Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. - Christianity Etc (9) - Nairaland
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| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 5:29am On Dec 25, 2019 |
Alexandro15:Are you that Naive to believe that crap? In Nigeria corruption is consider illegal by the consistution. but we all know that in reality corruption is rampant and a menace to our society. Likewise your so called Creed, wheather it is written or not the fact remains that you Catholics have been observed just like the pictures I attached to this OP, to worship,bow,pray, praise and sing to Mary which is unbiblical. If there is any positive to be derived from this Creed, is that it proves that Mary veneration is an anomaly which was never intended by your church hence the reason for it been omitted in your church Creed so it should be corrected. That I have assisted you guys by pointing it out. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 5:32am On Dec 25, 2019 |
Alexandro15:You have never given me any reason. It's up to you to distinguish for me what it means to worship God and to venerate Mary in practical terms. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 5:32am On Dec 25, 2019 |
DownChelsea:What's amusing you? |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 5:35am On Dec 25, 2019 |
DownChelsea:None of you have ever given me any answer. We can Start first with Bible verses that instruct us to venerate Mary. Give me those Bible verses. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 7:48am On Dec 25, 2019 |
blueAgent:does a bible verse have to instruct you to venerate, love, care for, adore, sing to, speak for a thing, person, concept, an animal, a gift, anything at all that is dear to you? |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 7:51am On Dec 25, 2019 |
blueAgent:how easy it is to expose your ignorance. You’ve been typing all sorts of funny things here, it’s also a thing of nature to react in amusememt |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 7:52am On Dec 25, 2019 |
DownChelsea:Yes of course. The Bible instructs us to honour our parents that's an example. Exodus 20:12 Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 7:53am On Dec 25, 2019 |
blueAgent:worshipper! Mr. Christians defeated Muslims. Even your degree of bigotry (religious) is anti-christian. Mr. antichrist |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 7:54am On Dec 25, 2019 |
blueAgent:so, do you honour your teachers in school? And if you do, how greatly you have sinned since you were never instructed to do so. Pharisee! |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 7:57am On Dec 25, 2019 |
[quote author=blueAgent post=85197226][/quote]the truth is there for all to see. Mr. Judge of muslims and “the real Christians” ( Catholics) |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 7:59am On Dec 25, 2019 |
blueAgent:if you don’t know “how else”? Then what do you know? That “qualifies” you for an argument with your superiors. Absolutely nothing. Start by “knowing” how to worship God |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by Alexandro15: 12:43pm On Dec 25, 2019 |
blueAgent:Nonsense as usual. But I didn't expect more from one who is a pagan. Even before the Nicene- Creed was formed, the church Father's of old had already honored, venerated and praised Mary for her role in Salvation's history. Church Father's such as Origen, St. Justin Matyr, St. Ireaneus, Tertullian, St. Gregory the wonder worker. Church Fathers even continued the praise, honour and veneration of Mary after the Nicene-Creed. E.g St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. John Crystostom, St. Cyril of Alexandria. ![]() Bro, what is your point? You are just fooling yourself for all to see. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:17pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
Alexandro15:You should have said Catholics church father's and not church father's in general because last time I checked the early Christains and disciples of Jesus never venerated any Mary. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:23pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
DownChelsea:I honour my parents and people but I don't pray to them, neither do I sing, praise and bow to them. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:29pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
DownChelsea:For how long would you keep avoiding to answer my question? The truth is that to pray,sing,praise and bow are all forms of worship which was practiced by different people in the Bible, who worshipped God or other gods. So you claiming that you only venerate Mary while you pray,sing, praise, bow to her statue and image is a big lie. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:42pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
DownChelsea:I will take that as a compliment. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:44pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
DownChelsea:THE MEANING OF WORSHIP INTRODUCTION: One writer notes that: "Worship in our time has been captured by the tourist mind set. Worship is understood as a visit to an attractive site to be made when we have adequate leisure. For some it is a weekly jaunt to church. For others, occasional visits to special services.. Some, with a bent for Christian entertainment and sacred diversion, plan their lives around special events like retreats, rallies and conferences. We go to see a new personality, to hear a new truth, to get a new experience and so, somehow, expand our otherwise humdrum lives. We'll try anything -- until something else comes along." Does this describe our attitude toward worship? What is worship all about? BODY I. WHAT IS WORSHIP? A. A look at both the original language and the origin of the word in English will help us understand the meaning. 1. The primary Hebrew word for worship. a. Shachah - "to depress, i.e. prostrate (in homage to royalty or God): bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship." 2. Three Greek words. a. Proskuneo - "meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand), to fawn or crouch to, homage (do reverence to, adore): worship." It occurs 59 times in the New Testament. It originally carried with it the idea of subjects falling down to kiss the ground before a king or kiss their feet. b. Sebomai - "to reverence, hold in awe." Used 10 times in the New Testament. c. Latreuo - "to render religious service of homage." Used 21 times in the New Testament. 3. The word in the English language. a. Literally means to ascribe worth to something. 4. True worship begins with a deep respect or reverence for God, a frame of heart, an attitude. This must be fixed in one's mind before we go further. An "act" of worship is an act proceeding from or the result of that attitude. B. The Bible talks about several "kinds" of worship. 1. Ignorant Worship--Acts 17:22-31 a. Acts 17:23 - "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: b. Paul perceived that they were very religious but he warned them that their religious service was not pleasing to God for it was done without knowledge of what God wanted or even who God was. c. Ignorant worship is like throwing darts at a bulls eye while blindfolded--sure you might hit the mark but more than likely you will do a lot of damage d. ignorant worship is not pleasing to God for he is not glorified by accident, but by a conscience praise of His name. e. Such worship will never be pleasing to God, for His will has been revealed (John 4:24). f. God does not wink (tolerate) ignorance - Acts 17:30. 2. Vain Worship a. Matthew 15:7-9 "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 - 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9- And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" b. The Pharisees made their worship Vain (useless) because they had layered on the commandments of men to their practices. c. This is the attitude which changes what God has said, does not respect what God has said, and not obey what He has commanded. See Leviticus 10:1-11. 3. Will Worship a. Colossians 2:23 - Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (KJV) b. Colossians 2:23 - These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self- imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. c. This is worship that centers in satisfying self. This is the same type of worship that we often have today, that which calls for "audience centered" worship. 4. True Worship. a. John 4:23-24 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 - "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." II. THE CORRECT ELEMENTS OF WORSHIP A. Worship is God centered. 1. Psalms 95:6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 2. Acts 17:23 - "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 3. Hebrews 13:15 - Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 4. One of the great errors in modern worship is making it worshiper centered. Worship is to be centered on praising God, not entertaining ourselves. a. We need to understand that the blessings we receive from worship are a by-product of our worship and not the focus. In worship we come to do and give, not receive. b. The effort to "get more" out of worship has led to all types of artificial, superficial, and unscriptural gimmicks to "liven up" worship periods. Such IS NOT WORSHIPING GOD; it is bowing to altar of the social gospel. c. Our problem is that we have determined that we have a problem but have not correctly diagnosed the problem. The problem is not with the content of our worship. The problem is with our hearts. We are so materialistic and carnal minded that we cannot center our minds of praising God and need artificial stimulation to "feel" spiritual. B. The correct place of our worship. 1. Anyplace where God's people dwell. 2. Acts 17:24-25 "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25- "Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 3. This is the truth that Jesus revealed to the Samaritan woman. a. John 4:20-21 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." 21 - Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father." C. There must be a combining of reverence toward God and worshiping according to the truth of God's will. 1. John 4:24 2. Joshua 24:14 - "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! CONCLUSION: The child of God does not need special stimulants to bring about proper worship. He centers his life on pleasing God, therefore he is always happy to come before the throne of grace in praise to the King. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:44pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
Alexandro15:THE MEANING OF WORSHIP INTRODUCTION: One writer notes that: "Worship in our time has been captured by the tourist mind set. Worship is understood as a visit to an attractive site to be made when we have adequate leisure. For some it is a weekly jaunt to church. For others, occasional visits to special services.. Some, with a bent for Christian entertainment and sacred diversion, plan their lives around special events like retreats, rallies and conferences. We go to see a new personality, to hear a new truth, to get a new experience and so, somehow, expand our otherwise humdrum lives. We'll try anything -- until something else comes along." Does this describe our attitude toward worship? What is worship all about? BODY I. WHAT IS WORSHIP? A. A look at both the original language and the origin of the word in English will help us understand the meaning. 1. The primary Hebrew word for worship. a. Shachah - "to depress, i.e. prostrate (in homage to royalty or God): bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship." 2. Three Greek words. a. Proskuneo - "meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand), to fawn or crouch to, homage (do reverence to, adore): worship." It occurs 59 times in the New Testament. It originally carried with it the idea of subjects falling down to kiss the ground before a king or kiss their feet. b. Sebomai - "to reverence, hold in awe." Used 10 times in the New Testament. c. Latreuo - "to render religious service of homage." Used 21 times in the New Testament. 3. The word in the English language. a. Literally means to ascribe worth to something. 4. True worship begins with a deep respect or reverence for God, a frame of heart, an attitude. This must be fixed in one's mind before we go further. An "act" of worship is an act proceeding from or the result of that attitude. B. The Bible talks about several "kinds" of worship. 1. Ignorant Worship--Acts 17:22-31 a. Acts 17:23 - "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: b. Paul perceived that they were very religious but he warned them that their religious service was not pleasing to God for it was done without knowledge of what God wanted or even who God was. c. Ignorant worship is like throwing darts at a bulls eye while blindfolded--sure you might hit the mark but more than likely you will do a lot of damage d. ignorant worship is not pleasing to God for he is not glorified by accident, but by a conscience praise of His name. e. Such worship will never be pleasing to God, for His will has been revealed (John 4:24). f. God does not wink (tolerate) ignorance - Acts 17:30. 2. Vain Worship a. Matthew 15:7-9 "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 - 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9- And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" b. The Pharisees made their worship Vain (useless) because they had layered on the commandments of men to their practices. c. This is the attitude which changes what God has said, does not respect what God has said, and not obey what He has commanded. See Leviticus 10:1-11. 3. Will Worship a. Colossians 2:23 - Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (KJV) b. Colossians 2:23 - These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self- imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. c. This is worship that centers in satisfying self. This is the same type of worship that we often have today, that which calls for "audience centered" worship. 4. True Worship. a. John 4:23-24 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 - "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." II. THE CORRECT ELEMENTS OF WORSHIP A. Worship is God centered. 1. Psalms 95:6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 2. Acts 17:23 - "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 3. Hebrews 13:15 - Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 4. One of the great errors in modern worship is making it worshiper centered. Worship is to be centered on praising God, not entertaining ourselves. a. We need to understand that the blessings we receive from worship are a by-product of our worship and not the focus. In worship we come to do and give, not receive. b. The effort to "get more" out of worship has led to all types of artificial, superficial, and unscriptural gimmicks to "liven up" worship periods. Such IS NOT WORSHIPING GOD; it is bowing to altar of the social gospel. c. Our problem is that we have determined that we have a problem but have not correctly diagnosed the problem. The problem is not with the content of our worship. The problem is with our hearts. We are so materialistic and carnal minded that we cannot center our minds of praising God and need artificial stimulation to "feel" spiritual. B. The correct place of our worship. 1. Anyplace where God's people dwell. 2. Acts 17:24-25 "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25- "Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 3. This is the truth that Jesus revealed to the Samaritan woman. a. John 4:20-21 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." 21 - Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father." C. There must be a combining of reverence toward God and worshiping according to the truth of God's will. 1. John 4:24 2. Joshua 24:14 - "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! CONCLUSION: The child of God does not need special stimulants to bring about proper worship. He centers his life on pleasing God, therefore he is always happy to come before the throne of grace in praise to the King. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:52pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
Alexandro15:What is the difference between veneration and worship? Question: "What is the difference between veneration and worship?" Answer: In response to the accusation that they worship Mary and the saints , Catholics will often claim that they “venerate,” not worship, them. To venerate is to regard with great respect or to revere. Veneration can be defined as “respect or awe directed toward someone due to his/her value or greatness.” The simplest definition of worship is to “ascribe worth.” Worship can be more completely defined as “showing respect, love, reverence, or adoration.” Based on the dictionary, no clear difference between veneration and worship exists. In fact, veneration and worship are often used as synonyms for each other. But dictionary definitions are not the point. It does not matter what it is called. The Bible nowhere instructs followers of Jesus Christ to offer worship, veneration, adoration, or anything similar to anyone but God. Nowhere does the New Testament describe any followers of Jesus Christ worshipping, venerating, or adoring anyone other than God. They did not receive worship, either. Peter refused to receive adoration from Cornelius (Acts 10:25–26 ), and Paul and Barnabas were equally adamant that the people of Lystra not venerate them (Acts 14:15 ). Twice in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 19:10 ; 22:8 ), the apostle John begins to worship an angel, and the angel instructs him, “Worship God!” Mary and the saints who have gone to heaven before us would say the same thing: “Worship God!” The Catholic Church has different degrees of worship: dulia, hyper dulia, and latria. Dulia is the honor given to the saints. Hyper dulia is the honor given to Mary alone, as the greatest of the saints. Latria is the honor given to God alone. In contrast, the Bible always ascribes honor, in the context of worship, to God alone (1 Chronicles 29:11 ; 1 Timothy 1:17 ; 6:16 ; Revelation 4:11 ; 5:13 ). Even if there were biblical support for different levels of worship, there still would be no biblical support for offering lower/lesser levels of worship to anyone other than God. Only God is worthy of worship, adoration, praise (Nehemiah 9:6 ; Revelation 4:11 ; 15:4 ), and veneration, no matter how it is defined. Mary’s worth comes from the fact that God choose her for a glorious role and saved her from her sins through the death of Jesus Christ (Luke 1:47 ). The saints’ worth comes from the fact that God saved them, transformed them, and then used them in mighty and amazing ways. May we all, with Mary and the saints, fall on our knees and worship the only One who is worthy. https://www.gotquestions.org/veneration.html |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 10:52pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:what does your faulty opinion/conclusions change? |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 10:54pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:you sure have a talent of irony application. Whatever makes you feel alive to yourself!! Enjoy |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 10:56pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:Chief Judge!! We hail thee |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:57pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
Alexandro15:Is worship of saints / Mary biblical? Question: "Is worship of saints / Mary biblical?" Answer: The Bible is absolutely clear that we are to worship God alone. The only instances of anyone other than God receiving worship in the Bible are false gods, which are Satan and his demons. All followers of the Lord God refuse worship. Peter and the apostles refused to be worshipped (Acts 10:25– 26; 14:13–14 ). The holy angels refuse to be worshipped ( Revelation 19:10 ; 22:9 ). The response is always the same, “Worship God!” Roman Catholics attempt to “bypass” these clear Scriptural principles by claiming they do not “worship” Mary or saints, but rather that they only “ venerate ” Mary and the saints. Using a different word does not change the essence of what is being done. A definition of “venerate” is “to regard with respect or reverence.” Nowhere in the Bible are we told to revere anyone but God alone. There is nothing wrong with respecting those faithful Christians who have gone before us (see Hebrews chapter 11). There is nothing wrong with honoring Mary as the earthly mother of Jesus. The Bible describes Mary as “highly favored” by God (Luke 1:28 ). At the same time, there is no instruction in the Bible to revere those who have gone to heaven. We are to follow their example, yes, but worship, revere, or venerate, no! When forced to admit that they do, in fact, worship Mary, Catholics will claim that they worship God through her, by praising the wonderful creation that God has made. Mary, in their minds, is the most beautiful and wonderful creation of God, and by praising her, they are praising her Creator. For Catholics, this is analogous to directing praise to an artist by praising his sculpture or painting. The problem with this is that God explicitly commands against worshipping Him through created things. We are not to bow down and worship the form of anything in heaven above or earth below (Exodus 20:4–5 ). Romans 1:25 could not be more clear: “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” Yes, God has created wonderful and amazing things. Yes, Mary was a godly woman who is worthy of our respect. No, we absolutely are not to worship God “vicariously” by praising things (or people) He has created. Doing so is blatant idolatry. The major way Catholics “venerate” Mary and the saints is by praying to them. But prayer to anyone other than God alone is anti-biblical. Whether Mary and/or the saints are prayed to, or whether they are petitioned for their prayers—neither practice is biblical. Prayer is an act of worship. When we pray to God, we are admitting that we need His help. Directing our prayers to anyone other than God is robbing God of the glory that is His alone. Another way Catholics “venerate” Mary and the saints is by creating statues and images of them. Many Catholics use images of Mary and/or the saints as “good luck charms.” Any cursory reading of the Bible will reveal this practice as blatant idolatry (Exodus 20:4–6 ; 1 Corinthians 12:1–2 ; 1 John 5:21 ). Rubbing rosary beads is idolatry. Lighting candles before a statue or portrayal of a saint is idolatry. Burying a Joseph statue in hopes of selling your home (and countless other Catholic practices) is idolatry. The terminology is not the issue. Whether the practice is described as “worship” or “veneration” or any other term, the problem is the same. Any time we ascribe something that belongs to God to someone else, it is idolatry. The Bible nowhere instructs us to revere, pray to, rely on, or “idolize” anyone other than God. We are to worship God alone. Glory, praise, and honor belong to God alone. Only God is worthy to “receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 4:11 ). God alone is worthy to receive our worship, adoration, and praise (Nehemiah 9:6 ; Revelation 15:4 ). |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 10:58pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
DownChelsea:Is prayer to saints / Mary biblical? Question: "Is prayer to saints / Mary biblical?" Answer: The official position of the Roman Catholic Church is that Catholics do not pray to saints in heaven or to Mary; rather, Catholics are taught they can ask saints or Mary to pray for them. According to the Roman Catholic Church, asking saints in heaven for their prayers is no different from asking someone here on earth to pray for us. Despite official Catholic claims, it’s hard to see how the words of the Memorare, a famous Catholic prayer, are not a direct petition to Mary: “Remember, most loving Virgin Mary, never was it heard that anyone who turned to you for help was left unaided. . . . I run to your protection for you are my mother.” The same can be said for the words of another traditional Catholic prayer, “Hail, Holy Queen”: “ Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, the children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this land of exile. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; lead us home at last.” (from A Book of Prayers , 1982, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.) In practice, many Catholics diverge from official Roman Catholic teaching on prayer. Many Catholics do, in fact, pray directly to saints and/or Mary, as seen in the above prayers. Even in cases in which Mary or a saint is simply being asked to pray, the practice has no biblical basis. The Bible nowhere instructs believers in Christ to pray to anyone other than God. The Bible nowhere encourages, or even mentions, believers asking individuals in heaven for their prayers. Why, then, do many Catholics pray to Mary and/or saints such as Gertrude, Rita, Sylvester, Vincent, Agnes, etc.? Why do they petition the dead to request their prayers? Catholics view Mary and the saints as “intercessors” before God. They believe that a saint, who is glorified in heaven, has more “direct access” to God than we sinners do from our earthly vantage point. In Catholic thinking, if a saint delivers a prayer to God, it is more effective than our praying to God directly. This concept is blatantly unbiblical. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we, believers here on earth, have direct access to God and can “approach the throne of grace with confidence.” No saint can take Jesus’ place: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” ( 1 Timothy 2:5 ). There is no one else who can mediate with God for us. Since Jesus is the only mediator , Mary and the saints cannot be mediators. Further, the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ Himself is interceding for us before the Father: “He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25 ). With Jesus Himself interceding for us, why would we need Mary or the saints to intercede for us? Whom would God listen to more readily than His only begotten Son? Romans 8:26–27 says the Holy Spirit is also interceding for us. With the second and third Persons of the Trinity already interceding for us before the Father, why would we need to have Mary or the saints interceding for us? Catholics argue that praying to Mary and the saints is no different than asking someone here on earth to pray for us. Let us examine that claim: (1) Asking other believers (on earth) to pray for us is certainly biblical (2 Corinthians 1:11 ; Ephesians 1:16 ; Philippians 1:19 ; 2 Timothy 1:3 ). The apostle Paul asks other Christians to pray for him in Ephesians 6:19 . (2) The Bible nowhere mentions anyone asking for someone in heaven to pray for him. The Bible nowhere describes anyone in heaven praying for anyone on earth. (3) The Bible gives absolutely no indication that Mary or the saints can hear our prayers. Mary and the saints are not omniscient. Even glorified in heaven, they are still finite beings with limitations. How could they possibly hear the prayers of millions of people? (4) Whenever the Bible mentions praying to or speaking with the dead, it is in the context of sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, and divination—activities the Bible strongly condemns ( Leviticus 20:27 ; Deuteronomy 18:10– 13). In the one instance when a dead “saint” is addressed by a living person, the saint, Samuel, is not exactly happy to be disturbed ( 1 Samuel 28:7– 19). Praying to Mary or the saints is completely different from asking a friend here on earth to pray for us. Asking people on earth to pray for us has a strong biblical basis; asking the heavenly saints or Mary to pray has no biblical basis whatsoever. It is wrong to think that God will hear and answer the prayers of St. Jude, for example, over yours. Scripture teaches that prayer offered to God in faith, according to God’s will, from a redeemed heart will be heard. As an example, “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5:17–18 ). There is absolutely no scriptural basis to pray to anyone other than God alone. There is no need to, either. Jesus, our Intercessor, has it covered. No one in heaven can mediate on our behalf except for Jesus Christ. Only God can hear and answer our prayers. The temple veil was torn in two ( Hebrews 10:19–20 ); the child of God on earth has just as much access to God’s throne of grace, in Jesus’ name, than anyone in heaven (Hebrews 4:16 ). https://www.gotquestions.org/prayer-saints-Mary.html |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 10:59pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:your life, your ignorance, your rules. Who cares? Others sing to people, praise people, and respect people (without worshiping the said people). Only a fool would argue with a man about his own convictions. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 11:00pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:Originator of Christianity! Judge of Christians! |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 11:00pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
DownChelsea:So how exactly is "worship" defined? if you kneel before the picture of Mary (or a saint) and you pray to him/her... is that not exactly what you do when you kneel and pray in front of a picture of Jesus? |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 11:01pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
Alexandro15:So how exactly is "worship" defined? if you kneel before the picture of Mary (or a saint) and you pray to him/her... is that not exactly what you do when you kneel and pray in front of a picture of Jesus? |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 11:02pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:fixated obsessed pharisee! Who has refused to get anything correct |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 11:03pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:go to school 1st. No one would oblige you with English lectures here. |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by blueAgent(op): 11:06pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
DownChelsea:Is this all you can respond with? |
| Re: Evidence That Catholics Worship Mary. by DownChelsea(f): 11:08pm On Dec 26, 2019 |
blueAgent:absolutely. AND it was a golden response. Fully deserved by you. A favour I did you. |
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