[rzman21]

I'm sorry, but you are just ignorant when it comes to these matters. We honor the Virgin Mary the way you honor your Grandmother. If you don't understand that then that is your problem, not mine. After someone dies, people frequently put vigil lamps in front of the image of their deceased loved one as a sign of affection and respect. It's the same deal with the Virgin Mary. We put up images of her as a sign of our affection for her having reversed the curse of Eve and said YES to God. Without her yes to God, Christ never would have come and died for our sins and rose again on the Third Day. She is the new Ark of the Covenant. The new Burning Bush Moses saw. She is nothing without Christ, but we rejoice in God in his saints and in the righteous people who have pointed the way to him throughout the ages. As it is written in 2 Thessalonians 1:10 "When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." That is why Catholics and Orthodox Christians show veneration to the saints. In Revelation 8:3 we find that the saints pray before the throne of God. 3Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. And then in the parable of Lazarus, we find that Lazarus asks Abraham, a saint of the Old Covenant, not to God, to quench his agony in eternal fire. "And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' Not unlike the prayers we Eastern Christians offer when we proclaim. Most Holy Theotokos, save us! But unfortunately, I'm not infallible like yourself. So nothing I say has any merit. :)

[Religion Moderator]

Reading the mind of another Freeper is a form of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

[boatbums]

Except it wasn't Lazarus who asked Abraham to quench his thirst in the flame, it was the unsaved rich man. Perhaps THAT was why he couldn't speak to God? But before Jesus arose and close the Paradise compartment of Hades, no one had direct access to God. And, I don't know about 2nd amendment mama, but my two late grannies were really special and wonderful women who loved the Lord, but they can't save me, only Jesus can. Maybe it's not everyone else that is “ignorant” after all, just that we know what God has said in his word and we BELIEVE it.

[2nd amendment mama]

But unfortunately, I'm not infallible like yourself. So nothing I say has any merit.

Here you go again....telling untruths. I never claimed to be infallible. And btw, I'm far from ignorant when it comes to matters of faith.