Posted on 05/30/2008 10:21:34 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007
Some of you will remember my recent decision to become a Catholic. I suppose I should be surprised it ended getting derailed into a 'Catholic vs. Protestant' thread, but after going further into the Religion forum, I suppose it's par for the course.
There seems to be a bit of big issue concerning Mary. I wanted to share an observation of sorts.
Now...although I was formerly going by 'Sola Scriptura', my father was born and raised Catholic, so I do have some knowledge of Catholic doctrine (not enough, at any rate...so consider all observations thusly).
Mary as a 'co-redeemer', Mary as someone to intercede for us with regards to our Lord Jesus.
Now...I can definitely see how this would raise some hairs. After all, Jesus Himself said that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that none come to the Father but through Him. I completely agree.
I do notice a bit of a fundamental difference in perception though. Call it a conflict of POV. Do Catholics worship Mary (as I've seen a number of Protestants proclaim), or do they rather respect and venerate her (as I've seen Catholics claim)? Note that it's one thing to regard someone with reverence; I revere President Bush as the noted leader of the free world. I revere my father. I revere Dr. O'Neil, a humorous and brilliant math teacher at my university. It's an act of respect.
But do I WORSHIP them?
No. Big difference between respecting/revering and worshiping. At least, that's how I view it.
I suppose it's also a foible to ask Mary to pray for us, on our behalf...but don't we tend to also ask other people to pray for us? Doesn't President Bush ask for people to pray for him? Don't we ask our family members to pray for us for protection while on a trip? I don't see quite a big disconnect between that and asking Mary to help pray for our wellbeing.
There is some question to the fact that she is physically dead. Though it stands to consider that she is still alive, in Heaven. Is it not common practice to not just regard our physical life, but to regard most of all our spirit, our soul? That which survives the flesh before ascending to Heaven or descending to Hell after God's judgment?
I don't think it's that big of a deal. I could change my mind after reading more in-depth, but I don't think that the Catholic Church has decreed via papal infallibility that Mary is to be placed on a higher pedestal than Jesus, or even to be His equal.
Do I think she is someone to be revered and respected? Certainly. She is the mother of Jesus, who knew Him for His entire life as a human on Earth. Given that He respected her (for He came to fulfill the old laws; including 'Honor Thy Father and Mother'), I don't think it's unnatural for other humans to do the same. I think it's somewhat presumptuous to regard it on the same level as idolatry or supplanting Jesus with another.
In a way, I guess the way Catholics treat Mary and the saints is similar to how the masses treated the Apostles following the Resurrection and Jesus's Ascension: people who are considered holy in that they have a deep connection with Jesus and His Word, His Teachings, His Message. As the Apostles spread the Good News and are remembered and revered to this day for their work, so to are the works of those sainted remembered and revered. Likewise with Mary. Are the Apostles worshiped? No. That's how it holds with Mary and the saints.
At least, that's how my initial thoughts on the subject are. I'll have to do more reading.
I don’t recall hiring any RC as my style editor nor style consultant.
It should be considered highly likely that I’ll continue to post in the manner I have since . . . roughly 1976 . . . certainly since 1980.
I can, however, understand it being very difficult to respond to
THE TRUTH.
. . . THE BIBLICAL AND HISTORICAL TRUTH.
Hey, it works for me and for a whole lot of other folks on these threads. Ever read what your side says about protestants? Not nice either. I said I was sorry. If you can’t accept my apology, then please don’t bother posting to me.
Roughly put:
Since Protestants believe sola fide, they believe they can know they are saved, because they believe the salvation won by Christ protects them from the consequences of their sins continuously, imputing to them the merit before God that they themselves could never hope to achieve.
Since Catholics believe the formula is faith-plus-works, they believe that they can bring themselves to a state of venal or mortal sin, at which time they would seek absolution for their sins. Since, thus, a Catholic can only hope and pray they are saved, but not know, they would never brag of being saved. Yet, they are Christians for they believe Jesus is Christ, the Messiah, their Lord and Savior, who suffered, was crucified and died for our sins before rising from the dead on the third day.
Anyone who professes the Creed and believes himself a Catholic is by his faith a Christian, but by his own admission, not necessarily saved.
No, we Catholics don't put our believe in whatever that is, we put our belief in the institution that Jesus Christ founded circa AD 32: the Catholic Church.
It helps to be more honest and more historically accurate.
Agreed. You should try it sometime.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, an early start on the evening's personal assault. Slick.
NO. Christ does NOT protect us from the consequences of our sins. WE have to pay for that, whether it be in our bodies, financially, and in every other way. We believe that Jesus IS the Christ. Why do you think we’re saved? It’s because we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, as scripture tells us. I believe in works, but not until after we are saved by faith. Works before that are dead in the water.
What is so hard to understand that a Christian is one who is in Christ and who is saved? You don’t get saved by sitting in church or believing what any church just says about Christ. It’s a personal decision you make. It’s not bragging about being saved, regardless of what you say.
I merely turned your words to another against you.
If those words constitute a personal assault, it was first a personal assault by you, on Markbsnr.
Personally, I don’t think it is a personal assault. Instead, it seems you have a thin skin.
***Tight, Mark. Very tight.***
And I thank you for it.
It’s funny that the Bible believers are first to disregard huge swathes of the Bible, beginning with the Gospels. I give them Matthew in his entirety, and they respond with a snippet of Galations, followed by a mite of Romans, and perhaps a dash of Corinthians with the obligatory OT fire and brimstone.
And nary a comment other than “well, that’s not what I believe it says.”
I didn’t post to you in the first place.
It was the other way around.
I have been praying for you for a very long time.
Using the other guys did it first isn’t very Christ like either.
I appreciate your prayers. Thank you.
Because that definition is a subset of all Christians.
You dont get saved by sitting in church or believing what any church just says about Christ.
Correct: not faith alone, but works as well.
I believe in works, but not until after we are saved by faith.
Do you not see how small the difference is here. You said works, but not until after saved by faith. Catholics say work and faith, that one might be saved. I know of no Christian faith that argues works alone....certainly Catholicism does not.
Like some kind of epistolary spice rack. LOL
***Then answer this question, is your entire congregation in 100% unanimous agreement on what EVERY SINGLE verse in Scripture means?
NEITHER DOES THE RC EDIFICE—AND CERTAINLY NOT A SINGLE CONGREGATION WITHIN THE EDIFICE! LOL.
I find the implications of that statement to be horrendously deceptive and dripping with brazen balderdash. . . . or perhaps towers of willful INSTITUTIONAL blindness. ***
Jesus delivered one faith, Quix. One theology. This is not Burger King theology where you get everything your way.
***The Church has been doing things the same way for two thousand years. He told us what to do and we’ve been doing it ever since.
This more brazenly preposterous than the last one.
1. The RC edifice as such has been doing whatever for only about 1600 years. ***
You’re batting 0.000 so far.
***This whole farce of a contention is so false on the face of it to anyone with a gram’s worth of authentic history as to be laughable—hideously and embarrassingly laughable. It’s actually sad and pitiful that anyone in this modern age could believe such a fallacy, much less call it any brand or flavor of true and much, much, much less any flavor or brand of Christian truth. Shocking. Absolutely shocking. I have to keep consciously forcing my gaping shocked jaw to close. ***
Oh please don’t. Your prose is far too entertaining. We don’t get the science fiction channel in our house, so your contributions are very welcome.
***Absolutely incredible. I’m sorry, group. I care about y’all a lot—it’s quite a trip dialoguing with you. But this is just sooooooo brazenly shocking. I can’t say anything milder and be remotely truthful nor remotely true to authentic history—not to mention the Bible. ***
I notice that the Bible Believers (tm) mention the Bible less than we do, and they mention most of the Bible not at all.
***You have made a point that I have often thought of.
Mary was full of grace prior to the conception of Jesus.***
She received the full gift of the Holy Spirit before Pentecost.
***We put our belief in the institution that Jesus Christ
a conveniently placed set of political RELIGIOUS power-mongers with ample secular geopolitical and economic backing set up around 400 AD.
It helps to be more honest and more historically accurate. ***
We thank you for your revisionist history and pray that you should ever be with us lest we become complacent and unwary and fall away from the Grace of God. There are some people whose lot in life is to provide examples to others. You are a fabulous example and we are grateful.
Perhaps the English is a bit of a challenge.
Where did I say to any RC
“You should try it sometime”
about such a thing?
Anyone doubting that should spend an hour meditating on the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
Nice dodge.
***Like some kind of epistolary spice rack. LOL***
Given the recipes that they are cooking up, it would seem that the Teaching Institution that Christ created and left for us should be just the thing.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John provide them only background to the misinterpretations of Paul. I keep imagining their Bibles are tremendously abridged, like a formerly top secret document exposed to the public with 90% of the words blacked out. No wonder they can’t put things into context.
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