Because we don't. She is the Mother of God not God himself. We pray to her for intervention on our behalf. Just like all the other saints. We pray for intervention because they are the strongest link between God and humanity. ( Mother Mary being the strongest of course)
2007-02-23 06:02:30 · 31 answers · asked by Becky 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
To Judy R8 it takes 8 years for a man to become a priest not a preacher. I'm not Protestant nor was i referring to Protestants.
2007-02-23 06:13:08 · update #1
And furthermore, Jesus quite a lot more than a link beween man and God, He is part of God and yes I pray to Jesus. He is my savior. One more thing when people say that she had other children, they are wrong. The apostles and desciples called her mother for that is she was to them. But an adoptive mother. For she is also our mother. The mother of the human race but still very much human and I don't mean in the literal sense.
2007-02-23 06:19:52 · update #2
Paul Cyp is absolutely right. The poor Protestants have a mental block about Our Blessed Mother whom Jesus loves and honors and He is pleased with those who love and honor Her. They are a motherless people and if they despise this Gentle Woman be sure that Her Son will not be too pleased with them. They are convinced that Catholics worship Mary because of the great love and honor we give Her which does not amount to worship.Worship belongs to God alone.
Mary is called the Mediatrix of all Grace.Many theologians assert that Mary's mediation also means that from the time of her Assumption she has personally cooperated with her Divine Son in communicating all of the graces that He has and continues to bestow upon mankind. As St. Bernard of Clairvaux said in a famous formulation: "God has willed that we should have nothing that did not pass through the hands of Mary."
There is still another deeper stratum to the meaning of the Blessed Mother's mediation. According to Tradition, Our Lady possesses tremendous influence over her Divine Son. Therefore, some saints have described her as the treasurer or dispenser of grace. What they are saying is that God has entrusted His Mother to dispense and apportion the graces He gives to mankind. So that the Holy Virgin not only intercedes for us but, by the will of God, she has, so to speak, a say in distributing graces to her children. This assertion in no wise implies that Mary acts apart from Christ, let alone would contravene the will of God. Our Lady's mediation manifests the tenderness of her maternal heart.
If God has decided to shower His Mother with honor and power who are we to argue?
2007-02-23 07:12:20 · answer #1 · answered by Pat 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
If you feel a need to pray to Mary as an intercessor, than have at it; however, keep in mind that when Christ was crucified, the veil of the Holy of Holies was rent (torn) from top to bottom, so that all of Gods children could have immediate access to Him, directly. I would think that if my child would only speak to me through my mom, that I would be a bit insulted by that. Your Heavenly Father has feelings and emotions, too. Perhaps you should consider them.
The Catholic "saints" are not Biblical. The word "saint" means "set aside ones" - they are Gods Election or "elect", and no man, or even pope, can name any person a "saint". The Elect of God was named already, by God, according to the manuscripts, right after the war where Satan rebelled, which was way before Adam and Eve and this flesh age began.
This group is not open for new recruits. All those saints you pray to, are not necessarily from the Election - who knows, maybe some are, maybe some aren't - but man does not get to decide that.
The reason the Elect is a named group, was because during that great war, they were the ones who stood stedfast, never faltering, on the side of God. They were judged right there and then, and so they are the only ones in the flesh who do not have free will - they don't need it; they already made their decision for God. In Scripture, every time someone bowed down before an Angelic being who visited them, the angel would say "get up- I'm just like you - worship God"; well, these "saints" you pray to would say the same exact thing to you. Praise God, Pray to God. He is your Heavenly Father; talk to Him; stop leaving him out of what He wants from you - your love and direct communication with Him.
2007-02-23 06:13:52 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Before Jesus came the Hebrews had to go through a priest to get to God. Jesus broke that barrier. he said pray to the Father in my name. Praying to Mary or any saint would be blasphemous.
You also misunderstand the "trinity". Mary is the mother of Jesus the human, not God the Son. To say she is the mother of God is blasphemous.
This is just one of the reasons that conservative Christianity calls the catholic church a cult. This is a good reason for it.
2007-02-23 06:14:09 · answer #3 · answered by Terrence J 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you prayer through Mary to God the Father, you pray in vain!!........In the Bible, there is no example of anyone ever trying to go to Jesus or God the Father through Mary!!.........It is written, God is one. One also is the mediator between God and men, the Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Jesus said,....... "I am the way, and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me" (John 14:6)........Christ is the only mediator. He puts us directly in touch with God by taking away the sins that separated us, so that we can come to Him directly........History informs us that prayers to Mary began around the end of the fourth century after Christ. Certainly if she had been alive she would have never permitted this practice!!.......As a pious woman, she would never have accepted prayer as it should be directed to God alone......The church of Rome teaches that Mary should be called the mother of God, an expression that is never used in the Bible. The reasoning is that she is the Mother of Jesus Christ, and He is God. While at first glance the reasoning souds acceptable, if she were the mother of God, we would have to conclude that the creature was the mother of the creator: that is that Mary, who was born at a particular moment of history, was the mother of everything about God which has existed from all eternity (Genesis 1:1; John1:1-3,14). The Bible does not teach this. Instead, it teaches that God, who has always existed, took on a human nature by means of the virgin birth. Thus Mary was the mother of Christ's human nature, but not of His divine nature which has existed from all eternity (John 8:57-58). To avoid causing confusion on this point, the term mother of God should never be used........
2007-02-23 07:03:18 · answer #4 · answered by SLEDGE 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is the lack of understanding. Catholics also believe that Mary was without sin and that she ascended into heaven body and soul. There is no record of this in scripture at all. I don't believe in this, but at the same time, I know that Catholics do not worship Mary. Mary is seen as closer to God that we are, so Mary can possibly get a direct line in between that we can, supposedly.
I don't believe this because when Christ died, the division between God and humanity was slashed in two pieces. In one description of the death of Christ, you need to read, it says the cloth in the temple was torn in two. That cloth represented that a normal human being CANNOT approach God by themselves. They needed a priest to do it for them. That cloth ripping in half meant that I, a lowly person, can go up to Christ myself and pray to Him directly. That is the power of a forgiving God and the grace of God.
Rest assured, I do not think you worship Mary, at the same time, I think some Catholics are closed off to view Mary in any other regard outside of what the church has said they should. Have you ever thought about how to explain that Mary had other children in the Bible, yet the Catholic church says that she is still a virgin? Just a thought to ponder on.
Have a good day. Oh, and happy Lent.
Amanda
2007-02-23 06:10:16 · answer #5 · answered by One Odd Duck 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Not everyone believes that. I sure don't believe you guys worship Mary.
According to some religious organizations, Catholics praying to Mary as mediator between God and men is the same as worship. But if you walk around carrying a Statue of Mary, pray to her, and so on, it's pretty easy to see why some people say you do.
In my opinion, if you believe in Catholicism, you are within your right to do so.
I am not anti-Catholics. True that I have said many things regarding the historic past of the Catholic Church due to the destruction and persecution of Pagans and Christian manuscripts that the church didn't like at that time.
But that is another thing. I cannot judge how people worship their Gods. Nobody has the right to judge how others worship their Gods.
2007-02-23 06:16:13 · answer #6 · answered by David G 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Well actually, dont get mad by my opinion...I believe Jesus is the only link between God and humanity. The bible says that we have an advocate with the father, which is Jesus. I also believe that Mary was just merely a vessel, so were the other Saints. Our main focus in life is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ......And only him...
2007-02-23 06:08:43 · answer #7 · answered by matt b 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Because the Roman church is making Mary into a co-redemptrix, and praying to anyone instead of God is spiritual adultery. We are told by our Catholic friends that they venerate and don't worship Mary, but, as you can see in the dictionary links below, there is little difference between veneration and worship.
Besides, according to the Bible, "There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and man - the man, Christ Jesus." (I Timothy 2:5)
2007-02-23 06:12:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
shes not the mother of god.
god created her, how can she be his mother?
if she is gods mother then she created god thus she would be the creator of god.
secondly, you pray to mary, the bible speaks against speaking to spirits.
John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
and "me" in that doesnt mean mary.
sorry but mary holds no importance here. Jesus is the "strongest link between god and humanity" ...
if jesus is god, then why did jesus say, "my god my god why have you forsaken me"
does your god have a god above him?
2007-02-23 06:15:21 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I know. Those other protestants like to insult Catholics like we are pagans or Mary worshippers. We are not! She is an important figure and we venerate her because she gave birth to Jesus and the angel Gabriel said "blessed are you among all women", this isn't a regular woman. Even Luther who led the Protestant Reformation had a devotion to Mary. They should know this.
2007-02-23 06:15:40 · answer #10 · answered by cynical 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋