Don't say that! The only wonderful people are those who are nothing like her!"

Personally, I would think that is a very disrespectful thing to say about your mother, especially publicly, and particularly because that's liable to get you stoned under Levitical law. Since Jesus kept the Law perfectly, we know that's not what He meant.

What would it mean, according to Jesus' words, if Mary "heard the word of God and put it into practice" perfectly? Would she be more blessed? Perhaps "blessed amongst women"? Since there's no way to say great-er or great-est in Hebrew, the only way to say it is by circumlocution - by saying a man is "tall amongst men", you're saying that he's the tallest.

You might also respond by asking how Mary's soul magnifies the Lord for them (Luke 1:46)?