Just because Catholics have pictures of Mary solo doesnt mean we worship or idolize her?

Question

You carry a picture of your loved one in your wallet or put a picture of your friend in a frame on the wall because you care for that person and the picture serves as a reminder of that person, but when a Catholic posts a painting of Mary or a Saint in a church, one automatically assumes it is idolatry and we are worshipping them?

Answer 1

I think that getting so frustrated over another's wrong assumption can be a tad unhealthy. I only say this because I saw your previous question.
Listen.
Some people just don't want to understand. If you've explained yourself as best as you can, calmly, and they still want to argue about it, its just because they're trying to get you mad. There are A LOT of people on the R&S board like that.
Catholicism is YOUR religion. Its what YOU believe, and some people are just flat out not going to believe it, even if everything in your body cries out that Catholicism is true. Accepting this makes you a happier, better Catholic. You know that you are not worshiping Mary, and you know what you are doing is right for you. Thats all that really counts. If people ask you questions about your religious beliefs, you answer them, and hope they understand. If they REFUSE to understand, and are just badgering you, and abusing you, leave them alone. They don't really want to know the answer, they just want to make you upset.
Please, don't let them beat you up too bad. If you get in a fight with them, it just makes you feel worse in the end.

Answer 2

Worship is the act of adoration to God. Catholics don't worship Mary, we pray for petitions to Mary and the angels and saints. James 5:16 "The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." Revelation 5: 8 "When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones." It is part of the tradition that a bride kneel down and ask for a blessing from the blessed virgin because she is the person who is closest to Christ than any saints. She is the perfect example of what a true woman should be. Luke 1: 42 "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

Answer 3

I don't think the Iconography is what people have a problem with. Although interestingly enough for years the Catholic church outlawed iconography of any kind. I digress. The problem comes when a person who believes that Christ is the only way to attain salvation and the only one who can intercede a prayer on behalf of his father. When one believes this, it is difficult to overlook the fact that firstly, Catholics confess their sins to other human beings (priests) even when Jesus said, "No man can come to the father but through me." and secondly, after said confession is complete, often there are some Hail Mary's involved in penance. Now, hailing Mary can not be found in the Bible, and makes little sense to the non-Catholic. Hailing Mary is a prayer to Mary. We non-Catholics only say prayers to the Father (God) through Jesus, and can not fathom praying to the Saviours earthly mother.

Answer 4

Exactly,Fuda.Prots. view just about everything through assumptions. They quote Ex 20:4-5 but take it only so far literally cuz they have no problem with money,which (as coins) is the great idol throughout the world.

FundaProts. are very selective about which verses they quote(often very out of context) and they ignore quotes from Ex 25:18-19(the making of the angel statues for the Ark)in which God commands the making and honoring of religious images.

Unlike Catholics ( One Holy CatholicApostolic Bible in OHCATradition in OHCAChurch) which as set principles and guidelines for Bible interpretations FundaProts. willy-nilly insist one passage is literal but another is not.

Thank you for speaking up and even though I know so many are very closed minded or even bigoted there is always grace.

Answer 5

Speaking for myself, a Catholic for 47 years, I know I am not worshiping Mary or any other saint. I know that the first definition of the word "pray" is to ask or petition. I pray directly to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But I have those good friends in Heaven, called saints, among them is our Blessed Mother and I can pray (ask) her to pray for me. I feel that is wonderful!

Answer 6

"In accordance with this design, Mary the Virgin is found obedient, saying, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.' But Eve was disobedient; for she did not obey when as yet she was a virgin. And even as she, having indeed a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise 'they were both naked, and were not ashamed,' inasmuch as they, having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient, was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race; so also did Mary, having a man betrothed [to her], and being nevertheless a virgin, by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race…. And thus also it was that the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith."

Answer 7

You are right. It only reflects our love for her as the Mother of God.

Those who believe we worship Mary, choose to believe that. They are armed with a few scriptures and some misconceptions and they will not yield to the truth.

You have stated the fact, they will believe what they want. If they were ever to really desire the truth, they would find that they have been blind.

Answer 8

To love Mary takes nothing at all from Christ, but honors our Blessed Lord by Whose grace she is who she is: His greatest creation, the greatest of Saints, the Queen of Heaven, the Immaculate Conception, the spotless Virgin, the Ark of the Covenant, the New Eve, the mother of God, and the mother of Israel -- our mother who wants nothing more for us than to pray for us and show us her Son.

Answer 9

I am not catholic but there are many good things that the catholic church does.One thing they help many people in America through Catholic charities.They are more realistic about sin because just because you are saved people still sin and they are not so hard on people that admit their faults.In the Protestant churches they look down on you if you even think about telling them that you sin and when they go home they are no different.People sin.Jesus said if you say you do not sin you lie.They put more emphasis on the Eucharist which is extremely important to be in communion with Jesus.They ask Mary to pray for them .They really do not worship Mary.That is O.K. as long as you worship Jesus God the Father and the Holy Spirit.The we believe prayer is right on besides I never said we believe in the Holy Catholic church.
The lighting of candles and putting money to lite one is dead wrong and God told me not to do that.They are more humble in church which has it's good points and not so good.The real religious part I can not go for.It is not in the style of Jesus,teachings.Baptizing a baby is not scriptural.First you must be saved.Dedicating your baby is scriptural.They are to hard on the divorce issue.The priest is called Father which Jesus said not to do.But all and all I enjoyed myself going to a catholic church for about 10 years

Answer 10

The Lords word says "come out of her my people lest you become partakers of her plagues."
The adoration of dead saints and relics IS idol worship.
Oh that's right, there is no commandment against idol worship in the Catholic ten commandments. Is there.
They removed the second and divided the tenth as to still have ten.

I was e-miled by a Catholic who claimed I had lied about their ten commandments, so here are the first two, you decide.

Coppied from; The General Catholic Catechism, (verbatim)
1st commandment. "I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no strange Gods before me."
2nd commandment. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain"
NOTHING ABOUT IDOL WORSHIP THAT I CAN SEE.