Why is it that when I ask a catholic why they pray to Mary- they answer 'we do not worship Mary'?

Question

It's almost a guarantee- 'we do not worship Mary'!
Ok, but that's not what I asked. Why would one even attempt to communicate with the dead when the same book that catholic leadership says is the truth confirms that it is an abomination unto God (father of Jesus)- like homosexuality- but there is hesitation is saying 'homosexuality is an abomination unto God!'

I am not asking if you worship Mary, or any other dead person that cannot hear your prayers and does not even remember you. I am asking why are you seeking to communicate with the DEAD?

by the way- in the old testament did you know that God (the one true) ordered those who did this to be killed? do you think He likes it now?

Answer 1

We (and I use this term for all followers of the Christian faith, not just Catholics) tend to at times disregard scriptures that make us uncomfortable. I believe that is why Catholics want to disregard the fact that God sees this as an abomination.

The hard fact is that there are parts of the bible that are going to seem harsh to even the most devout of people, but harsh or not we've got to learn to accept them.

For the record, I'm not Catholic. I am a Christian, but I do not belong to any of the "churches" save the church of Christ himself. I think that there's too many politics involved when you get into some of the more established branches of Christianity.

Answer 2

Do you believe in the human soul? Do you believe in its survival after death? If so, then naturally the soul, the person, is alive in well, hopefully in heaven. They are not dead.

The reason you're getting the response "we do not worship Mary" is because we Catholics are constantly accused of worshiping her when we do not. No matter how many times we explain our relationship with Mary, we are still accused. Our prayers to her, or any other saint, are requests for intercession - help.

God bless.

Answer 3

Yes it is true they worship her as "Queen of Heaven" and any answer to the contrary is deliberately misleading.

Any mention of the Communion of Saints by Catholic apologists, pr agents and spin doctors is totally irrelevant to this question. So too is any argument that Mary is just considered one of the more important saints of the church.

Catholics worship, I mean as a Goddess- Mary as Queen of Heaven. That is precisely how she is viewed and many, thousands of churches have statues of Mary with a crown in recognition of this official catholic position.

Catholics since 1871 also worship the Pope as a Living Deity (God) on Earth being infallible and therefore above all human law and all other human beings.

Jesus was human and never considered himself infallible, so today Pope Benedict is technically a more powerful God under the pantheon of Gods and saints of the Catholic Church.

Of course, such concepts are strenuously denied. So too are 20 centuries of crimes against humanity
See: The Almanac of Evil.
http://one-faith-of-god.org/final_testament/end_of_darkness/evil/evil_0190.htm

I'll let you decide who is telling the truth.

Answer 4

1- we dont hesitate in saying homsexuality is an abomination

2-mary did not die a mortal death - august 15th is called the ascention because of this.

3-by the way, did you know that the bible was complied under roman catholic guidance? and that this is the reason we dont attempt to interpret in 'our own way' like protestants: complete and utter confusion.

4-one of the answers above (which makes the point that god is our saviour - thanks for clearing that up, btw) is the reason we say that we dont worship mary: because asking why we pray to her is a leading question for some protestants who juxtaposed that we worship her.

Answer 5

A friend of mine, who is Catholic, says that she prays to Mary because, as Jesus' mother, Mary can intercede for us with Jesus and convince Him to answer our prayers. I don't agree with it but that's how she explained it to me.

I heard a preacher once say to a Catholic, "Why do you pray to Mary? Why do you not pray LIKE Mary?" Then explain how Mary prayed to God. The woman he was talking to gained new insight and her prayer life became much more fulfilling.

Answer 6

This is not true. As Scripture indicates, those in heaven are aware of the prayers of those on earth. This can be seen, for example, in Revelation 5:8, where John depicts the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God under the form of "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." But if the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God, then they must be aware of our prayers. They are aware of our petitions and present them to God by interceding for us.

Some might try to argue that in this passage the prayers being offered were not addressed to the saints in heaven, but directly to God. Yet this argument would only strengthen the fact that those in heaven can hear our prayers, for then the saints would be aware of our prayers even when they are not directed to them!

In any event, it is clear from Revelation 5:8 that the saints in heaven do actively intercede for us. We are explicitly told by John that the incense they offer to God are the prayers of the saints. Prayers are not physical things and cannot be physically offered to God. Thus the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God mentally. In other words, they are interceding.

Answer 7

What we do when we pray to Mary, is ask for her to intercede our prayers. We venerate her, for being Jesus' mother and being a model Christian. Mary was assumed into heaven and is living with God in paradise. As pointed out earlier there was no record that she died of a mortal death.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmIPyUXbeP8VE0t2hdWXu47sy6IX?qid=20070517001111AAtgyAJ&show=7#profile-info-9N5obFwqaa

Answer 8

I was told the universal answer would most likely be "it's tradition". I am not Catholic so I don't understand why people pray to saint when they can take it to the source. Why have a mailman per say.

Answer 9

According to Bile, God and Jehovah is Savior
Isaiah 43:11
I, even I, am Jehovah; and beside me there is no savior.
(1 Timothy 2:3)
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;
Isaiah 43:3
For I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Isaiah 45:15
Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior.
1 Timothy 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.
Titus 1:3
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

People declared Mary is savior
http://www.creationists.org/MessagesFromHeaven/apparition_claim/savior.html
http://www.nisbett.com/news/news11.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3806/is_199711/ai_n8766417

Answer 10

What a good question! So true! But you know, trying to get truthful answers from some people is often as difficult as pulling teeth; especially when it happens to be someone as confused as those taught be ones claiming to represent the true God but proving so utterly false to its power, such as by sending its people to slaughter brothers from another continent, even in times of war... blessing both sides as we have seen them do... condoning homosexuality and pagan worship, which is becoming increasingly popular just as in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, which had to be destroyed for its disgusting and unnatural practices... which were just that... as described in Genesis... and yes, even Saul, when he went ahead and tried to communicate with the dead, it did cost him his life! and all sorts of disgusting things according to the true God, seems to be what is totally acceptable to these people, who are spoken of in the book they claim to represent, as absolute detestable and absolutely unacceptable form of worship to a God who only wants to be worshipped in spirit and truth... I just don't know why they don't take the time to check it out for themselves and make some sort of attempt at making sure of all things... as requested in John 4:24 and why the religion they claim to follow on that one day of the week, has little in common with the way they spend the rest of the week... as they curse even God and anyone else in their paths? a the drop of a hat??? It's quite the thing! to be a Catholic... and most of all, very confusing to make sense of!
Just a peek at another answer just above me, prompted me to come back to tell him that if and when angels pray in heaven, it is not for anyone but themselves that they do so... as the Creator is worthy of everyone's prayers, even angels pray and glorify and thank Him... and not someone else! Only Him, who wants exclusive devotion... check the dictionary if you don't understand what exclusive means... even Peter told the angel to get up when he kneeled at him... and Jesus didn't even want anyone to worship in but only the Father in the heavens... People don't let go of old habits very easy do they??? And find it so difficult to go and make sure of what is all written, not just in a few select scriptures but all of them were written for our instructions, benefit and to the glory of God, who makes is so clear, that the dead are conscious of nothing at all... until He resurrects them. Ecclesiastes 9: 5, 10 and that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous as seen at Acts 24: 15. So why pray to the dead??? is beyond me! and always was! A child that hasn't been brain-washed by the system, understands that so clearly! It really ruins a good brain to damage them with such incredilous lies and half-truths... which are so popular in Satan's old system, right now... soon to be gone forever! and ever and ever! whether his followers like it or not, the buck stops with the true God and not the Father of the Lie... who's pulling most of the strings out there today!