Why do some cChristians bear false witness (a sin) by claiming Catholics worship Mary, saints, and the Pope?

Question

Yeah, excuse the typo there...

Catholic Crusader:

And why do some Catholics still quote Aquinas's proofs of God's existence when they've been shown by Hume et al to be invalid?


Primoa:

Please show me in the Catechism where worship of anyone but the Triune God is approved.

Primoa:

If you have not researched the teachings of the RCC for yourself -- how can you know what the RCC says?

Let's say you've met some Catholics who did literally worship Mary. Does that invalidate that the official teaching of the Church is that only the Triune God is worthy of worship?

Are you telling me that every single member of whatever Church you attend is 100% in agreement with you on all matters of doctrine, and that it's 100% orthodox with your denomination or lack thereof?

Catholic Crusader:

By using arguments that have been pointed out to you as being invalid, you are guilty of the same error as they are, by being in the service of Lies, not Truth.

Primoa:

The Bible also says that one should confess one's sins to the entirety of the Church.

Further, if Jesus is the sole mediator of forgiveness, why did he specifically tell his apostles that what sins they forgive are forgiven, what sins they bind are bound?

Are you calling Jesus a liar?

Atheists need to get saved:

Um... yiff?

Suzanne:

Don't get me wrong -- Catholicism has some pretty major problems. So does all Christianity.

I'm just saying these people need to do their research before they preach things they should know are false (or should not be preaching them at all).

It's not that I agree with any form of Christianity, it's that I dislike seeing a group attacked for things that are not true.

Even as an atheist, I won't stand by and watch Christianity get smacked around by false accusations, regardless of denomination.

Come up with a valid point though to smack around someone, and it's not my problem any more -- if they believe it, let them defend it. :)

Answer 1

A number of reasons.

One is that they truly believe that Catholics worship these things (and that Eastern Orthodox worship icons). They truly do not see the difference between veneration and worship.

Second, some don't get the concept of grace. They feel that they have to do something to be redeemed. One way they can do this is to find the "right" sect and follow it in the right way. This shows them to be "superior" and worthy of being chosen.

Third, some just parrot what others tell them.

My observations....an non-Catholic.

Answer 2

The bible (God's Word) tells us to worship but one God. Teaches us against idolitry. Well,..I will go in your order.... First Mary: Catholics, pray the Hail Mary as part of the rosery, ritual. They are taught to pray to her believing that because she is the mother of Jesus that she has a strong connection to God in gettting our wishes granted. There are statues that are knelt and prayed at in idolizing her. There are visions of Mary and everyone goes to the sighting just to pray for miracles from her. The RCC teaches worship of Mary. As if she were God. (idolitry) The RCC teaches this in CCD classes. Second: Also, they teach that one must pray to certain saints for certain wishes. St. Christopher is Patron Saint of Travel, St Jude, patron saint of hopeless cases, St. Theresa for another and so on. They have a saint to pray to for everything....Not God but a saint ... AND Saints are named by the Pope (Vadicane) for the good works in their life after death. So, man makes a dead person a saint. When in fact we are all saints. Third: As far as the Pope. Kissing his ring is certainly sign of worship and idolizing which is completely against the word of God. It is taught that when one comes before the Pope, his ring is to be kissed.
One of my own..... the bible also tells us one Father. Then why do the leaders in a church need to be called father? They aren't anyones father because they aren't even married.
I have one Heavenly Father ...God... and one earthly father.
I hope this answers the question.
****
ann

Answer 3

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything that is in Heaven above or in the Earth beneath,or in the waters below.This is the 4th Commandment. Mary is in Heaven. Catholics also not only pray to Mary they pray to many so called Saint.'s as well as bow down before their statutes an that is an image.You confess to a Priest, and you kiss the Pope's ring. It seems like worship to us. We do not do any of these things. The Bible says not to, sorry.

Answer 4

Pastor artwork, with all due know, why do you experience that we won't be able to ask the Blessed mom, the saints, or perhaps our relatives/buddies to wish for us right here one earth? optimistic, they're "lifeless" in a actual experience... yet do no longer forget approximately, they're extra ALIVE than ever, in Heaven, with Christ. With peace and love in Christ

Answer 5

Some members of the Roman church do worship Mary etc. Or are you confused about what the word worship means. Saying the Rosary and After the Rosary many would consider worship and having a picture on the wall of Mary and child many would consider an idolatrous situation. So you have a problem with what is considered worship.

Answer 6

I am often reminded of the wise words of George Costanza - It is not a lie if you believe it, Jerry.

Of course, it does not make it true. The only thing some people know about Catholicism is what they hear from their pastor or from Chick tracts.

Answer 7

I don't think all catolics do but I have seen alot that do it.I once saw one who had a bumper sticker that said hail mary,full of grace, conceived without sin.Then of course at the local catholic church there is a life size mary statue with a place where you can kneel down and pray to her.

Answer 8

The Bible is absolutely clear that we are to worship God alone. The only instances of anyone other than God receiving worship in the Bible are false gods, which are Satan and his demons. All followers of the Lord God refuse worship. Peter and the apostles refused to be worshipped (Acts 10:25-26; 14:13-14). The holy angels refuse to be worshipped (Revelation 19:10; 22:9). The response is always the same, "Worship God!"

Roman Catholics attempt to "bypass" these clear Scriptural principles by claiming they do not “worship” Mary or saints, but rather that they only "venerate" Mary and the saints. Using a different word does not change the essence of what is being done. A definition of "venerate" is "to regard with respect or reverence." Nowhere in the Bible are we told to revere anyone but God alone. There is nothing wrong with respecting those faithful Christians who have gone before us (see Hebrews chapter 11). There is nothing wrong with honoring Mary as the earthly mother of Jesus. The Bible describes Mary as "highly favored" by God (Luke 1:28). At the same time, there is no instruction in the Bible to revere those whom have gone to Heaven. We are to follow their example, yes, but worship, revere, or venerate, no!

When forced to admit that they do, in fact, worship Mary, Catholics will claim that they worship God through her, by praising the wonderful creation that God has made. Mary, in their minds, is the most beautiful and wonderful creation of God, and by praising her, they are praising her Creator. For Catholics, this is analogous to directing praise to an artist by praising his sculpture or painting. The problem with this is that God explicitly commands against worshipping Him through created things. We are not to bow down and worship anything in the form of heaven above or earth below (Exodus 20:4-5). Romans 1:25 could not be more clear, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen." Yes, God has created wonderful and amazing things. Yes, Mary was a godly woman who is worthy of our respect. No, we absolutely are not to worship God "vicariously" by praising things (or people) He has created. Doing so is blatant idolatry.

Answer 9

(((J.P.)))

I know you're too smart to not know what the Bible defines as "false witness," and that it rises above and beyond mere lying, so I'll let that one go.

As you may remember, I'm a Pre-Millenial Dispensationalist fundie, so keep in mind that it's my understanding that the letters to the 7 churches in Revelation are representative of the "Church Age."

Keep in mind that the description of Christ in verse 12b, from Revelation 1:16, tells us Jesus had appeared to John in order to JUDGE these churches.

The third letter dictated by Jesus to the Apostle John can be found at Revelation 2:12-17, to the church at Pergamum (which means “thoroughly married”). Pergamum was a major city of idolatry with many temples, one of which was the Temple of Esculapius, containing an idol in the form of a serpent. This is clearly representative of the church of the age of Constantine, who made Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire in 313 AD -- thus, "marrying" the church and state, just as Jesus implies.

Jesus describes the Pergamum church as dwelling where Satan himself dwells – where Esculapius the serpent-son and a multitude of idols were worshipped.

Jesus soundly condemns this church in verses 14-15, and two reasons are cited. First, they are condemned for allowing some to hold to the teachings of Balaam (v. 14), the seer of Mesopotamia who tried to pronounce a prophetic curse on Israel at Numbers 22-24. At Balaam's recommendation, the Moabite and Midianite women were sent out to sexually entice the Jewish men; part of that enticement included the worship of the gods of Moab and Midian. The plot succeeded, Israel was cursed due to its disobedience and many died in a plague. It cannot be denied that Balaam's plot encouraged corruption of Judaism by pagan intermarriage, fornication and idolatry. No doubt in the paganized city of Pergamum, intermarriage with the pagan world was a real problem. Because civil and religious life were so intertwined, Christians were constantly surrounded by paganism. Apparently, many Christians compromised their beliefs and began to fall for a renewed "Balaam's curse."

As I wrote above, in the age of Constantine, the church became "married" to the state, which eventually resulted in spiritual fornication and idolatry. Now that the church was made a state religion, people all over the Roman Empire were baptized into the church without any real regard to personal faith. By simply being baptized, they were able to join the new establishment. As a result, a massive number of pagans entered the church, bringing idolatry as these people added Jesus to the many other gods that they already had. It cannot be denied that this spiritual fornication planted the seeds for what later developed into the Roman Catholic Church. Thus, Jesus rightfully condemns these early Catholics for holding to the teachings of Balaam.

At verse 15, this church is condemned for permitting the teachings of the Nicolaitans (which means "victors over the people" or "rulers over the world"). True to this name, it was during this period of Church history that a distinction began to emerge between the clergy and the laity with different sets of laws and regulations for each group. A priestly order was set up in the church which further corrupted and laid the foundation for what was to follow in the next phase of the Church Age.

Jesus urges these believers to repent and to clean up the church, before it is judged. Jesus exhorts those who repent and turn from the idolatrous ways of the Catholic church.

So if Jesus condemns the Catholic Church as holding to the pagan doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, it would seem perfectly reasonable that Protestants eschew their theology. But should we condemn them? No.

Answer 10

Catholics do worship Mary, and some of the Saints (so called). However they explain it away with well rehearsed excuses. I would think that to worship Mary would be a sin. Then to lie and say you don't, would be another sin.
There is no way out of this for Catholics-they do it, but they also deny it.