confused catholic?

Question

i am a believer of god n my guardian saint is st michael, i believe and feel comforted by both the compassion of god and mother mary. i feel that our mother is real and is a pawn of gods mighty grace and compassion. People say that god despised people worshipping idols, isnt mary an idol? am i sinning against god. btw dont go about laughing at mary just state your point lets be mature abt this.

zoril,thks alot but where in the bible says mary did not remain a virgin?
TigerLily,figured lol learnt it all my 18 years but dint actually think abt it. went thru cathecism like a blind dog :P thanks
Macaw's,thks for you prayer. gonna do more reading and praying on your reading.
Wally,haven't heard the part of priest being the continuation of god in my life; if it is that i also do not agree what i understand is that the priest are merely helpers of god like a minister in christian churches and confession to the priest are just a physical medium for the people to seek forgiveness from the lord and not from the priest. thks
pbb, but i read so much on idols and just am confused
Balaam, thanks it will take me awhile to digest.
robert,eiere,paula, there is alot more of thinking and praying abt what u guys said, i take it all and thank your from my heart and eveyone else who replied this will help me in strenghtening my faith. but mary's obedience to god is awesome n i respect her 4 tht

yours in christ, chris

Answer 1

Some of our non-Catholic Christians are more confused than you are. Don't listen to them ,they are all lies.They say it is in their Bibles,if so their Bibles are full of misinterpretations
Already in the beginning God had elected Mary to her unique vocation in the scheme of salvation.It is the obscure people whom God chooses for his work.Among them a special place belongs to Mary.We are not wrong in believing that long ages before she was conceived in the womb of her mother,Anna,Mary was anthologically conceived and sanctified for the divine purpose,so that we could also apply to her work of the Lord,which came to Jeremiah.

"Before i formed you in the womb - i new you - and before you were born,i concecrated you " [JER.1:5]

Mary was also conceived in the womb of Anna (Joachim and Anna) - Angels visited the aged barren parents.

Mary was from the beginning "endowed with grace" (Kecharitomene), or in the more familiar translation," full of grace " [LUKE 1:28] To be filled with grace is to be in the opposite condition from that of Original Sin.

Catholics do not worship idols. Statues and pictures are reminders of God and Mary.So don't worry,you are not sinning,the ones who are telling lies about Mary are in trouble.

Mary had served Jesus all her life.She had loved and served God with her whole heart and soul. She had never commited the slightest sin.So in Heaven she was to have her reward.Body and soul Mary entered Heaven. Jesus gave Mary the title of Queen of Heaven.Mary is the Queen of Heaven.

Mary has come to us through her many apparitions with messages from God that are not in the Bible. There have been too many well recorded and documented apparitions to dismiss as fantasy or misguided spiritual fervour and the works that flowed from them were.good.Unfortunately Catholic haters will write anything to convince Christians that these appearences are false and they claim to offer natural explanations for many of the miricles performed,but they leave out some key points which they cant explain but don';t mention.


EDIT...zori..... .Where in the Bible does it state that Mary did not remain a virgin ?

Answer 2

Catholics will tell you things like they "believe" church leadership was passed down in direct succession from Peter. Or that there are some biblical "hints" about the trinity. Or that they had some mysterious authority to change the day of worship from Saturday (the holy sabbath) to Sunday. Or that there's some biblical basis for the communion of Saints. Or that the selection process for the New Testament was divinely inspired and without politics involved. They may even quote scripture to show authority for church tradition. Their justifications are self-serving and thin at best. They serve only to strengthen the church's grip on Catholics. That's what the Protestant reformation was all about. By the way: the trinity, the veneration of the Virgin Mary, the communion of Saints and even Christmas and Easter has its roots in polytheistic pagan religions -- the very same pagan religions from which the early church converted its members. These concessions to the polytheistic pagans made it easier to proselytize and recruit converts.

Answer 3

Mary had an important role in that she was the woman that God chose to bear His Son Jesus. She along with Joseph her husband raised Jesus. The Bible says that Mary did not remain a virgin and that she indeed did have other children. She was blessed because she was chosen of God for this important task. But that is where her story ends. She was a woman like all woman are. She fulfilled her mission and then she died. She is not to be worshipped in any way. Only God is to be worshipped.

Answer 4

Some people use Mary as an idol, others do not.

If she serves as an example to you, of a person who lived in obedience to God's will, that is great.

If she holds a role in your life that belongs to God, that is a problem.

You will have to examine your feelings toward Mary and your relationship with her and determine whether or not it is appropriate.

Also, if you are Catholic, and believe in the authority of the Catholic Church to determine what is right and wrong, you can turn to the teachings of your church for guidance.

Difficulties arise when a person determines that a belief or practice sanctioned by their faith is in error.

It is unclear to me which of these situations you find yourself in.

Answer 5

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."

Yes if you worship Mary you are already going against God for worshipping someone other then Him. Mary was just a lady and was born just like you and I and was a sinner also.

I also disagree with the priests been worshipped or going to them for confession and no one can forgive your sins but Jesus Christ who died on the cross for us.
Catholics saym the priests are a continuation of Christ or another Christ which is wrong.
" Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." [Matthew 24:4-5] Notice that Jesus immediately stated that such claims would be great deception, and would be successful in deceiving "many". Would you consider the Roman Catholic faithful, one billion strong, to constitute "many"? Further, I would consider the many thousands of Roman Catholic priests as "many" christs. Thus, in both sides of this coin, this Roman Catholic teaching qualifies as fulfillment of Jesus' End Times prophecy.

I wish you all the best in your search for the truth and may God bless you and take care.

Answer 6

Mary is not an idol. She is an example of one who said "yes" to God all her life. Catholics do NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT worship Mary. We admire her and her ability to step out in faith to be the mother of Jesus. Following this type of example is not against the Bible.

"Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ." I Corinthians 11:1

"Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us." Philippians 3:17

Catholicism strongly condemns any practice that does not point to Jesus. If someone places their relationship with Mary, golf, their children, etc., above their relationship with Jesus than it is wrong.

Mary is not divine, she is not a goddess. She was a human being fully redeemed and saved by God. She says so herself in Luke 1:46-55, "And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.'" Read the full passage here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%201:46-55

Jesus wanted Christians to see His mother as their mother. This comes from John 19:27, where Jesus tells the beloved disciple, "Behold, your mother." If we are to follow the example of the apostles we are to honor Mary as our mother.

Catholics read the Scriptures and take them seriously. We also honor Jesus' request of us, his disciples.

Answer 7

Worshiping Mary is indeed idolatry, because this raises her to the level of deity (a god), clearly forbidden in the Scriptures.

She was indeed blessed to be the physical mother of Jesus, but she was in no way special other than that. She was a vessel, chosen by God to serve a purpose, just as the cross was chosen for a purpose. Neither are to be worshiped or venerated.

NOWHERE in Scripture does it EVER say to go to Mary for anything. The 11 apostles never did so, and Paul, the greatest of them all, never said anything of the sort in any of his writings.

The Catholic Church teaches that God has bestowed many special blessings and favors on Mary and has elevated her to be "Queen of Heaven", yet the Bible states that God is no respecter of persons, meaning that He elevates no one person above another. All men are equal in His sight. We are all sinners in need of salvation in His eyes. Besides, elevating Mary to being "Queen" of Heaven makes her equal with Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, which is blasphemy.

Praying to Mary and the "saints" is necromancy (communicating with the dead), strictly forbidden in Scripture. They are alive to God, but they are dead to us. Remember what happened to king Saul of Israel when he tried to communicate with the dead prophet Samuel. God destroyed Saul for communicating with a "familiar spirit" (demon) who posed as Samuel.

There are many doctrines taught by the Roman Cathollic Church that are erroneous and in some cases blasphemous. If you carefully read Scripture you will see them for yourself.

I hope this helps?

Answer 8

not at all.

Prayer before the Rosary:
"i unite myself with the saints in heaven'
I unite myself with the just on Earth
I unite myself with you, my Jesus
and with your holy mother
that I might praise her worthily
and worship you in her and by her"

Jesus loved/loves/will love His mother.
He chose her from amoung all women to be a vessel by which he would enter into this realm so that we may hear the message of peace. Not everyone gets it. He honoured her by obeying her at the wedding in Canaan and also by receiving an anonymous blessing from a bystander

Luke 11:27. And it came to pass, as he spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to him: Blessed is the womb that bore thee and the paps that gave thee suck.
11:28. But he said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.

He says right then and there that she hears the word of God and keeps it.

Answer 9

If you are REALLY Catholic, then you will know it's entirely YOUR choice to have a Marian devotion or not, and you will NOT consider this to be 'idol worship'.

And Michael is an ARCANGEL, by the way, not a saint.

You are so BUSTED.


THINK!

Answer 10

No you are not sinning, Mary is the Mother of Jesus and deserves our love and respect