Posted on 12/08/2012 2:24:39 PM PST by NYer
Do Catholics worship Mary? This question is as old as the Protestant Reformation itself, and it rests, like other disputed doctrinal points, on a false premise that has been turned into a wedge: the veneration of Mary detracts from the worship of Christ.
This seeming opposition between Mary and Christ is symptomatic of the Protestant tendency, begun by Luther, to view the entirety of Christian life through a dialectical lens – a lens of conflict and division. With the Reformation the integrity of Christianity is broken and its formerly coherent elements are now set in opposition. The Gospel versus the Law. Faith versus Works. Scripture versus Tradition. Authority versus Individuality. Faith versus Reason. Christ versus Mary.
The Catholic tradition rightly sees the mutual complementarity of these elements of the faith, as they all contribute to our ultimate end – living with God now and in eternity. To choose any one of these is to choose them all.
By contrast, to assert that Catholics worship Mary along with or in place of Christ, or that praying to Mary somehow impedes Christ’s role as “the one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim 2:5) is to create a false dichotomy between the Word made flesh and the woman who gave the Word his flesh. No such opposition exists. The one Mediator entrusted his mediation to the will and womb of Mary. She does not impede his mediation – she helps to make it possible.
Within this context we see the ancillary role that the ancilla Domini plays in her divine Son’s mission. Mary’s is not a surrogate womb rented and then forgotten in God’s plan. She is physically connected to Christ and his life, and because of this she is even more deeply connected to him in the order of grace. She is, in fact, “full of grace,” as only one who is redeemed by Christ could be.
The feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception celebrates the very first act of salvation by Christ in the world. Redemption is made possible for all by his precious blood shed on the cross. Yet Mary’s role in the Savior’s life and mission is so critical and so unique that God saw it necessary to wash her in the blood of the Lamb in advance, at the first moment of her conception.
This reality could not be more Biblical: the angel greets Mary as “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), which is literally rendered as “already graced” (kecharitōmenē). Following Mary, the Church has “pondered what sort of greeting this might be” for centuries. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception, ultimately defined in 1854, is nothing other than a rational expression of the angel’s greeting contained in Scripture: Mary is “already graced” with Christ’s redemption at the very moment of her creation.
Because God called Mary to the unique vocation of serving as the Mother of God, it is not just her soul that is graced, as is the case for us when we receive the sacraments. Mary’s entire being, body and soul, is full of grace so that she may be a worthy ark for the New Covenant. And just as the ark of the old covenant was adorned with gold to be a worthy house for God’s word, Mary is conceived without original sin to be the living and holy house for God’s Word.
Thus Mary is not only conceived immaculately, that is, without stain of sin. She also is the Immaculate Conception. Her entire being was specifically created by God with unique privilege so that she could fulfill her role in God’s plan of salvation. “Free from sin,” both original and personal, is the necessary consequence of being “full of grace.”
Protestants claim that veneration of Mary as it is practiced by Catholics is not biblical. St. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Paul is not holding himself up as the end goal, but as a means to Christ, the true end. And if a person is imitated, he is simultaneously venerated.
If we should imitate Paul, how much more should we imitate Mary, who fulfilled God’s will to the greatest degree a human being could. Throughout her life she humbled herself so that God could be exalted, and because of this, Christ has fulfilled his promise by exalting his lowly mother to the seat closest to him in God’s kingdom.
Mary is the model of humility, charity, and openness to the will of God. She allows a sword to pierce her heart for the sake of the world’s salvation. She shows us the greatness to which we are called: a life free from sin and filled with God’s grace that leads to union with God in Heaven. She is the model disciple, and therefore worthy of imitation and veneration, not as an end in herself, but as the means to the very purpose of her – and our – existence: Christ himself.
God’s lowly handmaiden would not want it any other way.
“That list is from those who are experts on what cults are and teach.”
Right. Like who? Links maybe?
{{{CRICKETS}}}}
{{{CRICKETS}}}}
You got it. No “crickets” from me. You thought I just made that list up or something? LOL I didn’t even include some I think reflect the RCC. Like “However cult leaders will tell you can only be "saved" (or can only be successful) in their organization alone. No other organization has the truth, all others miss the mark. So it is not the belief system that decides your future, but it the belief system AND your membership with that particular group.”
By Rick Ross, Expert Consultant and Intervention Specialist
http://www.rickross.com/warningsigns.html
How Cults work.
http://www.howcultswork.com/
I could go on but all one needs to do is a simple search such as “signs of a cult”.
As for "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.":
Are you saying a statue of fourfooted beasts or bugs is an idol? Is this an idol:
Or, according to you, is this an idol?:
[22] Yet one thing is wanting to thee: sell all whatever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. [23] He having heard these things, became sorrowful; for he was very rich. [24] And Jesus seeing him become sorrowful, said: How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God. [25] For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. [26] And they that heard it, said: Who then can be saved? [27] He said to them: The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God. [28] Then Peter said: Behold, we have left all things, and have followed thee. [29] Who said to them: Amen, I say to you, there is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, [30] Who shall not receive much more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. (Luke 18)
Indeed, the Apostles lost everything when they joined Jesus. Excepting St. John they lost their lives. The first disciples gave their entire possessions to the Church.
And all they that believed, were together, and had all things common. [45] Their possessions and goods they sold, and divided them to all, according as every one had need. [46] And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they took their meat with gladness and simplicity of heart; [47] Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved. (Acts 2:44-47)
ROTFLMAO! A bankrupt jewish nutcase is your so called “expert”?
More, what you claim as a list bears little resemblance to what real pros use:
To wit:
Lifton details eight characteristics that typify a destructive group environment: dictating with whom members can communicate; convincing members they are a chosen people with a higher purpose; creating an us-versus-them mentality, whereby everything in the group is right and everything outside is wrong; encouraging members to share their innermost secrets and then purge whatever hinders their merging with the group; convincing members that their philosophical belief system is ‘the absolute truth’; creating an ‘in’ language of buzzwords and groupspeak which becomes a substitute for critical thinking; reinterpreting human experience and emotion in terms of the group’s doctrine; and reinforcing the idea that life within the group is good and worthy, and life outside evil and pointless.
Looney and dishonest. Sad.
So you have no pictures of loved ones?
{{{{CRICKETS}}}}
John the Baptist lost his head. He gained an eternal reward as a living Saint in Heaven.
But then there are nutcases who deny that there are Saints alive today and forever in Heaven.
Here’s what your question was
“Have you have changed and believe Jesus is God and believe in the Trinity Now?
Jesus is God and the Trinity are true.Do you agree?
Clearly you indicated that you believe she said that she didn’t believe in the Trinity. Now show me where she ever said she didn’t.
CynicalBear keeps trying to make this about the poster. It appears to be a pattern.
Of course they needed to be willing to lose it all for Christ’s sake. Lot lost all because of his abiding faith in God also. Yet God always promises much more for being faithful doesn’t He. Do you not thank Him for all the blessings you receive in this life. If you thought they were keeping you from getting into heaven why would you thank Him?
That rabbit on the lawn isn’t prayed to and revered, put on dashes, next to the front door for protection either. Obfuscate all you want to but those figures on the dash of cars and on lawns and next to doors are idols which Catholics believe protect them.
The lists of what to watch for to identify cults is not restriced to those examples I gave you. And why am I not surprised that you need to discrdit any source?
None that I pray to or statues of them that I believe protect me.
Most people don’t have the time to review your history.
It’s a simple question.. Do you believe Jesus is God and do you believe in the Trinity?
It’s either a yes or no.
Answer the question. You post here on FR nearly every day so you should have no problem answering with a simple yes or no.
An appropriate description of a cult is “a religious group originating as a heretical sect and maintaining fervent commitment to heresy.”…http://www.equip.org/articles/is-catholicism-a-cult/along with..
"Cults are usually formed, molded, and controlled by a single individual or small group."
Then, of course, we must have Dr. Phil:
If you suspect a loved one has been influenced by an extreme group, Dr. Frank Lawlis, chairman of the Dr. Phil Advisory Board, offers the following warning signs:1. Loss of humor
2. Judgmental attitude toward family members, especially authority
3. Self-imposed isolation
4. Lack of interest in typical activities
5. Talk centered around issues of intense consequences and values, trying to convert family to extreme positions, especially related to the Bible
6. Pressuring others for money for "group missions"
7. Dropping current educational or vocation plans to devote toward group mission
8. Failing grades
9. Breaking contact with friends
10. No longer attends family traditions
11. Moves out to "group home"
12. Losing weight
13. Less time spent at home or with usual friends
14. Flat affect, fatigue
15. Shows rigid reasoning
You do not pray for your family or ask them to pray for you?
figures on the dash of cars and on lawns and next to doors are idols
Can we say that it is not the placement that makes it an idol or is this a key part of your theory?
which Catholics believe protect them.
Or is it this aspect? Could a rabbit's foot be an idol likewise? Is the idol in the object or in the person?
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem;
Creatorem caeli et terrae.
Et in Jesum Christum,
Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum;
qui conceptus est
de Spiritu Sancto,
natus ex Maria virgine;
passus sub Pontio Pilato,
crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus;
descendit ad inferos;
tertia die resurrexit a mortuis;
ascendit ad caelos;
sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis;
inde venturus est
iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum;
sanctam ecclesiam catholicam;
sanctorum communionem;
remissionem peccatorum;
carnis resurrectionem;
vitam aeternam. Amen.
In English:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
he will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
What business is that of yours?
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