[hopefulpilgrim]

Certainly they did not think the[s]e doctrines--such as the perpetual virginity of Mary, or her standing as theotokos, or the invocation so [of?] Mary and the saints were inconsistent with the Scripture.... On the contrary, these doctrines are essentially Christocentric, since they aim to strengthen our belief in his divinity and in his full humanity and are in fact defined in just those terms.

Does anyone besides me have a problem seeing these "doctrines" as CHRISTOCENTRIC ??? I don't care what their objective is, even if it IS to glorify Christ, because they fail miserably to do so. The glory of Christ is not exalted by venerating Mary and the saints.
-- Hopefulpilgrim

[Invincibly Ignorant]

Does anyone besides me have a problem seeing these "doctrines" as CHRISTOCENTRIC ???

Ya I do.

[RobbyS]

The glory of Christ is not exalted by venerating Mary and the saints. Funny you should say that. I have often heard Protestant critics claim the opposite: that it makes Jesus an exaulted and remote figure. My view is that he is not only our Savior but our Judge. The Sweet and gentle Jesus is also the one in Michelangelo's painting of the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel. The look on his face is terrifying, and it is sovering to look at the faces of the damned whom he is "thrusting" into hell with a movement of his arm. In many visions Mary is not talking like Norman Vincent Peale. At LaSalette, she is preaching that the local people had better shape up and fly right or hard times are coming, but if they repent, the hand of her son might be stayed. The message of Fatima is positively apocolyptic, in case you don't read the tabloids.

[OLD REGGIE]

Does anyone besides me have a problem seeing these "doctrines" as CHRISTOCENTRIC ??? I don't care what their objective is, even if it IS to glorify Christ, because they fail miserably to do so. The glory of Christ is not exalted by venerating Mary and the saints.

These beliefs serve only to diminish the glory given to Christ. They can serve no other purpose.