Queens of Heaven. Mary and Kuantan Yin

1/24/15 | Self

[ifinnegan]

Here are artistic representations of two goddesses who are considered the Queen of Heaven and Goddesses. 

The Buddhist/Taoist Kuan Yin (or Guan Yin) (觀音)

And

The Catholic depiction of Mary

Note the similarities in representation. 

This relates to a thread last week on the leftover, or accretional pagan beliefs or rituals that are still present in the Catholic church. 

The Goddess of Mercy is a universal idol/icon in pagan belief systems. 

[50sDad]

I didn’t attack you.

Sorry, the whole "Protestant isn't real Christianity" thing made me think you did.

[Steelfish]

Right, that’s why leading Lutheran and Protestant theologians have converted to Catholicism. The dupes are the Bible Christians whose understanding of theology is so shallow that we now have 35,000 sects ranging from the likes of Billy Graham to Jim Jones, the Moonies and David Koresh. So go back to the shallow waters in which you folks swim and stay away from the deep end of the theological pool reserved for the likes of the early Church fathers, and such luminaries like Augustine, Aquinas, Newman, and Benedict XVI and a litany of saints and martyrs after whom college and universities have been named.

[Westbrook]

I am not a “protestant”.

I am a Christian.

I abhor Luther’s hatred of the Jews and Zwingli’s burning of “heretics” as much as the unspeakable slaughter of the Huegonots and Mennonites at the hands of the Roman Church and the brutal persecution of Christians and Jews at the hands of the Borgia popes and their infamous henchman Torquemada.

Erasmus said, after reading a Greek Bible, “Either this is not the Bible, or we are not Christians.”

[ealgeone]

John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but will have eternal life.

Not Mary. Mary was the mother of Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. She was a humble bondservant. She was a sinner by her own admission. We will call her blessed for what happened to her. She is blessed, but not the Blessed Mother.

There is not one verse in the NT that says look to Mary for your salvation. None. Not one. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

There are however, a plethora of verses that tell us to look to Jesus for our salvation.

It's all about Christ. Always has been. Always will be.

He is the main thing. Let's keep Him the main thing.

[mrobisr]

If you are going to quote Bible verse you might want to be close to right. Sorry but Mary isn’t full of Grace, favored yes, but not full of. Stephen on the other hand was actually full of Grace “In the Bible”. So by contrast Stephen must really be Super!

Luke 1:28 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Interlinear states Greetings, favored with Grace.

Acts 6:8 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

[mrobisr]

I wouldn’t get top excited as Scripture allows for people falling for the easy denomination. Oh yes easy no faith required it’s all about touch, taste, smell, and seeing none of which require faith.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.

[Lonely Bull]

Christ's Blood washes humanity -- but the pagan Aztecs believed, in essence, that human blood could appease the gods, such as they were. Pagan religions contain innumerable such similarities, often inverted as with Mesoamerican human sacrifice.

In a similar fashion, this thread has reminded me of alleged similarities between Jesus and other figures.

[Salvation]

Check the Latin Vulgate and the Douay Rheims. I am correct.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Where is that one?

Sanya, Hainan Island, China. It's over 300' tall!

[Salvation]

http://drbo.org/chapter/49001.htm

Luke 1

[26] And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, [27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin' s name was Mary. [28] And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. [29] Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. [30] And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.

[Salvation]

http://drbo.org/chapter/49001.htm

[mountn man]

So Christ didn't save us by taking on a human nature from and through Mary, and then dying on the cross -- something that would only be possible if he had taken on a human nature (since a divine nature cannot die)?

If Mary played no role in our salvation, then the cross played no role in our salvation either. No Mary means no human Jesus, means no dying on the cross, means no "saved by the blood of Christ" (because no human nature, therefore no blood).

Doesn't sound anything like any kind of Christianity I recognize.

Nice try, but wrong.

Not even nice try.

Just plain WRONG. Mary has nothing to do with salvation. Just Christ.

Like Jesus said "no man comes to the father, but by me". To attribute some special position to Mary as far as salvation goes, because she was Jesus' mother, you would by the same logic blame your own mother for every sin you made.

Like wise, EVERY person mentioned in Jesus' lineage would also have credit for salvation, including Rahab the Harlot.

Throughout the Bible, Jesus is tied to David. An adulterer and murderer.

Mary is blessed Εὐλογημένη means speak well of, to celebrate, praise or congratulate. It does not denote any special position.

Also, Mary was CHOSEN by God. The Bible tells us Mary found favor with the Lord. No where does it mention her finding favor with God BECAUSE of anything. Granted, she might have been a very good young lady, but God doesn't choose people because of their greatness.

Abraham was CHOSEN by God, to be the father of the Jewish nation, not because he was special.But simply because God chose him.

God chose David to be king after Saul, though he was the youngest of Jesse,of the smallest tribe.

Moses, was a murderer, with a speech impediment, CHOSEN by God. Like wise, the 12 Apostles. Before they were chosen they were nobodies. They became somebodies, simply because God chose them. Likewise, If God chooses you for something, that doesn't automatically bestow special privilege on you. What it does do is give you the honor, of being a tool the God has chosen to use.

Mary was simply a vessel used by God. Whatever greatness she has, is simply in allowing herself to be used by God.

To lift her up and deify her or worship her is sin. God shares his glory with no one.

Jesus' divinity came through the Holy Spirit, his humanity came through Mary. Mary is a vessel used by God. THAT in itself is her blessing. Nothing more.

If you still think it doesn't sound like any kind of Christianity that you recognize, then you don't know real Christianity, and you don't know saving Grace in Christ, which you will have to give an accounting to God.

[mrobisr]

So your god is so small that he couldn’t use anyone for his Eternal Purpose? Sounds more like Islam than Christianity, humans must do the heavy lifting. My God uses his servants for his purpose and NOT because of who or what we are. Grace and Mercy can’t be earned or deserved. Actually when you look at God’s servants they had major problems such as slow speaking, extremely poor, sick/lame, oozing sores, whores, prostitutes, thieves, murderers, tax collectors, and so on. Why you ask, because that way he gets all the Glory, Honor, and Praise as he deserves.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

"Yet Mary still plays no role in our salvation. NONE."

Not in Jesus's perfect salvific act, the salvation of humanity being due to Christ alone and unassisted. But she fulfilled a role in God's plan that began with her consent to bear The Christ.

[mountn man]

κεχαριτωμένη: xaritóō (from 5486 /xárisma, "grace," see there) – properly, highly-favored because receptive to God's grace. 5487 (xaritóō) is used twice in the NT (Lk 1:28 and Eph 1:6), both times of God extending Himself to freely bestow grace (favor).

[mountn man]

Go back and read Eagleones post.

He is stating what you just said.

[mrobisr]

I notice that the one I posted is the newer version and not the older one you had to dig up. You know why your Church changed it? The translation was so wrong that modern scholars were laughing at the Catholic Church. As far as the Latin Vulgate that's a poor translation also as it goes from Greek to Latin to English. Why not just go from Greek to English oh that wouldn't suit your needs now would it. Mary κεχαριτωμένη ! [you] favored with grace Stephen πλήρης χάριτος full grace

[Steelfish]

Simplistic nonsense. Deny Petrine Authority (under which the early Church fathers put together the books of the Bible: they did not fall from the skies) and you’ll have thousands of loose canons on decks each providing their “own” Bible interpretation from the Moonies to the Mormons to every other Tom, Dick, and Harry mushroom Foursquare Church pastor. This is the curse of the Reformation.

[mrobisr]

Just as Lucifer fell from Heaven for his pride many others will see that fate also. I’m playing for Eternity, so if in your mind you’re correct okay. Just remember this conversation when your standing in front of that Great White Throne Judgement.