Posted on 10/21/2008 6:22:38 AM PDT by Ottofire
Mary Worship Still Alive in Catholicism
10/21/2008 - Tur8infan Benedict XVI is reported (link to report) as recently praying to Mary: "We implore you to have pity today on the nations that have gone astray, on all Europe, on the whole world, that they might repent and return to your heart," the text of the prayer reads.
This is a prayer that is openly idolatrous. Mankind needs to turn, not to the heart of Mary, but to the Son of Mary, Jesus Christ the Righteous. The true and proper object of worship is God alone.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Benedict XVI is also reported as praying to her, "If you will not help us because we are ungrateful and unworthy children of your protection, we will not know to whom to turn."
This prayer demonstrates the underlying blindness of Catholicism. There is a place to which not only all of Europe in general, but Mr. Ratzinger in particular ought to turn for help, and whose protection should be sought: the throne of the Most High God, by the intercession of the Son of God, Jesus Christ with the aid of the Holy Spirit.
But though Jesus is the Son of Mary, and though Mary is greatly blessed to be the Mother of our Saviour, yet Jesus himself said:
Matthew 12:48-50
48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
And again:
Mary 3:33-35
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
It is almost as though Jesus was concerned lest some might foolishly fall into the trap of worshiping his blood relatives! Indeed, here is Jesus' own condemnation of the error of adoration and veneration of Jesus' mother. They do not hold a special place in the kingdom of God, but are like all those who do the will of God. Yet Catholicism, as can be seen from this event, continues to elevate Mary improperly to the status of, in effect, a goddess to whom prayers are offered.
Benedict XVI did not even omit to provide a sacrifice to this de facto goddess. It is reported that, "In a gesture of filial love, the Pope then offered the Madonna a golden rose." One is reminded immediately of the similar offerings presented by the Philistines to the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament, particularly given Catholicism's claim (or at least the claim of her apologists) that Mary is the "ark of the New Covenant."
Finally, we should note that Benedict XVI is reported not to have left Jesus entirely out: "...The secret of Pompeii is the rosary: "This prayer leads us through Mary to Jesus." But, in fact, the Rosary leads men away from Jesus, as can be seen in the idolatry illustrated in the prayers above. Benedict XVI is reported to have claimed, "The rosary is a spiritual weapon in the struggle against evil, against all violence, for peace in hearts, in families, in society and in the world."
But, in fact, sadly it is an extra-Scriptural innovation: unknown to the apostles and unpracticed for centuries and centuries following Christ's ascension. The Early Church Fathers didn't say the Rosary, and neither should you: it is a tradition of men, not of God.
-TurretinFan
I do not. But I have studied it in depth. The prayer that Jesus prayed, i.e. the “Our Father” prayer, was a GUIDE. Jesus said, “Instead, pray LIKE this”, he didn’t say, “Pray these words”.
Suuuuuure.
And, as I said, NO ONE, not even Mary, wife of Joseph and mother of Jesus of Nazareth, could conceive just exactly who Jesus was until he rose from the grave and walked among them.
I guess you missed the first chapter of Luke.
Yes, I do ask others to pray for me. I never said I didn’t. And they pray directly to God in the name of Jesus the Risen Son, not to some dead human being.
It is no heresy at all. The heresy exists in what anti-Catholic bigots make up about Catholicism.
Beating up on strawman versions of Catholicism is no mean feat, and to credit such calumny to the name of Jesus Christ is the deepest offense yet.
Asking three times in his whole ministry hardly constitutes repeated babbling. Besides look above in the parable of the persistent widow (above in post #98) and you will see that Jesus actually encourages us to to keep asking. However, repeating the exact same words over and over is not what God wants to hear.
Matthew 6:9 Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Luke 11:2 And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
That is your opinion.
Therefore it's not "Roman Catholics" out of step with the rest of the Christian world with their ideas about Mary. Rather, it's the ENTIRE Christian world has one view about Mary -- and the ONLY Christians who don't accept it are churches descended from the 15th century protestant schism.
This whole "Mary gave birth to a mortal man only" stuff on this board does seem to bother me. Christianity since its earliest days has held that the Jesus that walked on the earth was both human AND divine, and anyone who refused to accept that was a hectic. Don't argue the point with me, take it up with the fathers of the church.
Great article Otto, thanks for posting it!
Look, this isn't really all that hard. In the process you just described, what is different there from Catholic practice? We ask Mary to pray for us. Who is she then praying to??? "Some dead human being"? NO!!! Where do you get that??? She is praying to God.
Is your objection that we ask for her prayers and that she is dead? Well, first of all, in Heaven with God, she is far more alive now than any of us has ever been. And condemning the asking of prayers from those deceased in the Lord, restricting such prayers to our fellow sojourners here on earth, is a false distinction. Read Revelation 4 and 5 carefully, and you will find the relevant verse(s) to disprove your contention. Go ahead. I won't even tell you which verses apply. If you can't find them yourself, you aren't paying attention.
But then God gets those prayers third hand! Why not just pray directly to Him? Doesn't that seem odd?
...not to some dead human being.
What, you mean Mary? She's not dead.
” I merely seek to get Catholics to crack open a bible and READ IT for themselves.”
That’s demonstrates massive ignorance. That’s the same ridiculous statement we read over and over and over on these threads.
Where did you get the idea that Catholics do not read the bible?
Maybe I’ll track it down later.
I need to conserve my strength and get the OBUMMA data out to my email list.
If you want to reply with the link, I’ll try to read it.
But I really should just avoid such threads period.
But do you have one IN YOUR HOUSE?
I do not disagree with anything you just said. However, I disagree with praying to dead people to ask them to intercede.
” C’mon, buck up!”
I’m trying.
Thanks!
She’s not dead.
More accurate and modern translations have them like this:
Matthew 6: 9 “Therefore, you should pray like this: “
If you would read, you would find that I got the info from CATHOLICS. My friend was most definitely Catholic and would not lie to me.
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