Essays for Lent/Easter: Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses

by Sebastian R. Fama

Jehovah's Witnesses claim to be "God's Visible Organization." They also claim to be "His prophet." They say that Jesus inspected their organization in 1919 and found a "faithful and discreet slave class, dispensing fine spiritual food to true believers" (Yearbook 1975, page 88). So what type of spiritual food have they been dispensing? In "The Finished Mystery" published in 1917, they claimed that in 1918 God would destroy the churches and church members by the millions, and Christendom would go down into oblivion that year. They also predicted that there would be worldwide anarchy in the fall of 1920. In 1920 they claimed that the Bible foretold the resurrection of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and other faithful ones of old. It was written that they would arrive in 1925 (Millions Now Living Will Never Die, page 81). They have predicted that the world would end in 1914, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1941, and 1975. Obviously none of their predictions have come true. Are we to believe that this is "fine spiritual food?"

They don't vote in elections, and they won't salute the flag or serve in the armed forces. They teach that it is wrong to celebrate birthdays, Christmas and Easter. They believe that Jesus and Michael the Archangel are one and the same.

Ricarda Bradford was seriously injured in an automobile accident. She was in desperate need of a blood transfusion. Her father, a devout Jehovah's Witness, refused to allow it, as Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits blood transfusions. As a result, Ricarda died on her sixth birthday. Many of their teachings, such as this one, are arrived at by taking Bible verses out of context. When they are shown Bible verses that contradict their theology, their responses generally imply that the Bible doesn't really mean what it says.

Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that the doctrine of the Trinity is a false one. But even their version of the Bible disagrees. In Genesis 1:26 God says, "Let us make man in our image." In the next verse we read that "God proceeded to make man in His image." So God alone created man, and yet more than one person was involved. This is the doctrine of the Trinity. It is true that in some places the Scriptures speak of Jesus as being subordinate to the Father, but this is perfectly natural and necessary to the Christian view. Jesus is fully human and fully divine. In His human nature He is subject to the Father. In His divine nature He is equal to the Father.

Jesus' divinity is illustrated in John 2:18-21, where we read, "Therefore, in answer, the Jews said to Him, 'What sign have you to show us, since you are doing these things?' In answer Jesus said to them, 'Break down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' Therefore the Jews said, 'This temple was built in forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?' But He was talking about the temple of His body." Acts 5:30 tells us that "The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus." So the Bible tells us that Jesus raised His own dead body. It also tells us that the one who raised Him was God. Therefore Jesus is God.

Isaiah 9:6 predicts the birth of Jesus. Note what it calls Him: "For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us, and the princely rule will come to be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that the Holy Spirit is not a person but God's active force. He is likened to "electricity, a force that can be adapted to perform a great variety of operations." But this is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible not only tells us that the Holy Spirit is a person, but a divine one as well. In Acts 13:2 we read, "As they were ministering to Jehovah and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Of all persons set Barnabas and Saul apart for me for the work to which I have called them.'" And again, "The Holy Spirit aptly spoke through Isaiah the prophet" (Acts 28:25). If the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force, how is it that it can speak and refer to itself in a personal way?

The divinity of the Holy Spirit is revealed in Acts 5:3-4: "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the Holy Spirit…You have played false not to men, but to God.'"

Jehovah's Witnesses claim that the doctrine of the Trinity derives no support from any Christian writers for three centuries after the birth of Christ (Should You Believe in the Trinity, page 7). Among the early writers mentioned are Tertullian, Origen and Theophilus of Antioch. However, Tertullian wrote, "And at the same time the mystery of the oikonomia is safeguarded, for the unity is distributed in a trinity. Placed in order, the three are the Father, the Son, and the Spirit" (Against Praxeas 2:1, 213 AD).

Origen wrote, "For we do not hold that which the heretics imagine, that some part of the substance of God was converted into the Son, or that the Son was procreated by the Father from non-existent substances, that is, from a substance outside Himself, so that there was a time when He [the Son] did not exist…For it is the Trinity alone which exceeds every sense in which not only temporal but even eternal may be understood. It is all other things, indeed, which are outside the Trinity, which are to be measured by time and ages" (On First Principles 4:4:1, 220 AD).

Finally, Theophilus of Antioch: "The three days before the luminaries were created are types of the Trinity, God, His Word, and His Wisdom" (Ad Autolycus 2:15, 181 AD).

Jehovah's Witness theology concerning hell is also problematic. They teach that the Biblical terms used to describe hell are merely symbolic; that after death the damned will no longer exist. The idea of eternal torment is flatly rejected. But the Scriptures teach otherwise. In Matthew 25:41 we read, "Then He will say, in turn, to those on his left, 'Be on your way from me, you who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.'" Notice how the everlasting fire is a place that was prepared. If it were not an actual place, no preparation would be needed. Further evidence is found in Revelation 21:8: "But as for the cowards and those without faith, and those who are disgusting in their filth, and murderers and fornicators, and those practicing Spiritism and idolaters, and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This means the second death." There could only be a second death if those in question were still in existence after the first one.

Hell-fire cannot be symbolic of non-existence, as it would defeat the purpose of symbolism. The purpose of symbolism is to teach by way of illustration. Whenever symbolic language is used, there is always a parallel principle involved. For instance, if I said that I had an ocean of water in my basement, would you think that it was flooded or bone dry? Most people would think that it was flooded. An ocean is a large body of water, so it would symbolize an excessive amount of water. It would never be used to describe an absence of water. Similarly, hell-fire would never be used to describe non-existence. There are no two concepts more radically opposed. Non-existence is a total absence of reality, while fiery torture is the most vivid form of reality. How could one symbolize the other?

Consider what Jesus said about Judas in Matthew 26:24: "Woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been finer for him to have never been born." Why would it have been finer for him to have never been born? If he were never born he would be non-existent. If he died unrepentant and went to a symbolic hell he would be equally non-existent. If such were the case, Jesus' statement would be foolish. It would only make sense if Judas went to a hell of eternal punishment.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus was resurrected as a spirit. But the Bible disagrees. Luke 24:38-39 records the following: "So He [Jesus] said to them, 'A spirit does not have flesh and bones just as you behold that I have.'" In response, Witnesses tell us that Jesus materialized bodies as the angels had done in the past when appearing to humans. Once again we appeal to John 2:18-21 where Jesus says that He will raise His then present body.

As we have seen, the Jehovah's Witnesses have a history of false claims and faulty theology. This hardly qualifies them to be "God's visible organization," let alone "His Prophet."

I'm surprised nobody has called you on this.

That the mother provides salvation and grace and that all prayers must go thru the mother

(1) Nothing in the Catechism says that "all prayers must go through Mary". Where are you getting this from? It's not Catholic dogma. Read through the prayers of the Mass (sadly not available on the net for copyright reasons) sometime ... Mary is barely mentioned. The consecration of the Eucharist ends with the priest elevating the sacrament above the altar and singing, "Through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever". Sounds like a Trinitarian prayer to me.

(2) If Mary "provides salvation and grace," she does so through her Son.

And then criticize another religion that doesn't believe that there are 4 members of the household of God in heaven, but just one.

There are millions or billions of "members of the household of God" in heaven, not one. That's what heaven is. But perhaps you don't actually believe in the Scriptural understanding of heaven.

Yep, that's rich.

What's "rich" is that you two take the side of an anti-Christian cult, which teaches that you two are part of the whore of Babylon, that Jesus is the incarnation of the archangel Michael, and that only 144,000 members of the generation alive in 1914 get to go to heaven ... over and against the Catholic Church, which unhesitatingly preaches the Triune God of the Scriptures and hopes to see both of you in heaven.

That's rich.

I'd rather not get into this again. However, the issue is SOOOO Biblically and spiritually crucial, I must state again:

As the Ferraro devotional documents, MANY RC leaders and organizational 'stars' have attested to such a blasphemous outrage as truth--with the organization's ALMOST total blessing.

Certainly without the RCC or its Magisterical censoring such assertions.

But WITH a LOT of repeated pontificating and glorifying of such assertions . . . for decades and often centuries for such ilk.

The appeal to the Catechism as the definer of RCC truth is wholesale farcical.

1. The Catechism is a mess and covers all sides of a long list of issues--providing so much wiggle room for believing at least a couple sides of many big issues as to be grossly and embarrassingly absurd. It boggles my mind that thinking bright folks would appeal to that tome as a justification for any purportedly solid, rational belief.

2. REGARDLESS of what the Catechism says, THE PONTIFICATIONS AND PRACTICES from the Pope and the Vatican itself down to the local parish are flagrantly, routinely and relentlessly of the ilk that Mary is part of the God-head and at least Jr manager of all things spiritual and Salvific. What blasphemy.

Oh, I know about the proffered test cases of this or that group of Nuns that got censored or even excommunicated for some brazen Maryolitry. Stack that up against many 100's of THOUSANDS of examples on the opposite side of the ledger and it's laughable.

In short, the chronic practices of a huge chunk of the organization's faithful AND THEIR LEADERS mirror the worst of the classical pontifications in Ferraro's book.

And, as with everyone, Y'ALL'S ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN YOUR WORDS, TOO.

The nonsense about Ferraro's book being hyperbole doesn't wash either. WORDS MATTER. The UNMODIFIED original 10 COMMANDMENTS MATTER.

Exodus 20:1-17

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

1.You shall have no other gods before me.

2.You shall not make for yourself any 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; you shall not bow down to them nor 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 fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

3.You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4.Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5.Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

6.You shall not murder.

7.You shall not commit adultery.

8.You shall not steal.

9.You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10.You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

God didn't leave wiggle room in HIS #1 & 2. The RCC's Magisterical revisionist version NEVER received Heaven's approval in the least. .
.
.

Here's the title:

http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Meditations-Mysteries-Rosary-Ferraro/dp/0819801577/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272938246&sr=1-2

And it carries the official sanctions of:

ni•hil ob•stat
n.
1. Roman Catholic Church An attestation by a church censor that a book contains nothing damaging to faith or morals.
2. Official approval, especially of an artistic work.

WITH RICHARD CARDINAL CUSHING’S IMPRIMATUR

Let me track down the brief portion of quotes upthread . . .

Here they are:

However, as we've seen through a variety of sources--a pile of them in Ferraro's manual about the Rosary--the Roman Catholic et al/Vatican Edifice disagrees with a lot of the claims of RC's hereon to the contrary.

p.32
.
[Quixicated emphases below]
Mary is crowned Queen of heaven and earth, dispenser of all graces . . .

p32
4 - She became Queen of Purgatory, where she exercises her power as mediatrix in behalf of these suffering souls.

5 - She became Queen of us sinners, to assist us through the dangers of this life and to help us in difficulties.

6 - She became the ruler of hell, that trembles at her slightest gaze and is defeated by her power.

"Just as a rock extracted from earth will precipitate into the abyss, so will man, left without Mary's help, quickly slide toward hell." --Richard of St Victor

p37
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come; Thy kingdom come through Mary! --Partial Indulgence

p41
"Mary is the tree of life to those who grasp her, and he is happy who hold her fast." --Prov. 3:18

p43
1 - "Hail Mary, beloved daughter of the Father, Mother of the Divine Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, complement of the most august Trinity!"

p45
6 - To her was granted grace greater than that conferred upon all others, 'that she might vanquish sin in every respect.'
.
[Qx: I guess Christ's vanquishing sin was unnecessary--or ineffectual without Mary's assistance?]

p46
7 - "Mary is the dawn of God because, just as the dawn marks the end of darkness and the beginning of day, so Mary indicates the end of vices and the beginning of virtue."
.
[Qx: I guess Christ's conquering on The Cross and HIS conquering trip to hell were unncessary?]

9 - God loved Mary so much that He gave her the keys to His heart. 'No one can go to God without Mary drawing him.'
.
[Qx: I guess Holy Spirit has been relegated to a 'Walter Mitty' role as spouse of Mary? That's SOME POWER to cancel & take over HOLY SPIRIT'S role to draw men to God!]

p47
4 - "Mary, trusting in the word of the angel, destroyed the sin Eve committed by trusting in the serpent.'
.
[Qx: Evidently, she beat Christ to the job of vanquishing sin!]

5 - "She desired the safety of everyone, went in search of it, and obtained it; it was also through her that this salvation was wrought."
.
[QX: What an unnecessary waste of precious Blood and suffering on THE CROSS!!!/sar]

p47
10 - "As Noah's Ark saved all the animals that entered it, so Mary saves all the souls that entrust themselves to her care."

p50
8 - "If she were not so holy as she is, how could God appoint her to be the ladder of Paradise, the advocate of the world, meatrix between HIm and us?"

p50
4 - "By becoming Mother of God, Mary belongs to the order of hypostatic union; hence she participates IN the infinite sanctity of God."

Quix, you do seem to shout quite a bit in your written comments.

There are Catholic sites on the web that will explain The Blessed Mother to you if you wish to look at them.

I don’t know who you be? Are you a Jehovah Witness or just someone that ‘Shouts’ about the Mother of Jesus (our Mother too)?

There seem to be some catholics ‘chomping at the bit’ to witness to Jehovah Witnesses but they let you get the last word in. What’s up with that?

I’m Irish & willing to talk to folks for a bit. Why you be ranting so about the Virgin-Mary (Mother of Jesus) and all of us Roman Catholics & the Roman Catholic Church?

Are you a Christian? or a Jehovah Witness?

This meant with true >kindness. Please look at how your comment is presented on a Catholic thread. It doesn’t look very friendly at all!

How about Bible verses as a closing prayer. Colossians 3: 8-17, “But now you must put them all away: >anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

My advice Quix, learn to pray the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary; pray it daily> “then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”

NOPE.

The outrageous blasphemies and idolatries in Ferraro’s devotional are worth a lot more than CAPS and colors in protest.

The biggest fuss possible over such UnBiblical hideousness is still an inadequate protest, yet the most loving response possible.

Ex 20:3

New International Version (©1984)
“You shall have no other gods before me.

New Living Translation (©2007)
“You must not have any other god but me.

English Standard Version (©2001)
“You shall have no other gods before me.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
“You shall have no other gods before Me.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Ex 20:4

New International Version (©1984)
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

New Living Translation (©2007)
“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

English Standard Version (©2001)
“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.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Ex23:5

New International Version (©1984)
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

New Living Translation (©2007)
You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.

English Standard Version (©2001)
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,

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

20:6

New International Version (©1984)
but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me and keep my commandments.

New Living Translation (©2007)
But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.

English Standard Version (©2001)
but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
But I show mercy to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my commandments.

In view of the above Scriptures, any molly coddling of the outrages in Ferraro’s book would be unloving.

Of course, I’m NOT a JW. I believe the authentic Bible cover to cover.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that a person >can pray >directly to Jesus.

Does your church have what is called a >prayer chain?

That’s where people pray for each other or they all pray to God for something they want. Sometimes they will meet and all pray together. &Sometimes they contact each other through the >telephone. It’s called a ‘prayer-chain’ because when one person is contacted, that person is responsible for contacting other people.

For instance, I can ask you to pray for me. That’s perfectly acceptable in the Catholic Church & in a lot of other Protestant churches. (By-the-way, please pray for me.)

The Catholic Church teaches there is only >One Church. All the Souls (Saints) in Heaven & all the people living on earth who are in a state of >grace are all in the Church of Jesus Christ.

When Catholics ‘pray’ to Mary, they just including her in the prayer-chain. If Mary had a telephone, ALL Catholics would be calling her up constantly. But, ‘There ain’t no phone lines up to Heaven’ except through >prayer. That’s how we ALL talk to everyone in Heaven including the Upper Management of the Catholic Church (Father, Son & Holy Spirit).

It’s in the Bible that we ALL become “Brothers & Sisters” with one another & brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. It’s part of God’s Mercy.

The Virgin-Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ. He is both True-man & True-God. Obviously, Mary did NOT “create” Jesus=eternal=God. But, she did give birth to Jesus in the form of His >humanity.

Elizabeth: “filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, ‘Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my >Lord should come to me?”

In the 10 commandments we are obligated to honor God. We are obligated to honor our earthly father & mother.

Catholics >rightly teach that as we become >brothers with Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary becomes our mother too through the action of the Holy Spirit infusing us with God’s grace.

A lot of people outside the Catholic Church look upon >Roman Catholics as >worshipping The Virgin-Mary. That’s incorrect; Catholics are just honoring her for being our mother too through Jesus Christ.
+Mary is due honor from ALL Christians for saying YES to God. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

I’ll admit that, at times the ‘flowery’ language of the praises for Mary may seem a bit too much to >non-Catholics. But, ALL Roman Catholics >start with the basic teaching of the Catholic Church: Mary is a creature like us.
She was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. (That’s a real good recommendation as to her Virtue.)

To say Mary is in a, >Mysterious way, is the mediator of ALL graces is correct. The Virgin Mary said, “Yes” to God. Jesus was conceived in her womb & his ‘whole’ human life was entrusted to >Mary. She raised Jesus from conception to when He reached the age where He could care from himself. (By-the-way, Quix, please say >Thank-you to your mother. Do it today either by telephone or prayer.)

Mary is a >creature like all of us. But without Mary as The Blessed Mother, Jesus as we know him today would NOT exist. Maybe, God would have found someone else to be His mother; But that is simply conjecture (like how many angels can dance on a pin.).
We know for certain, Jesus Christ decided the Virgin-Mary was going to be his mother. It’s in the human-heart, ‘Perfect Mother = Perfect Child.’ God is perfect. >But part of the mystery of the incarnation is God also wanted a >Perfect Mother.

Jesus Christ is the >True Mediator of ALL graces. But, he acted through Mary to have a human-body here on Earth.
Repeat: Jesus Christ is the >True Mediator of ALL graces; He acted through His mother as part of His salvation plan: The incarnation, life, ministry on earth & death on the Cross.
Repeat: Jesus Christ according to the Catholic Church is the True Mediator of ALL graces. ALL of creation came about through the Word of God = Jesus Christ. (Jesus = Humanity needed Mary to say YES.)

A prayer for ALL of humanity = Thank you Mary for saying, “Yes to God.”

Everyone has a vocation. Are you, Quix, upset with Televangelists when they take telephone calls from people in the audience & then send the messages up to Heaven to Jesus. They in a mysterious way also are ‘mediators’ between the faithful & Jesus.

I’m a Roman Catholic & I go to Church as required. +I pray daily.

What is your Religion? Do you go to Church? If it’s a small Church that gives away your location, obviously, you don’t have tell it.

The reason I ask: I found that on freerepublic, I can end up discussing Christianity with someone that sits at home on Sunday in their own armchair church. They seem to interpret the Bible as to whatever suits their fancy that day?

Roman Catholics teach >everyone in the entire world is given sufficient grace & opportunity to get into Heaven. In Mathew 25: 39-46, God sets out who will get into Heaven in the ordinary course of events. Please notice that God is looking for acts of Mercy.

The good-thief on the Cross also teaches ALL of us, that when a person is at >death’s door, a >direct appeal to God can get a person into Heaven. The Catholic Church recognizes this possibility.

The summary is: “Please be polite about the Virgin-Mary as she is >our Mother too!” +On Judgment Day, we will stand before Jesus Christ. = Jesus doesn’t want anyone ‘talkin’ trash’ about any mother, much less HIS Mother!

I try to pray these direct prayers to God everyday:

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen”

“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world with end. Amen”

“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen”

This is a reply in regards to comment about ‘worshipping Idols’ as you repeated that particular commandment so many times.

The key is >Worship. Roman Catholics do NOT worship any idol or any of the ‘art’ work in a Catholic Church. You might be confusing a work of >art with what the Bible prohibits as to >Idol worship. The Catholic Church places objects in the Churches to depict some of the >friends&family of God. Just as many Protestants have items that depict their family&friends.

God instructed that the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ have >golden Cherubim (Angels=Heaven) above the Ark with their wings over the Mercy-Seat. This should clue everyone that the concern God has in the commandments is >worshipping idols & not works of art.

It’s possible to hear Protestant-ministers tell the faithful to ‘rest in Jesus as we rest from our works.’ The same ministers often tell the faithful to kneel down by their bedsides at night & pray to Jesus.

Do you think ALL those Protestants kneeling beside their beds are really Idol-worshipers that think their >beds are really God=Jesus because their ministers tell them: ‘They rest in Jesus?’ (It’s a serious question as you say things about Roman Catholics that can also be said about Protestants.)

I watch the Billy-Graham crusades on television. I like the altar call (even though Protestants do NOT have an altar in their churches).

Many times I have listened to Reverend Billy Graham tell how he decided to turn his entire life over to Jesus Christ. It goes something like this:
As a young man, Billy Graham attended a ‘tent-revival church service.’ He came home to his parents house. He went upstairs. In the darkness of his bedroom, Billy Graham knelt by his >bed, looked out the window to a group of >trees across the field, then looked up at the >moon in the night-sky. Billy Graham then prayed to God & turned his entire life over to Jesus Christ.

If you are curious, Roman Catholics do NOT teach: Billy Graham thought his >bed, the >trees or the >moon be god. The Roman Catholic Church recognizes that all people have ‘human dignity’ & should not be lied about or mocked.

Please watch World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 23-28, 2013<. There will be a large communion service where people answer the call from Jesus Christ. It’s similar to a ‘Protestant altar call’ except the Roman Catholic Church also has a real >altar.

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