Perhaps you can explain to we ignorant Catholics how we've turned Mary into a God.From a Protestand point of view---Three things that God is that humans aren't...
1) Omnipresent - Everywhere at once. Can Mary hear and answer prayers from all Catholics, all over the world at once? Of course. A Godlike power!
2) Omniscient - All knowing. Does Mary goof up. Answer prayers incorrectly. You pray for healing, she misunderstands and you get herring? Never!! A Godlike power!
3) Omnipotent - All powerful. Can Mary desire to answer your prayer, but be unable? She lacks the authority to answer and refers you to God for an answer? Never!! A Godlike power.
1) Omnipresent - Everywhere at once. Can Mary hear and answer prayers from all Catholics, all over the world at once? Of course. A Godlike power! Everyone in heaven is able to see and answer prayers from people all over the world. "So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance." (Luke 15.10).
The spiritual world does not exist within the same created dimensions of space and time as the physical world.
2) Omniscient - All knowing. Does Mary goof up. Answer prayers incorrectly. You pray for healing, she misunderstands and you get herring? Never!! A Godlike power!
This is ridiculous. Mary can't goof up because when we pray to her, we are asking her to pray to God for us. If you see no value in intercessory prayer asked of those in heaven, who are always with God and see His face, then why do you ask prayers of sinners here below whenever trouble strikes?
"See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18.10)
3) Omnipotent - All powerful. Can Mary desire to answer your prayer, but be unable? She lacks the authority to answer and refers you to God for an answer? Never!! A Godlike power.
Again, you are being ridiculous. The power of Mary, the Angels, and the Saints, to answer prayers is predicated upon their offering our suplications to them to God on our behalf. Prayers offered to the saints are intercessory petitions for them to pray to God upon our behalf.
"And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day: The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: and let my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth." (Genesis 48.15-16)
Jesus said concerning the blessed: "For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married, but shall be as the angels of God in heaven." (Matthew 22.10)
If the blessed, including Mary, are as the angels of God, that means they also always see God's face, they are conscious of events in the world, and they can be prayed to as well, and they pray for our well being. One reason Protestants have never liked the book 2 Maccabees is it directly shows this:
Now the vision was in this manner. Onias, who had been high priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in his looks, gentle in his manners, and graceful in speech, and who from a child was exercised in virtues holding up his hands, prayed for all the people of the Jews: After this there appeared also another man, admirable for age, and glory, and environed with great beauty and majesty: Then Onias answering, said: This is a lover of his brethren, and of the people of Israel: this is he that prayeth much for the people, and for all the holy city, Jeremias, the prophet of God. Whereupon Jeremias stretched forth his right hand, and gave to Judas a sword of gold (2 Maccabees 15.12-15)
You may find some other salient information here:
www.marymediatrix.com This quote in particular struck me:
"We may say to the compassionate heart of Mary standing at the foot of the cross (Jn. 19:25) what St. John Damascene said to the Virgin of the Annunciation: “Be joyful! You are the ewe giving birth to the Lamb of God, you are the instrument of our salvation". Emphasis mine.
Salvific power is definately a divine attribute.
Can Mary hear and answer prayers from all Catholics, all over the world at once?
Let's clarify something once and for all. Repeat after me: "Catholics do NOT worship Mary!".
"Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature in place of God. . . . Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with communion with God" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2113, cf. 2110–2112, 2114).
Now if I catch you making this mistake again, you will be asked to write that sentence on the blackboard, 100 times.