[DennisR]

"You are way off in some of your characterizations"

Which ones specifically?

[B Knotts]

Well, to begin with, your insinuation that, in seeing Mary as being without sin, Catholics therefore believe she is some kind of lesser god(dess).

That does not follow at all. She was only conceived without sin through the application of Christ's sacrifice. She was saved by her Son, just like the rest of humanity; it's just that the salvation was applied retroactively in time. Also, it was not necessary that she be sinless...this is simply a sign that she was the immaculate ark of the new covenant.