Why do some people think that Catholics worship the Virgin Mary?

Question

I don't understand what's the problem with honoring someone who mothered our Savior. How do people get the idea that Catholics worship her?

B-Nizzle... I am Catholic... I don't worship her, put her on the same level as God, or anything like that. All I do concerning her is ask for her to "pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death". I think too many people misinterpret the beginning of the Hail Mary prayer (Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee... blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.) This is what the angel Gabriel said to her when she was asked to mother the son of God. The rest of it certainly couldn't be considered worship (Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death)

Answer 1

Because Protestants don't understand the difference between ordinary prayer and worship prayer.

They think praying to a non-divine someone who is alive in heaven is worship, when it's really only a form of communication between the two different domains.

Praying to God = Worship.
Praying to saints in heaven = Communication

But it's OK. If they did take the time, and make the effort to learn the real truth, they would all want to become Catholics.

Then, imagine how much tougher it would be to get a good parking spot at Mass!

Answer 2

Praying to someone is worshipping them. Prayer is only to be prayed to God, so praying to anyone else is worshipping a false god.

Have you ever heard of the rosary? Except for the "Our Fathers" on it, you are praying to Mary the rest of the time. Supposedly, the rosary is for remembering Jesus and what He did for you on the cross. How can you be thinking of Jesus when you are praying to Mary?

Also, do you know that in the Catholic Catechism, they call Mary the Co-Redeemer and Mediatrix (feminine form of mediator). Since when is a mere human raised up to the level of God in this way? The Bible says there is only ONE Mediator between God and Man and that is Jesus Christ. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Basically, according to the Catholic Catechism (I'm using the version approved by Pope John Paul II), without Mary saying yes to bearing the pre-birth Jesus, the world would never have been saved. Evidently they never considered that God would have just chosen someone else.

They also believe that Mary was born without any sin. This would make her an equal in sinlessness with Jesus. Once again, raising her up to the level of deity.

Most Catholics can talk to you all day about Mary, but few of them could tell you the same amount about Jesus.

Answer 3

It is because of the fact that prayer to... Is a form of worship. so when you pray to some one that is worship. I hope that all catholics will soon come to realize that Catholicism is not the same as Christianity. It is possible to catholic and not have a relationship with Jesus. If that relationship isn't there when you approach heaven he will say that he dosen't know you and will not let you in. The only person who should be prayed to aside from Jesus or God is the Holy Spirit, and those three are GOD. I would show you in scripture but I don't have the bible memorized.

Answer 4

You know Catholics DO worship Mary. Every Catholic anything is Mary this and Mary that. Imagines of Mary found in trees, on window panes, etc., and everyone flocks to these places and prays to her. Wake up! She's dead! The Bible says so. How many pictures of Mary and statues are in Catholics homes, how many alters with Mary in the center. Get Real, Catholics don't know Christ, they think praying to Mary will get them into heaven. Hail Mary? Bull Bologna

Answer 5

Hmmm....possibly it could be the festivals, the statues, the posters, the flowers that we layed at the feet of her statues, the candle of the Virgin Mary that we lit daily at school.The rosary that we chanted, her prayer recited repetitiously over and over and over.
I went to a Catholic school. I'd have to say that it was more 'worship' than Honor. We prayed more to Mary than we did to God. We talked more about Mary than we read the Bible.

That's just how I felt, and the experience for me, and for many other of my classmates, did not draw me any nearer to God.
But that was my experience, and I found Jesus Christ through the Baptist Church. I am grateful now to walk with the Lord.
I do believe Mary was a truly inspirational blessed woman, but she was just a woman, not someone to pray to.
I do believe that Catholics and Protestants have to stop fighting about this and remember that we are united in the LOVE and FAITH of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Answer 6

Because Catholics do worship the Virgin Mary

Answer 7

My mother is a firm Catholic and she doesn't worship her. She prays to her for help wich confuses people into thinking that Catholics worship her. The problem here is defining prayer and worship and where to draw the line between the two.

Answer 8

There's the Fifth Marian Dogma, a dogma which minorly deifies Mary as a co-redemtrix. Redemptrix. Can't spell it. Anyway, there's a movement to get the previous Pope to infallibly declare her the co-redemptrix after he pretty much called her that in a speech he made in 1985.

Then there's the Deipara, Dei Genetrix, written in the late 200s. The Council of Ephesus in 431 ratified it to commemorate her role in Jesus Godhood. To wit:

"We you for protection, holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs. Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed virgin."

There's also the Cult of the Virgin, sanctioned again by the Council of Ephesus in 431, who pray to her for intercession between mankind and her son.

That might be how people get the idea.

Answer 9

Because they do. I was raised in a Catholic Church, and Catholics pray to the virgin. That's not honoring. God is the only one who has all the Glory, as the Bible states, you will not honor or worship images or idols, all the Glory Belongs to God...

Answer 10

They just do. They don't know much about the religion but she is a well known figure who is highly honored by Catholics so others simply get the idea that she is worshiped. Worshiping and honoring are two different things they just don't see that.