Posted on 02/22/2016 6:12:49 AM PST by marshmallow
The municipality of Selcuk, a town in western Turkey where Virgin Mary is believed to have spent her last days, plans to erect a giant statue dedicated to her in the fashion of the notable statue in Brazil depicting her son.
Virgin Mary House, a stone structure on the outskirts of Bulbul Mountain, is a popular spot among Christian pilgrims since its discovery in the 19th century. Looking to boost faith tourism revenues, Selcuk Mayor Zeynel Bakici said they would erect "a splendid statue" depicting the sacred figure, the same day he announced they were seeking to host an international faith tourism event next year. "Virgin Mary House receives 2.5 million visitors every year despite its authenticity while Portugal's Fatima hosts 5 million tourists every year," he said, referring to the town where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to three children in 1917, making it a revered pilgrimage site. "We have to market our town better," he told a tourism event on Saturday.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailysabah.com ...
Free Republic Pool - How long will this statue stand?
Yeah, that will go over well with the local simians
Many will have no problem with it since it will bring in more tourists/pilgrims. Remember, it’s the Turks who are suggesting this. It is not the Catholic caretakers of Mary’s House who are suggesting this:
“Looking to boost faith tourism revenues, Selçuk Mayor Zeynel Bakıcı said they would erect “a splendid statue” depicting the sacred figure, the same day he announced they were seeking to host an international faith tourism event next year.”
Can anyone guess why no tourists are visiting Turkey,anyone?
This is good. Our church, with its large Hispanic contigent, has a shrine to Our Lady of Guatelupe. I think about how that one image was able to convert millions of savage Aztecs, and pray that a similar miracle may occur for the muslims. I do know that they at least honor Mary to a small extent. May she bring them all to her Son!!!
However, since it wasn't written in Scripture, but is merely some history, many folks here won't believe it.
How soon until wacky, peace-loving moozlums fly several airplanes loaded with fuel into it?
Because they were mostly Russians?
Better yet, how about a large church where Christians can visit on pilgrimage, worship God and honor Mary.
It will be used by the ISIS animals to target her shrine and both will be destroyed.
Mark Twain in The Innocents Abroad talks about being shown Mary's house in Nazareth and similar sights. He doesn't believe for a second that the house is genuinely the one Mary lived in, but he likes the idea--otherwise your mind would just think it was somewhere in the general vicinity. Having a specific location, even if fake, helps to focus the mind.
“little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
-Apostle John
“Come out from among them and be Holy.”
-God
It could have change the area in question either because of a natural build-up of the land over the centuries or by earthquakes. If the later, Turkey is prone to earthquakes.
Got to remember that this is Turkey, not Iraq or Syria.
Been there TWICE!!! Gorgeous setting!! And the ONLY place in Turkey that I saw soldiers guarding with AK47’s!!
Haggia Sophia, used to be a Catholic Church is now a Mosque BUT they didn’t paint over all the frescoes!! I was shocked!
“Women, behold son, son, behold your mother”.
Jesus, from the cross.
Somehow, I'm not seeing any command here to build statues to Mary and bow down before them... Is it in the Greek? :-)
Even more important, Christ said this to John, who obeyed it and later wrote, "Little Children, guard yourselves against idols."
They had whitewashed the mosaics but this was removed later after it had been converted from a mosque into a museum.
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