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I agree woodstock that belief in Jesus is the way to salvation.

No Jesus is Salvation, cf John 6:53.

If so why do most catholics pray not to him but to the Virgin Mary???

We pray to God, we ask him for Mercy. We ask the Blessed Virgin to Pray for us, we never ask her or any saints for Mercy, because God alone can grant Mercy. We may say: "Jesus, Have Mercy on us" or, "St. Vitus, Pray for us".

It is an article of faith that Mary, the Mother of Jesus points to Christ. The entirety of the Catholic Mass is worship of God, in the Trinity. We don't even say a Hail Mary as a group during that Mass, though we may pray them silently on our own. Like the little old lady you may ask to Pray for you, or Pray with you, Mary will Pray for or with you, to her Son.

In addition something else i find curious is that they rate church tradition as being equal to the "Bible."

The Bible is the Canon of scripture that was assembled from Church Tradition, in about 397. The last Canonical Book (Revelation of the Apocalypse) was not complete until about 55 years after the death of out Lord. During the time before the Canon was fixed in 397 thats all we had. For 20% of the Age of Christendom, there was no Bible, per se.

Perhaps you may want to look at Catholic.com and read up on the Faith of your Fathers, and you Grandmother. Most every one of your questions is answered in detail.

I am not a catholic and reject that it is the faith of my "fathers". My Dad was born a catholic and had the water sprinkled on him for his "christening" for his admittance to heaven. However, despite that water and having the catholic religion; he was still without Jesus. For almost 40 years he wandered this world trying to get by by going to church. I thank God for a Jesus loving mother who cared about me enough to get me in a Bible believing church early enough to make a difference other wise I would have been as lost as he was. I am a good person, but I wont get to heaven because of good works. I will not get to heaven by giving of alms to the poor. I will only get to Heaven by the Grace of my Lord Jesus Christ because of the blood sacrifice that he made for me on Calvary. I refuse to exhange my relationship with Jesus Christ for a religion where you check the blocks of tradition to ensure you get to heaven, your either going there or not.

John 3:16 (King James Version)

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Philippians 4:13 (King James Version)

13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.