The Virgin Mary was a human. Why do Catholics worship humans like her and pray to lifeless statues?

Answer 1

What can be said about the vanity of praying to Mary?

"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten." (Ecclesiastes 9:5 KJV)

Seems dumb to pray to a dead person

But I guess Jesus said it best:

"'And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.' He said to them, 'All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.'" (Mark 7:7 - 9 NKJV)

Answer 2

Though you've probably been told this before but you prefer to remain caustic and full of self importance and pride, they are not praying to the statue. The statue is a representation of the saint (do I need to explain that concept too?). The idea is to focus the prayer to the saint and the statue helps in the focusing. Ever since Martin Luther decided he didn't have to do what the Catholic church told him to do, all these half baked religions have been on the attack. Rather than learn what things Christians have in common, there's always these stupid backbiting games going on. Sure the RC's have had their share of scandals, they've also been around for almost 2000 yrs. and when Jimmy Swagart got caught picking up hookers I didn't hear anything about it in the sermon. Is it really any wonder why the Nation of Islam is always attacking Christians when they can't even get along with other Christians?

Answer 3

Because we don't worship statues or Mary.

Do you have a cross in your church or wear one around your neck? It's no different than having statues. God commanded Moses to make for Him 2 huge statues of angels made of pure gold for the ark of the covenant. And the ark of the covenant is a prefigurement or foreshadowing of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

You really should study all about the ark of the covenant in the Old Testament, and while you are reading about it study and think about Mary in the New Testament.

We HONOR Mary. I wish I had a dime for every time someone asked, "Why do Catholics worship Mary and statues?"

Jack Chick lied to you about Catholics.

Try these links:
http://www.ourcatholicfaith.org/
http://www.catholic.com/
Typology-Steve Ray's Defenders of the Catholic Faith Website
http://www.catholic-convert.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=32

Answer 4

Catholics don't worship Mary, or pray to "lifeless statues". We ask Mary to pray for us, which had become "pray to" in short hand. She's like my mother, my sister, and my friend, only she has a very special "in" with Jesus. She's his mother, and most people listen a little more closely to special requests from their mothers. Catholics treat Mary like a friend. Haven't you ever asked someone to pray for you? Well, its not worship, its a request and a friendship.

Answer 5

The Observations...
a) Carved or molten images (Statues) of Jesus Christ and his mother Mary, in various sizes and shapes, are to be found in the Catholic Churches, all around the world.

b) Most of these Sacred Statues are placed in the prominent places of the Prayer Halls of these Christian Churches for venerating and worshipping.

c) One would also notice that the majority of the attending congregates would kneel, worship, venerate and pray before these Holy Images as their reverent rituals. Many devoted believers would place lighted candles in front of these Sacred Statues, before paying their homage.

d) These Catholic congregates who venerate Lord Jesus as their God and Virgin Mary as the "Mother of God", do form the bulk of the Christians community. It has been so since the inception of the Roman Catholic Church. The Protestants, who separated from the Roman Catholics, nearly ten centuries after the advent of Islam, do not have the Statues of Mother Mary in their Churches.

e) These observations clearly indicate that Virgin Mary has been venerated with hyperdulia, along with her son Jesus, by the majority of the Christians, from the early years of the Catholicism.

f) As for the Holy Ghost, the third person of the Holy Trinity, no Christian Church has so far instituted its venerating representation, image or semblance for their Churchgoers.



The Truth

The obvious conclusion is that for all practical purpose and in reality, when the issue is of Worshipping, Venerating, Deifying and/or Idolizing, it is Mary - the "Mother of God" and not the Holy Ghost has that kind of rank and status. Briefly, the historical figures of Jesus and Mary are venerated as Deities. The Holy Ghost is not venerated as a Deity.

Answer 6

Dear, sweet, ignorant Ashley...

Mary was a human, the saints were humans. No Catholic worships Mary, no Catholic worships the saints. Catholics ask Mary and the saints to intercede on their behalf before God. The one true God is the only entity to which Catholics pray.

Answer 7

Catholics do not worship Mary. They hold her in a place of honor because she gave birth to Jesus. They also do not pray to statues. They ask for the intercession of those who have gone before as, as Peter urged us to do in the Bible.

Check out this site for more...http://www.cmri.org/94prog9.htm

Answer 8

there is the belief that she is alive in heaven and has influence over her son Jesus. The bible does not support this. Catholic doctrine is taught differently just as you have several different doctrines of christianity, but heres what i believe based on several years of study. The catholic church has scrambled a lot of truth from Gods word. none of those statues hear prayers. Their souls according to the bible are asleep in the ground. We're all saints according to the Bible we are a royal preisthood, too. Sadly they arent convince our God is big enough to hear and answer every prayer ever prayed. Not only is He that big, but His heart is big enough to truly care about all those prayers. Amazing why anyone wants to believe in any less

Answer 9

its not the statue that is prayed to its what it represents but i do like your question it says in the bible thuoght shall not be idoleastic and the deffination of that is to pray or give reverence to false gods or imatation idols and what is a statue but a false immage of the real thing tharefore an immatation and for the worship of marry its a belief she gave birth to the masiah or jesus christ i think its all about representation the statues are to remind us of who we are to be thankful of or some thing like that it all comes down to the word belief or faith i think you are to believe that these people were great and deserve to be rememberd like the statue of lincolon sitting in the chair we may not worship him but he is a person of great standing and for the catholics these people that are worshiped have a great standing within their belief system

hope i helped good luck

Answer 10

I'm not a Catholic. Never have been, never will be. But over the years I have had many friends who are.

And you finger-pointing, holier-than-thou stone casters always use this same argument against the Catholics.

FIRST OFF, THEY ONLY WORSHIP THE SAME GOD AND SON OF GOD THAT ALL CHRISTIANS DO. YOU GOT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

SECOND, HAVING STATUES AND PAINTINGS, USED TO HELP VISUALIZE A RELIGION, IS NOT A SIN.

THEY DO NOT WORSHIP A STATUE ANY MORE THAN YOU ARE SITTING BESIDE YOUR MOTHER WHEN YOU LOOK AT A PHOTOGRAPH OF YOUR MOTHER. THE PHOTOGRAPH IS SIMPLY A DEVICE THAT HELPS YOU VISUALIZE YOUR MOTHER WHEN SHE IS NOT AROUND.

YOU GOT THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!? YOU HOLIER-THAN-THOU HYPOCRITES!!