Sure, our claim of authority is controversial. But one way to back it up is to deal with the questions about particular exercises of that authority.
I believed that one could pray to Mary and to the angles and other saints long before I accepted the authority of the Magisterium and became Catholic.
“We are the only true church and whatever our magesteria declares as doctrine, no one dare deny under threat of condemnation.”, that's what gets most folks’ goat. Get it???
Look at the zeal with which we are attacked, the mockery of our terms and language, the twisting of what we think, the attribution of our devotion to Mary to various perversions or neuroses.
Now consider: Among these people attacking us are those who think we teach soul-imperilling poison. So they do not hold back in expressing their condemnation.
SO why should we? I think the fullness of the Church subsists among those in communion with the See of Rome. I really do think those who do not avail themselves of the excellence of what "the fullness of the Church" is are losing a lot. I think those who argue against us are doing damage, probably not ultimate, but still serious, to the souls of many.
So, if I had the responsibility to declaring, guarding, a defining, and teaching the Gospel, I would be as clear about the condemnations I issued against those whom I thought wrong, as many of those who disagree with me have been about the Catholic church, as clear as Calvin was.
But in the meantime, the argument against prayer to Mary has not been clearly articulated. We have a practice, people don't like it. It seems that we can legitimately expect them to be clear about why they don't like it before we address their objections.
I don’t feel like I was trying to change the subject at all. I was trying to express the futility sometimes of debating about personal beliefs. You DID admit, finally, that there are NO scriptures that say to pray to Mary. Okay. Can we not leave in there? Does someone HAVE to say “uncle” before we can move on already???
Why do YOU think the Roman Catholic Church is so “attacked” and condemned? Could it have anything at all to do with the exclusivity factor?