Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: John Leland 1789
The level and manner of “devotion” to Mary is immensely greater and deeper, and millions of Filipinos would never think it strange to have their devotion directly labeled, “worship.”

Even if Filipinos would agree to such a label for their devotion to Mary (something I doubt), they STILL wouldn't be violating Scripture at all. Read Rev 3:9. It's just as Catholics have always said: Honor bestowed to the Saints and Mary (dulia and hyperdulia respectively), do not violate Scripture at all, they are forms of "worship" that show honor and respect to men (or women of course) of higher rank. In fact, such acts are supported by the passage above.

You'll note if you do a word search on the word used for "worship" in Rev 3:9, it's the exact same word used to describe the actions of men worshipping God in other Scripture passages. It depends on the context (heart of the person involved), as to which definition of proskyneo is applicable.

146 posted on 05/30/2008 12:50:31 PM PDT by FourtySeven (47)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 138 | View Replies ]


To: FourtySeven

I want to say this respectfully. But if you have not observed Catholic worship in the streets of a Filipino city, you cannot quite understand the different plane it is all on. I still contend that the views with regard to the “worship” of Mary in the United States takes into consideration only that form in the United States, and it is altogether different in predominantly Catholic countries (I mean like the Philippines, 95+%) that are comparatively backward. Their fears are deeper, the emotions involved run deeper and broader, the subjugation to every word of a priest is deeper.

The definition of “worship” you would debate. But no common American Catholic “worships” Mary to the depths of the Filipino Catholics. I was the pastor of a church in a Catholic village 2-1/2 hours south of Manila for six full years. Our church members (75 people) were the ONLY non-Catholics out of an area of perhaps 8,000 people.

I can tell you absolutely, there is NO place in the United States, NO Catholic church in America that would anywhere near approach the level of the exaltation of Mary that those Catholics in that village do every day. And it is EVERY day . . . EVERY day . . . EVERY day.

You might say, “That’s wonderful,” as you are a Catholic yourself. Okay. I tend to think that American Catholics in large numbers might actually be appalled by it and consider it far too excessive and extreme. Thay is, unless you take the position of co-EQUALITY of Mary with the Lord Jesus Christ, actually deifying her.


205 posted on 05/30/2008 11:16:35 PM PDT by John Leland 1789
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 146 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson