Posted on 12/14/2014 11:57:21 AM PST by ealgeone
The reason for this article is to determine if the worship/veneration given to Mary by the catholic church is justified from a Biblical perspective. This will be evaluated using the Biblical standard and not man’s standard.
Even if people want to be called jerks, which isn’t obvious, Christians shouldn’t do it. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Not as you surmise others want done to them, but as you wish to have done to you.
Stop patronizing people as seems to be your custom when you have no intelligent response. Sheesh...
To further address the issue of Mary Worship/Veneration:
Nowhere do we see this practice in the New Testament, but we do have many warnings about it.
Nowhere does God approve of any type of worship toward objects that are even of Himself, neither the tabernacle which housed His presence, nor the ark which had the tablets, were to be worshipped. Yet these were some of the most sacred objects used toward God.
Remember when Moses lifted up the Brazen altar in the wilderness for people to be healed by the bite of the serpents. Later when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, they brought the bronze serpent with them and turned it into an idol. It was used until King Hezekiah finally destroyed it (2 Kings 18:4). ....We see that something that was used even by God can be turned into a superstitious idol.
This is why Paul stated that to worship an idol is pagan because behind every idol is a demon.
Paul states in 1 Cor. 12:2,...
“You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these ‘dumb’ idols, however you were led.”....
He does not give any precedence to the biblical way to use idols for the simple reason there is none.
In Ex.20:4-5 God forbids anyone who follows Him to make images for use in their worship. Within this context they are also not to bow down to them or do any reverence to them..... The Hebrew word for worship is to kiss toward or bow down.
Idolatry is described by God as an abomination ( Ezek.16:36), no matter who makes them or is worshipping them......“ Cursed is any man who makes any graven image or molten image it is an abomination to the Lord” ......(Lev. 26:1, Deut.27:15). While Catholics accept this practice of bowing in front of statues of Mary or saints.... God does not accept it,.... He forbids it!
Deut. 4:16..... “that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman”
Deut. 12:3-4: .....“And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and ‘burn their wooden images’ with fire; you shall ‘cut down the carved images’ of their gods and destroy their names from that place......”You shall NOT worship the LORD your God with such things.”
Revelation 19:10:.... “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God.” .......The Angel tells John that falling to his feet is an act of WORSHIP!
The whole idea of Christ coming was ‘to restore people to a relationship with himself and deliverer people from vain worship’, ....which was given to idols.
I Cor. 10:19-20 says:
“What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?.... But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God:....... and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”
....Paul states that the idol is nothing, just as Psalms 115 said. The true spirit behind every idol is a devil. So the Catholic unknowingly is praying to devils as he prays before an image made by men’s hands!
Ps 135:15-18 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.”
Those who worship them will become like them, they become blind just as the idol . They are conformed into their image since what they are doing is a spiritual practice. People involved in Idolatry cannot hear the word of God they become like the idol that can’t see or hear.
Today we see the promotion from the Pope to thank the pagan religions and that we can even learn from them. The very ones that promote idolatry he finds unity with.
When one has a relationship they don’t need the pictures or statues to remind them of who they love. If I see my wife each day I don’t need a picture to look at and pray before to remind me or to help me get closer to her. I need to talk and hear from her personally. Pictures and statues replace this type of relationship. The Bible teaches us that we walk by faith not by sight.
http://www.letusreason.org/rc2.htm
Here ya go; but I highly doubt it'll make any difference to you.
Strange; that a loud-mouthed twit doesn't want others to respond in return.
Kinda one-sided fight in most people's thinking.
Revel in your church taught fantasy.
Wrong on many levels.
For one thing, there is no such thing as a *mortal sin*. The term appears no where in Scripture.
Second, ALL sin lead to death. You break one law, you're guilty of breaking them all. (Out of James, the RC's favorite book of the Bible)
Third, God doesn't let His children get away with having a callous, flippant attitude towards sin. No born again believer who is a new creature in Christ will have it.
Fourth, even if someone doesn't repent of a specific sin, it does not affect his salvation. Does he have to answer for it? Of course, just like we have to answer for everything we do in our lives when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account to Him.
That sin impedes our relationship with Him, will cost us rewards in heaven, but does not BREAK the relationship. We are still saved.
Anyone who thinks they've accepted Christ and can go out and sin with impunity has not been born again. That kind of attitude is evidence that they are NOT saved.
What effect does Christ’s judgment have when you die?
For rewards. Not for salvation.
Indeed it is!
Can you give an example of just GOD does that?
Thats your reference??? Are you joking??
First I've heard someone complain of TOO much evidence!
I imagine you could; since your chosen religion resides in a 'formal looking church'.
Viking kitties don’t cry...
Not the GOOD ones.
They understand SCRIPTURE.
1 Peter 4:12-19
Let's try some easy math:
There are approximately 1.2 billion Catholics world wide;
If merely 1% of them 'ask' Mary for help just once each day;
that means that 12 million separate prayers are headed Mary's direction every day.
Given that there are 86,400 seconds per day... (24 hours times 60 minutes times 60 seconds)
...that means that Mary has to handle approximately 139 'requests' per second!
Purty good fer someone NOT 'divine'!
Well; it is stuck in between chapters 12 and 14.
The original letter HAD no chapters or verses.
We have to once again thank Catholicism for these today.
Read 13 IN CONTEXT and see if the meaning of the 'core message' becomes more clear.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a part of it.
Indeed it has.
And what the BIBLE has clearly written on it's pages has been shown to you.
At least ONE of them is.
There sure are a lot of them that have gotten CONDEMNED!!! by their fellows as being 'poorly catechized'.
Is that the same thing?
Let me just ask you: If your “church’s” teaching is not supported by scripture why is that okay with you? Do you ever ask yourself if what you’re being taught is true and right? Why would you think the Catholic church doesn’t have to adhere to God’s Word?
These are questions you need to ask yourself, as I often ask myself ‘is this true and supported by God’s Word?’ We are constantly called to confirm that what we’re being taught and what we believe is TRUE. What you believe is not true; God made it clear that all you need is Jesus Christ.
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