[Right Brother]

First, I know that there is nothing even remotely like worship accorded to her.

That statement is refuted by the picture above the article..

[BipolarBob]

That statement is refuted by the picture above the article..

SSHHHH. Mustn't point out the obvious.

[Arthur McGowan]

So you believe that the THOUGHTS of the kneeling woman are visible in a PHOTOGRAPH?

She is kneeling in veneration, not adoration. Where in the photograph do you see evidence that she is not kneeling in veneration?

[Mrs. Don-o]

This comment seems to come from your assumption that there is nothing to distinguish veneration practiced by Christians (or Jews, for that matter) vs adoration practiced by Christians or Jews.

All we see from the picture is that the woman is kneeling before an icon. She is an Orthodox Christian, which we can tell by the style of her clothes and veil, the priest's manner of dressing, the interior architecture of the church, and most of all by the style of the icon. And their Faith, as such, instructs them that adoring Mary or any creature is forbidden by the First Commandment.

It is a reasonable assumption that she is acting within, and not in defiance of, her monotheistic, Trinitarian Faith. The only reasonable conclusion is that she is venerating Mary.

Now in this I ask you to examine your own reactions If you saw a picture of David prostrating to Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:41) or Abigail prostrating to David (1 Samuel 25:23) would it be reasonable to assume that David adored princes, or that Abigail adored kings?

I suspect not. I would credit you with knowing enough about Biblical culture to realize that there were grades and degrees of honors, and that the lower honors did not compete with, or detract from, the highest, the ultimate adoration due to the Supreme Being and to Him alone.

Fr. Freeman makes the point that "The whole experience of veneration seems t have been lost within Protestant thinking." I think he is partially but not totally correct in this. I have seen Baptist widows kiss their husbands' caskets. This is an example of sincere veneration which is not at all confused with adoration.

[Petrosius]

That statement is refuted by the picture above the article.

And the Marine captain in the picture below must also be worshipping her lost comrade:

You should not be so quick to judge. Catholic and Orthodox Christians can distinguish between worship and veneration even if you are not.

[ealgeone]

My thoughts exactly.

[SuziQ]

That statement is refuted by the picture above the article.

Catholics VENERATE Mary, as Jesus did. We WORSHIP God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.