Jesus, though obviously thoughtful for his mother, did not elevate her status.
2007-10-30 13:08:47 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
So i see what you trying to say, The virgin mary is really a Queen of heaven in the pagan times and the catholic church took to themselves to worship the virgin mary.
Isaiah 42:8
" I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."
2007-10-30 13:17:43 · answer #1 · answered by Wally 6 · 0⤊ 8⤋
You're wrong.
Jesus did elevate Mary's status. He chose her as His mother.
Oh, and the word is venerate (or honor), not worship. Catholics worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Edited: And what is with this "some Christian churches"? This is at least the fourth time in less than a day I've seen someone attempt being coy when throwing rocks at Catholicism. You're not flying under the radar with this, so why not honestly call out the ones you're slamming instead of a pseudo-innuendo that fools no one?
Miller, your statement is incoherent. And non-Catholic Christians don't have an exclusive patent on "born again".
2007-10-30 21:01:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
The “Queen of Heaven” and Idolatry
We find a parallel to today as we examine Jeremiah’s message to Jerusalem.
When Jehovah told his prophet not to pray on behalf of the people, he pointed out why. “Are you not seeing what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The sons are picking up sticks of wood, and the fathers are lighting the fire, and the wives are kneading flour dough.” And in what zealous enterprise was the whole family involved? “To make sacrificial cakes to the ‘queen of the heavens’”!
Jeremiah 7:16-18; 44:15, 19.
One Jewish commentary states: “The cult of the ‘queen of heaven’ was eagerly and openly pursued.”
Incredibly, the nation of Judah was practicing idolatry, worshiping a pagan goddess, possibly the Babylonian fertility goddess, Ishtar, the third divinity of the Babylonian astral triad. Or this “queen” could have been the corresponding Canaanite goddess, Ashtoreth.
1 Kings 11:5, 33.
In addition to this goddess worship, they were indulging in other idolatry. Jehovah condemned them for this, saying: “Why is it that they have offended me with their graven images, with their vain foreign gods?” The indictment continued: “They have not obeyed my voice and have not walked in it, but they kept on walking after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baal images, about which their fathers had taught them.”
(Jeremiah 8:19; 9:13, 14)
Has Christendom fallen into the same trap?
Visit virtually any church or cathedral—Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox—and you will at least find images of the cross. But in the Catholic and Orthodox realms, there are images of “the ever-virgin Holy Mary, Mother of the True God” in an endless variety of settings and postures. Every superlative title is heaped upon her, including “Queen of heaven” and “Queen of the universe”
On the other hand, true worshipers, while respecting Mary as Jesus’ mother and an anointed believer, has carefully followed the apostolic counsel: “Guard yourselves from idols.”
1Â John 5:21; Jeremiah 10:14.
http://www.watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm
There are other parallels too (not relating to this question though)
2007-10-31 05:17:04 · answer #3 · answered by New ♥ System ♥ Lady 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
What Christian churches worship a Pagan Queen of heaven? I have a PhD in religious studies and I have never heard of that. Would that make them Pagan also, I guess and not Christian. You'll never have to worry about the Catholics doing such nonsense as we worship God alone.
In Christ
Fr. Joseph
2007-10-30 21:03:34 · answer #4 · answered by cristoiglesia 7 · 6⤊ 2⤋
I don't know any Christian church that does this. Certainly the Roman Catholic church doesn't. They teach that to worship Mary is Heresy.
There are a number of churches which honor Mary, remembering the words of the Angel at the Annunciation, but I know of none who elevate her to a status suggestive of worship. If you know of one, let me know. I'd be interested.
2007-10-30 22:01:59 · answer #5 · answered by Deirdre H 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Pagans also worshipped the King of Heaven, why do Christian churches do so?
Now lets think about this. In Christian mythology, God wishes to become a man. So in order to do this, he must first find a female human to impregnate and then he becomes a fetus inside her.
This makes the baby God.
Which, in turn, makes Mary the mother of God. I don't think that anyone's status could get higher than that already, do you? Except for God himself, that is. What would there be for Jesus to elevate? She is ALREADY elevated about as high as a human could go, being the mother of God, right.
If I was a Christian, and knew that Mary, God's mother, could put in a good word for me to God, you bet I'd ask her to. I wouldn't pray TO her as though she was God, but I'd sure be asking her to grab God's ear for me and help my prayers TO God reach him, maybe put in a good word for me too.
That's about what Catholics do with Mary. They don't pray to her as though she is God, at all. And it isn't the Catholics who "elevated her status" at all, she did that herself (well, God did it for her) by making her the mother of God. Doesn't get any higher than that, for a human.
Of course, not being a Christian, I personally don't do any of that, but that is what Catholics do.
2007-10-30 20:26:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 1⤋
Nonsense. You are absolutely incorrect.
According to the royal tradition of the House of David, of which Jesus is the eternal and everlasting king, only the mother of the king is the queen.
See 1st Kings 2:12-20 to read exactly how this works.
Luke later tells us exactly WHO Jesus is, and Luke's definition of Jesus clearly describes Mary's position, as Jesus' mom:
Luk 1:30 And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Luk 1:31 Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever.
Luk 1:33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Read it carefully, so there can be no doubt.
Mary is the official Queen of the House of David ... and Mary is the authentic and God ordained Queen of Heaven as well, according to the grace of her divine son, Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Still, Mary remains a creature like us, and worship is reserved for God alone.
2007-10-31 03:37:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Another slam on Roman Catholics! Nice! What part of the Deep South are you from?
Perhaps a history lesson is in order for you, Bob Jones. Protestant Christianity developed from Roman Catholicism, which developed from early Christianity, which was a form of Judaism. Judaism developed from Zoroastrianism. (There's a few thousand Zoroastrians left in India and Iran.)
Anyhow, the very roots of our religion (Christianity) begin in Zoroastrianism, which I believe many Evangelicals or Assemblies of God or Fundamentalists or Old-Time-Old Fashioned-Tabernacle Baptists would identify as "Pagan," as there are two gods in Zoroastrianism.
At any rate, Jesus did place a lot of prominence on His Mother, and Roman Catholics pray for her intercession (they do not pray to her directly, nor do they pray directly to any other Saint, in the way prayers are offered to God).
The Virgin Mother isn't "worshipped," as you put it, but her intercession on our behalf with God is what's asked for; I've never heard her referred to as "the Queen of Heaven."
2007-10-30 20:39:13 · answer #8 · answered by Andrew S 4 · 7⤊ 2⤋
Pagans also worshiped their gods on Sundays and celebrated what has now become known as Christmas and Easter. Why do some Christian churches do so.
2007-10-30 20:18:42 · answer #9 · answered by Mr. E 7 · 1⤊ 4⤋
THOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME
God said that.. and if any Christians out there are worshipping the Queen of Heaven..pls repent and ask for forgiveness from God.
2007-10-30 23:57:38 · answer #10 · answered by princess 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
No difference betewen worship & respect
Some Monotheists consider their diety generless so they are worshiping the male & female.
Others just ignore anything the women have to contribute.
Just down to personal opinions really.
.
2007-10-31 08:50:08 · answer #11 · answered by Rai A 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋