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Russians Flock to See Virgin Mary Relic
MSNBC ^ | 11/23/11 | Mansur Mirovalev

Posted on 11/25/2011 6:55:10 AM PST by marshmallow

Tens of thousands wait for hours in freezing temperatures to kiss belt that Christians believe was worn by Jesus' mother

MOSCOW — Braving freezing cold temperatures and ice-covered sidewalks, tens of thousands of Russians stood in line Wednesday to see and kiss a newly arrived relic of the Virgin Mary in Russia's largest Orthodox cathedral.

The Virgin Mary's Cincture, a belt that Christians believe was worn by Jesus' mother, was brought to Russia last month from Mount Athos, a monastic community in Greece.

Kissing the relic, which is encased in an ornamental box, is believed to help barren women conceive and heal other ailments.

The line of people, mostly women, waiting to enter the golden-domed Christ the Savior Cathedral stretched for 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) along the Moscow River despite temperatures that dropped to below minus 5 Celsius (23 Fahrenheit).

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; History; Orthodox Christian
KEYWORDS: christianity; moscow; religion; russia
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To: Lera

. Posture in Prayer, Veneration and Worship

Deut. 5:9 - God’s command, “you shall not bow down to them” means “do not worship them.” But not all bowing is worship. Here God’s command is connected to false worship.

Rev. 3:9 - Jesus said people would bow down before the faithful members of the church of Philadelphia. This bowing before the faithful is not worship, just as kissing a picture of a family member is not worship.

Gen. 19:1 - Lot bowed down to the ground in veneration before two angels in Sodom.

Gen. 24:52 - Abraham’s servant bowed himself to the earth before the Lord.

Gen. 42:6 - Joseph’s brothers bow before Joseph with the face to the ground.

Jos. 5:14 - Joshua fell to the ground prostrate in veneration before an angel.

1 Sam. 28:14 - Saul bows down before Samuel with his face to the ground in honor and veneration.

1 Kings 1:23 - the prophet Nathan bows down before King David.

2 Kings 2:15 - the sons of the prophets bow down to Elisha at Jericho.

1 Chron. 21:21 - Ornan the Jebusite did obeisance to king David with his face to the ground.

1 Chron. 29:20 - Israelites bowed down to worship God and give honor to the king.

2 Chron. 29:29-30 - King Hezekiah and the assembly venerate the altar by bowing down in worship before the sin offerings.

Tobit 12:16 - Tobiah and Tobit fell down to the ground in veneration before the angel Raphael.

Judith 14:7 - Achior the Ammonite kneels before Judith venerating her and praising God.

Psalm 138:2 - David bows down before God’s Holy Temple.

Dan. 2:46 - the king fell down on his face paying homage to Daniel and commands that an offering be made to him.

Dan. 8:17 - Daniel fell down prostrate in veneration before the angel Gabriel.

1 Macc. 4:40,55 - Judas and the faithful fell face down to the ground to praise heaven and worship God.

2 Macc. 10:4,26; 13:12 - Maccabeus and his followers fall down prostrate praying to God.


681 posted on 11/29/2011 7:57:39 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: Lera
Photobucket

2 Chronicles 29:29 Young's Literal Translation (YLT) 29And at the completion of the offering up bowed have the king and all those found with him, and do obeisance. << < = = > >>

682 posted on 11/29/2011 8:09:26 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: johngrace
The king may have bowed and worshiped but he wasn't bowing in front of a statue like the picture of the pope bowing in front of the statue of Mary.


You do realize that the Ark of the Covenant was not kept out in the open for people to see don't you ? That picture is very misleading considering it was kept behind a curtain and only one person could go into the room in which it was kept - the HIGH PRIEST , the king was not in the room with the arc. There is no way 2 people would be bowing in front of it .... hmmm could reasons like this be one of the reasons we are not to make images so we don't mislead ?

What did the Ark contain ? The tablets containing the law written by the finger of God . What was sprinkled ? Blood . The blood covered the sins of the people . Why am I telling you this ? Because I know to many of your church try to say Mary is the Ark .

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

(BTW the things I highlighted in bold have a meaning as well in the Temple ... you might searching for their meanings )
683 posted on 11/29/2011 9:30:45 PM PST by Lera
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To: Lera
I posted the scripture that has people bowing not worship but honor. Here there are again. Go argue with these verses which are in the Holy Bible. God sees the man's true heart not you simplistic legalistic obsoletisms or declarations.

Jos. 5:14 - Joshua fell to the ground prostrate in veneration before an angel.

1 Sam. 28:14 - Saul bows down before Samuel with his face to the ground in honor and veneration. 1 Kings 1:23 - the prophet Nathan bows down before King David.

2 Kings 2:15 - the sons of the prophets bow down to Elisha at Jericho.

1 Chron. 21:21 - Ornan the Jebusite did obeisance to king David with his face to the ground.

1 Chron. 29:20 - Israelites bowed down to worship God and give honor to the king.

2 Chron. 29:29-30 - King Hezekiah and the assembly venerate the altar by bowing down in worship before the sin offerings.

Tobit 12:16 - Tobiah and Tobit fell down to the ground in veneration before the angel Raphael. Psalm 138:2 - David bows down before God’s Holy Temple.

Dan. 2:46 - the king fell down on his face paying homage to Daniel and commands that an offering be made to him.

Dan. 8:17 - Daniel fell down prostrate in veneration before the angel Gabriel.

684 posted on 11/29/2011 9:59:46 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: johngrace

I know where God gives direct instructions for how to build the Ark of the Covenant . Show me where he says to build statues of Mary or others and tells you to bow down to them ?


685 posted on 11/29/2011 10:05:02 PM PST by Lera
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To: johngrace
I don't have time tonight to sit and pick each one of these apart so I will choose the first one you list . Who do you think that was that Joshua bowed down to?
I'll give you a little hint it was no mere angel ... Steven also talks about it in Acts 7 just before they stone him.



Jos 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
Jos 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
Jos 5:15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.


Here is another clue with the shoe ... Moses was told the same thing while standing in front of a burning bush.
686 posted on 11/29/2011 10:13:24 PM PST by Lera
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To: Lera
John 16:13

New King James Version (NKJV)

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

The Holy Spirit Guides us. If you know the Holy Spirit you can know. Maybe like things to come later in time. The Bible is ink on Paper. It is a map that points to God.Then you can know God then you can know whats acceptable.

So We can honor/venerate fallen soldiers with a statue in the town square but we can't honor/venerate Mary?

687 posted on 11/29/2011 10:22:19 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: Lera
Let me ask you a question. When God ordered Moses to make the statues on the ark.

Why was it acceptable? Is it because God can do anything and break his own law. Or for some strange reason it is acceptable and God has integrity. But how is it acceptable. If that is true how can some statues be acceptable and others are not accepted?

Photobucket

688 posted on 11/29/2011 10:30:13 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: johngrace; Lera

*do not bow down before images* means *do not bow down before images*.

There’s just not much way of getting around it.

Bowing down before an image is a direct violation of specific and clear commands of God.


689 posted on 11/30/2011 7:23:05 AM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: smvoice

Again, and again, and again....

Paul did not receive a different gospel. Paul was in danger, the Jewish converts did not accept him because they were AFRAID of him. He had been persecuting them, he was known for it, he was there when St. Stephen was martyred.

Acts 9:26: “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples; bu they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.”

That is why Jesus told him they would never accept PAUL’s TESTIMONY because of what he had wrought on the new Christian communities.

The other Apostles did accept Paul and had received revelation that he was a disciple. In all the NT, is there a place where any of the others speak against him? NO, they knew who he was.

He could not go to them to learn from them because they were all suspicious and wary of him. He had to have the type of conversion he had. As I have explained to you before.

And Jesus only told the Apostles to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them. Is it your assertion that only Paul ever left Jerusalem and preached to the Gentiles?


690 posted on 11/30/2011 7:49:36 AM PST by Jvette
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To: metmom

If that is true then God violated his own law. You can’t wiggle that statement. Which we know did not happen. How do explain that people bowed down before the statues of the angels on the ark and they got away with it from God. Something does not make sense here with that statement.


691 posted on 11/30/2011 12:03:10 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: johngrace

There’s a difference between bowing down before the ark which had angels on it and bowing down TO the angels on the ark.

Besides, the statutes that we’ve seen pictures of people bowing down to are not with the ark, but are stand alone’s.

Anyone who bows down before a statue TO it to pray TO it, is disobeying God.

The picture of the pope bowing before a statue of Mary is direct disobedience of the clear commands of God.

Catholics bowing in prayer and lighting candles to statues in churches are disobeying God.

There’s just not much way to rationalize your way out of it.


692 posted on 11/30/2011 12:53:50 PM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: metmom

Its all whats inside the person while they are doing it. Honoring or worship. There are verses were it says like it is a definite “no” then God or someone from God does something acceptable. I believe he means like the pagans do otherwise how could he make statues on the ark. Obviously there is a difference. Number one God can not do anything against his character if he did he is not Holy. By his actions we see what your statement is trying to declare is not lock stock and absolute. Thats all.


693 posted on 11/30/2011 1:23:44 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: metmom

http://www.catholic.com/tracts/do-catholics-worship-statues


694 posted on 11/30/2011 1:29:13 PM PST by johngrace (1 John 4!- declared at every Sunday Mass.)
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To: johngrace; Lera; CynicalBear; smvoice; boatbums; Quix; HossB86

***sigh***

The verses in Scripture say *bow down to*. They don’t say *do not worship* images. They say *bow down TO*

I have no doubt that that implies worship as well, however, telling me that Catholic don’t *worship* images doesn’t address the fact that they *bow down to* them, before them, whatever, in direct violation of the commands of God.

If God says not to bow down before or to an image, there’s not much getting around what people do with their bodies when in front of these images, no matter what they claim their hearts are doing.


695 posted on 11/30/2011 4:47:00 PM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: metmom; Lera

The lie you are embracing is that icons are idols.

Do either of you believe you are doing good by these falsehoods?

You aren’t, you know. You are attacking other Christians, nothing more.

Don’t deceive yourselves.


696 posted on 11/30/2011 4:56:10 PM PST by FormerLib (Sacrificing our land and our blood cannot buy protection from jihad.-Bishop Artemije of Kosovo)
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To: FormerLib; Lera
I don't care what Catholics wish to call them. That which we call a rose by any other name.

It doesn't say *icons* or whatever.

It says *IMAGES*.

It's disingenuous to try to claim not sinning merely on the basis of relabeling something or changing definitions.

GOD says to not *BOW DOWN TO* CARVED IMAGES or GRAVEN IMAGES.

Lev 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Exodus 20:4-6 4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

It says what it says. If you want to try to weasel out of it, it's your prerogative but don't expect us to believe any of your rationalizations.

697 posted on 11/30/2011 5:21:37 PM PST by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: FormerLib

The serpent in the garden asked if God really did say too

Lev 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.


698 posted on 11/30/2011 5:40:59 PM PST by Lera
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To: johngrace; metmom
John,

I'm a bit shocked at that post of yours.

That kind of cheap rationalization is beneath you, imho.

God insituted the Ark and the behaviors around it.

God instituted the absolutely crucial !COMMAND! to avoid bowing down to any other man made object (with the one exception of the serpent on the staff for healing--which GOD HAD LATER DESTROYED BECAUSE OF IDOLATRY).

Both those facts merely display God's sovereignty.

Neither the Ark nor the brass serpent is the least bit of excuse in God's eyes or any other rational student of the Bible who is exercising consistent logic and integrity about what they are reading.

Exodus 20:4-6 4 "You shall NOT make for yourself
a carved image,
or any likeness
of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

STILL STANDS FULLY IN FORCE.

IF you think God has changed HIS jealous perspectives on such matters, then I have to wonder if we really know the same God Almighty of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

699 posted on 11/30/2011 5:47:35 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: FormerLib
Soooooooooooo

It's your perspective that God is lying in this passage?

Exodus 20:4-6 4 "You shall NOT make for yourself
a carved image,
or any likeness
of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

700 posted on 11/30/2011 5:49:06 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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