2007-05-10 15:05:42 · 27 answers · asked by houston t 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
blessed mary is not worshipped in the catholic faith. being the mother of jesus we keep the commandment (as we are all united in gods family) to honor thy father and mother. she is blessed and is held in high regard with honor she is worthy of. worship is for god alone. sadly many people have blind misconceptions about the catholic faith and alot is due to the predominant amount of anti catholicism that goes around. here are some sites for a better understanding of the catholic faith that will clear up this and other misconceptions you have regarding the faith
www.scripturecatholic.com
www.catholiceducation.org
www.newadvent.org
www.ewtn.com
www.fisheaters.com
www.salvationhistory.com
you may also want to locate the writings of the early church fathers to gain an indication of how the catholic church is as it was from when christ gave us the church.
2007-05-10 15:17:09 · answer #1 · answered by fenian1916 5 · 6⤊ 2⤋
A) Catholics do not worship Mary - they respect her. Same as some Houston "fundies" respects Joel Osteen.
But Mary is in heaven (as are the saints who have already died) so they can ALL intercede in prayer for us with God 9this is also mentioned in the NT). So some people asks the saints to do just that. They also pray to God directly.
B) Catholics do worship Jesus. If you actually went to a Cathlic mass you will discover that they do not cut off your head (or any other parts) and Jesus is the focus of the entire mass. They also see Jesus as a much more intimate part of Holy Communion than most fundy churches I've been to.
I am not Catholic, but I could be. I just happen to love my 'fundy' church - and that church is very proud to call itself Christian beside any brother Catholic church on this planet. As am I proud to be called 'brother' to any true Catholic.
What you will not see in a Catholic church is the HUMAN hero-worship associated with many mega-churches - you will not see the priests faces plastered on billboards or adverts urging you to "be a pert" of a church of 50,000 people. You will never hear of a Catholic ghurch called "John H###'s church" or "Joe O&&&&'s church" - it's always God's church.
Whose the more pagan now? Let repentance begin in your own house - in Jerusalem first, then Judea....
2007-05-10 22:24:10 · answer #2 · answered by Richard of Fort Bend 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
The small group of American Catholics that post here seem to dispute this point.
The actions of nearly a Billion people around the world speak louder than the empty posts here. Catholics pray to Mary and end their Prayers to her.
Is this the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray? Is this the way Jesus prayed? Is this the formula for prayer anywhere in the New Testament?
On the contrary we pray 'in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to the Father'.
All other prayers are bogus and insulting to God.
2007-05-10 22:42:34 · answer #3 · answered by realchurchhistorian 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Catholics do not worship Mary. Read John 3:16. It will tell you what it takes to gain eternal life. And while your at it, you might want to do some further study concerning what hell is. The word hell was used by translators for 3 separate words in original script. 2 of those words mean the grave and the other means a burning dump outside of old Jerusalem. None of them mean a place of eternal torment.
2007-05-10 22:14:28 · answer #4 · answered by Mr. E 7 · 6⤊ 2⤋
My answer to your question follows the same logic as Gemma. Here goes.
Thank you for mocking and insulting my Church. You may not realize it but whenever you say these things about the Catholic Church you are actually helping us. If I were looking for a religion I would be wary of a Church that uses black propaganda and dirty tricks to discredit other religions. More so if it calls itself Christian. Have you heard Buddhists bash other religions? Have you considered the fact that this might be the reason why they are the biggest religion in the world? Have you ever wondered why name calling is hardly used in commercial advertising?
Jesus warned his Church that there would be people like you who will persecute us. He also said we will be blessed by such persecution. So what you are doing is a blessing to us. Thank you!
"Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children! Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted." (Matthew 5, 9-12)
May the Lord's peace be with you!
2007-05-10 22:35:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
From the Catholic catechism(1992)
"MARY, SINLESS, PERPETUAL VIRGIN, MOTHER OF GOD, QUEEN OF HEAVEN, CO- REDEMPTRESS WITH CHRIST.
It is the "co-redemptress" part that is a heresy. But it is a heresy of The Venerable Church of Rome, and not necessarily a heresy embraced by that entire church.
Those who teach this heresy, or those who formulated it would be at the greatest risk of the judgment of Christ Jesus.
Keep in mind, your "smallest sin" is greater than all of the sins of others if you fail to have the compassion of Christ Jesus for them.
The final judgment is not for US to proclaim here in The Church Militant.
Only The Church Triumphant (those right-confessing Christians who have passed on to the heavenly realms) will sit with Jesus The Christ and participate in His judgment, for only they are "certainly" Christians at heart.
Thank God that Mary and all of the Martyrs and Saints are alive in the body of Christ Jesus, for if they of The Body of Christ are dead, then certainly Christ Jesus must be dead also.
But He defeated death, and those who have rightly confessed Him at their own death are now alive with Him in His Body that never dies.
For some to say that Mary and all Christians who have died remain dead do not understand the mystery of The Resurrection, but you did not ask that.
I am only refining my answer due to claims here that Mary and other Christians who have died are truly dead.
May The Lord Jesus Christ save our souls through the prayers of The Theotokos-- The Ever-Virgin Mary--and all of The Saints!
Amen.
2007-05-10 22:25:24 · answer #6 · answered by gordios_thomas_icxc 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Anyone (Catholic or not) worshipping Mary or anyone else but God is a violation of the First Commandment.
Fortunately Catholics do not worship Mary and the other saints.
+ Saints +
Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.
The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.
Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints. You, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.
As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray for you. Or you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray for you.
Prayer to saints is communication, not worship.
+ The Blessed Virgin Mary +
"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28)
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42).
In Luke 1:48, Mary prophesied: "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
A question for Christians who take the Bible literally: Do you call Mary "blessed"? If no, why?
The Hail Mary prayer simply recites Bible passages (the Word of God) and asks Mary to pray for us:
Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with you. (These are the words the angel Gabriel said to Mary, a Bible quote.)
Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (This is Mary's cousin Elizabeth's greeting, another bible quote.)
Holy Mary, (The angel Gabriel said she was full of grace and Elizabeth said she was blessed.)
Mother of God, (the Bible says Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, God the Son)
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. (A simple request to pray for us.)
Amen.
+ With love in Christ.
2007-05-11 01:12:50 · answer #7 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Catholics do not worship Mary. The confusion comes with the definition of the word "pray". To pray means to ask or request. Prayer is not equal to the word "worship". When we pray to Mary (or any one in heaven) we are requesting that they intercede for us with God. (...pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.)
Also confusing the situation in many peoples eyes is that she is the Queen of Heaven. As a good Jewish boy, Jesus elevated his mother to Queen just as Solomon did. Solomon had many wives, none of whom became his queen. His mother was his queen.
2007-05-10 22:28:35 · answer #8 · answered by Michael B 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Catholics don't worship Mary.
Yes, I know you don't believe that.
However, if someone says they do not worship someone, they don't. Very simple.
Just to clarify, what I mean is this: the members of a religion are the ones who get to define the terms within that religion. If Catholics decide that their fondness for Mary is not worship but simple reverence, then it is. Period.
It's kind of like the whole "Wiccans worship Satan" thing. Wiccans do not worship Satan because the deities they worship are not Satan, nor do they believe in Satan.
Outside groups can decide to believe that Catholics really are worshipping Mary, or that Wiccans worship Satan, but their opinions have no bearing on reality. Religions are created from within, by their practitioners, and are not defined by what outside sources say.
2007-05-10 22:08:05 · answer #9 · answered by Huddy 6 · 10⤊ 3⤋
Catholics don't worship Mary as opposed to worshipping Jesus, don't listen to the fundies they don't investigate their claims about catholics properly they just go by what they see and assume
2007-05-10 22:10:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 3⤋