Where are u getting this information from? I have never met a Catholic that worships Mary or any saint. We pray to them & ask them to intercede for us. Praying to Mary doesn't mean we worship her. We worship God alone. We have statues, pics & rosaries to show others our faith & to help us focus while we pray. When I see my statue it reminds me that she is there, in Heaven with Jesus & she can pray for me just as I can pray for a friend. They are closer to God than we r right now becuz they are in Heaven right now & I pray to them asking for their prayers as well. CATHOLICS DO NOT WORSHIP MARY OR SAINTS! We honor them & respect them. They are holy people & they are in Heaven. I believe that Mary is special becuz God choose her to give birth to Jesus. What an honor! She was truly blessed. How would u feel if God choose u? Please stop thinking that Catholics worship her becuz we don't. We simply have a higher respect for her than other Christians do.
2006-09-08 06:41:29 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It appears that way to outsiders.
2006-09-08 06:43:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
You are absolutely correct in what you say. Catholics do not worship Mary. It's a common misconception, even among some Catholics, as evidenced by a few of the answers you've already received. That's not really surprising, I've met many Catholics who do not understand their own faith and simply go through the rituals they were taught as children.
I think it's more than ignorance though, especially in the case of many non-Catholics. They see statues of Mary (they assume idol worship) and hear prayers directed to her and assume it's full on "worship." Rather than investigate they are more comfortable with their assumptions.
2006-09-08 07:00:10 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
FYI Catholicism is a form of Christianity it is just a more conformed and doctoral "CHURCH" then that of any other christian denomination!!! And as for the whole worshiping Mary and the Saints Catholics DO NOT worship ANYONE But God. Their one flaw is that they do not advise people in their congregation to read the Bible daily!!!
2006-09-08 06:49:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
You're correct. Catholics ask the saints and Mary to pray WITH them to God....but they do not worship them AS God. People who think otherwise only do so, because they listen to hearsay and don't take the initiative to look it up before they wrongfully pass judgement. Even some of the posters above, who claim to know...don't have a clue. If what Catholics do counts as praying TO Mary or the saints, then what is it they're doing when someone in their family dies, and they say "Grandma, I love you and I hope you're in a better place, now. We miss you." ?
2006-09-08 06:44:03 · answer #4 · answered by Lisa E 6 · 11⤊ 1⤋
We non-catholics are just like the catholics, we see a small portion of your relgion and base what we think of you and your religion on that small portion. Just as you (some of you anyway) look at non-catholic religion and base your assumptions of our religion on that small part you see.
I think it's defined as pre-judice, or ignorance, but we all do it, so no one group of people or even one person should be held up as an example of it, we all do it.
P.S. I was raised catholic and I still didn't understand why we pray to mary and jesus and the saints and not to god directley. Even after being raised in the relgion I was still confussed about it, (Why couldn't I pray to my great grandmother she was in heaven too?) that's why I converted to my current religion (it's less confussing).
2006-09-08 06:54:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
probably because it's what we've been told. i thought catholics worshipped mary and didn't believe in Jesus until i actually met a "real live catholic" (not that common where i come from) who was like, "what? wait a minute..." and she told me what's actually what about catholicism. so from this non- catholic, let me just say i'm sorry for the stereotyping.
2006-09-08 06:45:36 · answer #6 · answered by Vol_Fan 3 · 8⤊ 1⤋
It's just that some Catholics "pray" to Mary as a mediator between God and Man.
Personally, I'd rather pray to God.
2006-09-08 06:43:50 · answer #7 · answered by chrstnwrtr 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Do any of you do this with Moses? Or Aaron? Or Jeremiah? Elijah?
Kinda weird that you only pick Mary and all those after her, yet none before. Why is that?
And why do you think they are in heaven? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a Resurrection and then a final Judgement Day? If they are in heaven and the bad people are in hell... they've already been Judged. There's no need for a final Judgement Day.
2006-09-08 07:02:25 · answer #8 · answered by Kithy 6 · 0⤊ 5⤋
Catholics put an unhealthy amount of worship into the Virgin Mary. She was just a human that God chose to carry Jesus. She wasn't an angel or a saint. Catholics pray to mary and you emphasize her role too much, that is what we believe. No one is closer to God than anybody else, Jesus said that. God listens to all prayers. Praying to Mary is worshiping her, becuase if you pray to Mary than you arent praying to God. God is the only one who answers our prayers. Its like praying to a deceased family member who was a christian. Just because they are in heaven doesnt mean you should pray to them.
Jesus came to be the mediator between God and man, not Mary.
2006-09-08 06:43:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 7⤋
listen to your question.. you talk so highly of Holy Mary...i think who people pray to or worship is their right...when someone wears a Saint..Cross around there neck ..feels protected by that....i have seen Catholics pray to Holy Mother..at Church's..at her statue...
2006-09-08 06:48:26 · answer #10 · answered by babo1dm 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
I wouldn't say worship, but as you mentioned you pray to dead people. When Jesus died on the cross, he said we no longer needed an to go the priest, or anyone else, that Jesus was our intercessor.
2006-09-08 06:44:47 · answer #11 · answered by natex14 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋