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After spending a great amount of time and effort considering the differences between Biblical Christianity and Catholicism, I’ve come to believe that the most fundamental one lies in the matter of justification. And if that’s the case, then the errors of Catholicism’s doctrines on Mary would arise from that.

There is no way for anyone, even in part, to be just before God. Being sorry for sin or attempting somehow to do good to correct or make up for the sin never can make things as if the sin never happened. Sinning is like scattering to the wind seeds for more sin. Any sin sets off a chain reaction of more sin. And no matter what someone does, someone has transgressed against God’s commands, done what He’s forbidden, and “done harm to our neighbors,” (as Paul wrote that “love does no harm to a neighbor, so love is the fulfillment of the law,” Romans 13:10) So no matter who one is, they have sinned and given life to more sin, even if they’ve confessed it, or done what they could to try to correct a situation or counteract the sin. The point of Christianity is that we human beings are “sin makers.” We cause disorder, destruction and death in God’s perfect paradise (meaning that even when given perfection by God, we, in our natural state, will destroy it with our sin, just as Adam and Eve did).

So the only proper attitude towards God when it comes to justification is humility, being mindful of our sins against Him always when considering the question of justification. We are completely dependent on His mercy. He doesn’t owe it to us. He could rightfully judge us and condemn us immediately. But He has chosen to be merciful, and that’s extremely costly to Him. Our “good works,” if sincere, are a sign of repentance, that we’ve stopped rebelling against God and are in agreement with Him. They don’t justify us, though. Only God’s mercy, which He showed in giving His own Son on the cross, can do that. And to accept it we have to acknowledge our spiritual poverty, that we are spiritually penniless.

Well said.

In regard to this thread I will add.

1) When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus did not direct them to Mary but to the Father. He invites us to come directly before him with the word Father.

2) The Lord thy God is a jealous God. He does not want anyone or anything to be between Him and us.