Catholic?

Katy-follower · Jul 1, 2011

I'm a born again Christian. Here is a video I want to share with you. Please watch it............

YouTube - ‪Tell Catholics the Truth by Mike Gendron‬&rlm;

Katy-follower · Jul 1, 2011

You can buy Mike Gendron's book here: Amazon.com: Preparing Catholics for Eternity (9780971700932): Mike Gendron: Books

Katy-follower · Jul 1, 2011

The book I listed above includes quotes from the Cathecism and the bible, so as to reveal truth.

Cleante · Jul 1, 2011

You know, this topic gets brought up often and no one EVER changes sides... Just saying.

As for me. I'm perfectly happy being Orthodox.

Katy-follower · Jul 1, 2011

Cleante said:

Actually you would be surprised. Christianity is what many turn to and when they find the light, they never look back. Those who have not experienced this 'light' will never know what they are missing - hence why many will stick to their ways and may not step on the other side - but once you're there, you will never look back - TRUST ME, it's true!

Do you understand your religion inside out? Many Catholics, for example, when challenged to research their faith in depth did not fully understand the religion they were in. The book I listed above PROVES with facts - it quotes the Catechism with the bible also. You can't fight scripture comparisons like that, right??

I worship God, not man. This is what God has told us to do. It's one of those things he talks of a lot in the bible. But many just don't see it.

This is what I mean with Man-V-God....... a physical 'worship' with physical things-V-a spiritual relationship with God. God wants the spiritual relationship, as he says so in the bible. I am so content spiritually that I do not need to look at a painting of Jesus to feel close to him. Nor do I need to have statues to look at to feel closer to him. No material things exist in my relationship with God - just the spiritual relationship! This is what he wants - he wants that love for him that goes beyond the physical desires and traditions of man.

I challenge you to read the book.

Hearer · Jul 1, 2011

Katy-follower said:

Actually you would be surprised. Christianity is what many turn to and when they find the light, they never look back. Those who have not experienced this 'light' will never know what they are missing - hence why many will stick to their ways and may not step on the other side - but once you're there, you will never look back - TRUST ME, it's true!

Do you understand your religion inside out? Many Catholics, for example, when challenged to research their faith in depth did not fully understand the religion they were in. The book I listed above PROVES with facts - it quotes the Catechism with the bible also. You can't fight scripture comparisons like that, right??

I worship God, not man. This is what God has told us to do. It's one of those things he talks of a lot in the bible. But many just don't see it.

This is what I mean with Man-V-God....... a physical 'worship' with physical things-V-a spiritual relationship with God. God wants the spiritual relationship, as he says so in the bible. I am so content spiritually that I do not need to look at a painting of Jesus to feel close to him. Nor do I need to have statues to look at to feel closer to him. No material things exist in my relationship with God - just the spiritual relationship! This is what he wants - he wants that love for him that goes beyond the physical desires and traditions of man.

I challenge you to read the book.

you are close to "docetism"which is heresy and which denies the incarnation. Jesus was flesh and blood and fully human as well as fully divine. You are over spiritualizing him.

kujo313 · Jul 1, 2011

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere we go again.

I was RCC. Too many questionable things there to stay. (ex: not "worshipping" but "venerating". It's like being "almost pregnant".)

Hearer · Jul 1, 2011

kujo313 said:

we worship God, in three persons: Jesus, The Holy Spirit and the Father. And it is only God whom we worship.

Saints, martyrs and the cross and the altar are venerated: Held in high regard.

zeroturbulence · Jul 1, 2011

Hearer said:

Exactly.

We DO NOT worship saints or Mary. We are not suppose to venerate them either. The only one who is to be venerated is Jesus. If anyone says otherwise, they are mistaken.

zeroturbulence · Jul 1, 2011

Please watch this easy to understand video too about Mary in the scriptures (showing an interesting relation between the Old and New testaments). Note, we HONOR her, not worship her.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA[/video]

Digital_Angel_316 · Jul 1, 2011

I wouldn't go by Mike Gendron though. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary
and pretty much is making a business out of confused Catholics.

I was born into and practiced in a Third Order Catholic family/system which is pretty
fundamental.
I studied many other doctrines/religions and was a candidate for seminary myself at a
young age. I was baptized and confirmed. I got out of the Catholic Religion after college
and studied for more than 12 years in several small Baptist churches (and one large).
I got out of that too, but was adult baptized.

Mike Gendron teaches 'Grace as unmerited favor' and a 'saved/get saved' doctrine and
Once Saved - Always Saved (OSAS) calling it -- "Never lost / Never Revoked" -- too Baptist
and too many denomination-like failures.

It is good that you have found a new path, but always go by scripture, study the main
doctrines. The Catholics have them outlined, you just need to correct them from
scripture. Read the Bible through, study it, study broadly and deeply, ask questions, share
your ideas, understandings and questions.

Forlorn-Hope · Jul 1, 2011

Catholics are evil.. right we get the idea.

Cleante · Jul 1, 2011

Katy-follower said:

Actually you would be surprised. Christianity is what many turn to and when they find the light, they never look back. Those who have not experienced this 'light' will never know what they are missing - hence why many will stick to their ways and may not step on the other side - but once you're there, you will never look back - TRUST ME, it's true!

Do you understand your religion inside out? Many Catholics, for example, when challenged to research their faith in depth did not fully understand the religion they were in. The book I listed above PROVES with facts - it quotes the Catechism with the bible also. You can't fight scripture comparisons like that, right??

I worship God, not man. This is what God has told us to do. It's one of those things he talks of a lot in the bible. But many just don't see it.

This is what I mean with Man-V-God....... a physical 'worship' with physical things-V-a spiritual relationship with God. God wants the spiritual relationship, as he says so in the bible. I am so content spiritually that I do not need to look at a painting of Jesus to feel close to him. Nor do I need to have statues to look at to feel closer to him. No material things exist in my relationship with God - just the spiritual relationship! This is what he wants - he wants that love for him that goes beyond the physical desires and traditions of man.

I challenge you to read the book.

You're gravely mistaken. I'm not Roman Catholic. I'm Eastern Orthodox. Do you know the difference? I know my faith inside and out.

SantoSubito · Jul 1, 2011

Katy-follower said:

You know I've met many former Evangelicals that would never go back to being an Evangelical after becoming Catholic. But I'm not going to buy anything from anyone who graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary. I would actually like to see him debate one of the Jesuit priests that I've met, because if I can pick out some blatant falsehoods (maybe not his fault) and misrepresentations in his videos, then I can just imagine what some of the Jesuits I've met would do to him in a debate.

*UPDATE*

It looks like he did debate former Baptist now Catholic apologist Tim Staples. http://www.philvaz.com/StaplesGendronDebate.mp3 You can right click the link and click save link as and listen to it in Windows Media Player on your PC, or you can just click the link and listen in your browser.

SantoSubito · Jul 2, 2011

I just looked up the book "Preparing Catholics for Eternity" to see if it was worth buying and analyzing to write a rebuttal, but it seems this reviewer among others has done my job for me. Amazon.com: Dick Severin's review of Preparing Catholics for Eternity

Though I have to say I would love to visit him since he lives in Plano, Texas. He seems to use the most common anti-Catholic arguments, so it shouldn't be to hard to have a coffeehouse debate with him since I could essentially just read from a list of rebuttals I keep in my Bible.

Lifelike · Jul 3, 2011

Katy-follower said:

Hearer said:

How so...? She said nothing about Jesus not coming in the flesh. She is talking about worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth, which He requires. Ive worshipped Jesus for 14 years without a picture of Him or a statue, because He's real to me due to His indwelling Spirit.

Lifelike · Jul 3, 2011

Hearer said:

And prayed to, and trusted for special graces and blessings.

SantoSubito · Jul 3, 2011

Lifelike said:

Which come from God, the Saints have no power but what is given to them by God.

W3T · Jul 3, 2011

zeroturbulence said:

Had to edit it to get it to fit, heres the link if you want to read the rest. MARY WORSHIP by Mary Ann Collins (A Former Catholic Nun)

by Mary Ann Collins (A Former Catholic Nun)

July 2001

INTRODUCTION

Jesus said that the truth will set us free. (John 8:32) However, He did not say that the truth would necessarily be easy to accept. It was painful for me to learn the information that I am about to share with you, but it was also liberating and it led to a closer relationship with God.
As a faithful Catholic, and later as a nun, I practiced Mary worship for many years without realizing it. The prayers and practices were so familiar. They were taught to me by good people, sincere people that I trusted. I prayed rosaries and wore a scapular and engaged in other “devotions” which I honestly thought were good and pleasing to God. Because of my lack of knowledge of the Bible and of Church history, I honestly had no idea that I was actually worshipping Mary.
If modern Catholic teachings and doctrines about Mary are true, then they will not be contrary to Scripture, the writings of the Early Fathers, or the decrees of past popes. For a devout Catholic to question these issues and put them to the test can be painful. It certainly was for me. However, it would be far more painful to have God correct us when we face Him on Judgment Day.

WILL THE REAL CATHOLIC CHURCH

PLEASE STAND UP?

When I was in the convent, our mother superior told us about Catholics in Mexico who, in their devotion to Mary, were doing things that we would only do when worshipping God. We were concerned about this. We considered this practice to be unusual and unbalanced. We thought that the American practice of Catholicism was the true thing. However, many years later I realized that if you want to know what something really is, then look at how it behaves when it is in a position of power. In America, Catholics are in the minority. To see the true spirit behind Catholicism, watch what the Catholic Church does in countries where it is in power.
One place where the Catholic Church is strong is Spain, which is known for the Spanish Inquisition. I always thought that the Inquisition was ancient history. However, the last official Spanish execution for heresy occurred in 1826. A schoolmaster was hanged because he substituted the phrase “Praise be to God” in place of “Ave Maria” (“Hail Mary”) during school prayers. [2]
I always thought that abuses of power by the Catholic Church were something that happened long ago. However, look at the following example from the Philippines, where the Catholic Church is strong.
Beginning in 1948 there was a series of apparitions of Mary in the city of Lipa. These apparitions were sometimes accompanied by showers of rose petals and other supernatural phenomena. They occurred in a convent. The local bishop personally experienced a shower of rose petals and thereafter supported the apparitions. The media mocked the supernatural events in Lipa and street vendors sold phony “holy rose petals.” In response to the bad publicity, the Vatican sent a Papal Administrator to take over the diocese where the apparitions occurred. He replaced the bishop and the mother superior. The nun who saw the apparitions was forced to leave the convent. The nuns were ordered to destroy all materials associated with the apparitions, including a statue. The convent was sealed and the nuns were not allowed to talk to anyone outside the convent. An official Commission of Inquiry was convened, which unanimously ruled that the apparitions were not valid. However, they did not interview anybody who had personal, first-hand knowledge of the events. Several of the bishops who were part of the Commission of Inquiry stated on their deathbeds that the Papal Administrator had forced them to sign the verdict by threatening to excommunicate them if they did not sign it. [3]
After years of no longer being a Catholic, I attended a Catholic funeral. When I went into the church something hit me hard. It had always been there, but I had never noticed it before because I was used to it. There were statues of Mary and the saints. They looked solid, real, as if they represented people of power. Jesus only appeared as a helpless baby in Mary’s arms, as a dead man nailed to a cross, and as little wafers of bread hidden inside a fancy box. Visually and emotionally the message was very clear ‑- if you want real power, if you want someone who can do something for you, then go to Mary and the Saints.

DEVOTION TO MARY

If you want to see what a person's real priorities are, then watch what they do when their life, or the life of a loved one, is in danger. When Pope John Paul II was shot, while the ambulance was rushing him to the hospital, the Pope was not praying to God or calling on the name of Jesus. He kept saying, over and over, “Mary, my mother!” Polish pilgrims placed a picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa on the throne where the Pope normally sat. People gathered around the picture. Vatican loudspeakers broadcasted the prayers of the rosary. When the Pope recovered, he gave Mary all the glory for saving his life, and he made a pilgrimage to Fatima to publicly thank her. [4]
Jesus said, “[W]here your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34) Some statues of Mary have real crowns made of gold. The web sites listed in the Notes show pictures of statues of Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes wearing crowns. [5] The statues in the pictures are replicas, and their crowns are ceramic and painted gold. But the crowns on the original statues at Fatima and Lourdes are real crowns made of real gold.
Vast sums of money are spent on some special statues of Mary. For example, the statue of Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragossa, Spain has a crown made of 25 pounds of gold and diamonds, with so many diamonds that you can hardly see the gold. In addition, it has six other crowns of gold, diamonds and emeralds. It has 365 mantles which are embroidered with gold and covered with roses of diamonds and other precious stones. It has 365 necklaces made of pearls and diamonds, and six chains of gold set with diamonds. [6]
In Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, preparations are underway to construct a huge statue of Our Lady of the Rosary. Inside the base of the statue there will be chapels, conference rooms, apartments, a food court, and radio and TV stations. There will also be observation decks. This statue will be part of a 500-acre “Mystical City” complex. According to an article in Caribbean Business, this statue “will top at 1,500 feet”. According to an article by the Associated Press, the statue will be 305 feet high. [7] The discrepancy in numbers can be explained by looking at the Statue of Liberty, which is a 151 foot statue on top of a 154 foot base. Some sources say that the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet high (which includes the height of the base) and some say that it is 151 feet high (which is the height of the actual statue). What we probably have in Sabana Grande is a 305 foot statue with a 1,200 foot base.
I have personally participated in American processions which honored Mary. We walked through the streets following a statue of Mary which was carried on a platform, high up where it was clearly visible. We sang songs in Mary’s honor. We prayed rosaries and other prayers to her. These were small processions. At Fatima, Portugal, crowds of over a million people gather on the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. The celebration includes a procession of a million people following a statue of Mary and singing her praises. [8]
One popular prayer in Mary’s honor is the Hail Holy Queen, which is known in Latin as the Salve Regina. It is traditionally included as part of praying the rosary.
For Catholics who are reading this, please try to overcome your familiarity with this text and really look at the words. Doesn’t this sound like worship?
“Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping, in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.”
Alfonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) was a principal proponent of the Marianist Movement, which glorifies Mary. He wrote a book entitled The Glories of Mary which is famous, influential and widely read. In this book, de Liguori says that Mary was given rulership over one half of the kingdom of God; Mary rules over the kingdom of mercy and Jesus rules over the kingdom of justice. De Liguori said that people should pray to Mary as a mediator and look to her as an object of trust for answered prayer. The book even says that there is no salvation outside of Mary. Some people suggest that these views are extreme and not representative of Catholic Church teaching. However, instead of silencing de Liguori as a heretic, the Catholic Church canonized him as a saint and declared him to be a “doctor of the Church” (a person whose teachings carry weight and authority). Furthermore, his book is openly and officially promoted by the Catholic Church, and his teachings have influenced popes. [9]
Pope Benedict XV said of Mary that “[O]ne can justly say that with Christ, she herself redeemed mankind.” [10] Pope Pius IX said, “Our salvation is based upon the holy Virgin... so that if there is any hope and spiritual healing for us we receive it solely and uniquely from her.” [11]
A lay movement called “Vox Populi” (“Voice of the People”) gathers signed petitions to send to the Pope, seeking to have him officially declare that Mary is Co‑Redemptrix. Over six million signatures have been sent to him, representing 138 countries and all seven continents. This doctrine is supported by over 40 cardinals and 600 bishops worldwide. [12]
The Catholic Church exalts Mary as an idealized, larger-than-life, perfect mother. However, the Bible shows that at one point Mary misunderstood Jesus’ calling to the point that she thought He was insane and she tried to prevent Him from doing what God wanted Him to do. Look at Mark 3:20-34.
“And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.’” (Mark 3:20-21, emphasis added)
The New International Version says “His family”. The New King James Version says “His own people.” The King James Version says “his friends”. According to Strong’s Greek/Hebrew Dictionary the Greek word has a variety of meanings, including “kinsmen”. However, we don’t have to depend on the exact meaning of the word here because it will be made clear in verse 31. Strong’s defines “lay hold on” as “to use strength, i.e. seize or retain”. It defines “beside himself” as “become astounded, insane”.
Verses 22 through 30 describe a confrontation between Jesus and the scribes. Then we get back to what is happening with the people who thought that Jesus was out of His mind and were so concerned that they were coming to “lay hold on him” (seize him).
“There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” (Mark 3:31-35, emphasis added)

CONCLUSION

Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Our minds can be deceived and so can the minds of bishops and popes. Only the Bible is totally trustworthy. When religious traditions conflict with the plain meaning of Scripture then we need to discard those traditions. We cannot afford to do otherwise, because our eternal destiny is at stake.
The Apostles told the religious leaders of their day, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29b) As an old hymn says, “On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.”
If you are not persuaded that Catholicism encourages and even requires a level of “devotion” to Mary that really is a form of worship, then I challenge you to ask God what He thinks about it. If you are sincere in your prayer and open to letting God show you the truth, then He will.

W3T · Jul 3, 2011

zeroturbulence said:

Sorry, I shouldnt of left this part out...

CATHOLIC DOCTRINES ABOUT MARY

COMPARED WITH WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

My sources for this section are the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which has numbered paragraphs. For the sake of simplicity and brevity, I will just say Catechism plus the number of the paragraph (s). For example, “Catechism 411, 493” means “Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs numbered 411 and 493”.
For each doctrinal category, I will indicate the Catholic doctrine, followed by the appropriate references from the Catechism. I will follow this with quotations from the Bible which relate to the doctrine. For the sake of clarity, I will emphasize some portions of Biblical quotations by using boldface type. The last book in the Bible is called “The Book of Revelation” in Protestant Bibles and “The Apocalypse” in Catholic Bibles. I will refer to it as “Revelation”.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION -- Mary was preserved from all stain of original sin from the first instant of her conception. (Catechism 490-492).
In Luke 1:46-47, Mary said: “My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour”. Mary knew that she needed a savior.
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was first introduced by a heretic (a man whose teachings were officially declared to be contrary to Church doctrine). For centuries this doctrine was unanimously rejected by popes, Fathers and theologians of the Catholic Church. [13]

ALL-HOLY ‑- Mary, “the All-Holy,” lived a perfectly sinless life. (Catechism 411, 493)
Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. Revelation 15:4 says, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy”. Romans 3:10 says, “There is none righteous, no, not one”.
Jesus is the only person who is referred to in Scripture as sinless. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 1 Peter 2:22 says, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth”.
In contrast, Mary said that God is her Savior. (Luke 1:47) If God was her Savior, then Mary was not sinless. Sinless people do not need a Savior.
In the Book of Revelation, when they were searching for someone who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, the only person who was found to be worthy was Jesus. Nobody else in Heaven or on earth (including Mary) was worthy to open the scroll or even look inside it. (Revelation 5:1-5)

PERPETUAL VIRGINITY ‑- Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. (Catechism 496-511)
Matthew 1:24-25 says, “Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” “Till” (until) means that after that point, Joseph did “know” (have sexual relations with) Mary. (See Genesis 4:1 where Adam “knew” Eve and she conceived and had a son.)
Jesus had brothers and sisters. The Bible even tells us their names. Matthew 13:54-56 says,
“And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hatch this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?”
Other Scripture verses which specifically refer to Jesus’ brothers are: Matthew 12:46; John 2:12; John 7:3; Acts 1:14; and Galatians 1:19.
I was always taught that “brothers” and “sisters” were general terms that really could refer to any kind of kinsman, including cousins. This is true in the Hebrew language. However, the New Testament is written in Greek, which is an extremely precise language. It makes a clear distinction between the words used to describe family relationships. There is a Greek word which refers to people who are relatives but not of the immediate family, such as aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins. There are other Greek words which refer specifically to a person’s brother or sister within a family. [14]

MOTHER OF GOD ‑- Because she is the mother of Jesus, and Jesus is God, therefore Mary is the Mother of God. (Catechism 963, 971, 2677).
The Incarnation means that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Mary was only the mother of Jesus as man, and not the mother of Jesus as God. According to the Bible, the world was created through Jesus. This was long before Mary was born. Hebrews 1:1-2 says,
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds”.
Colossians 1:16-17 says,
“For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things [including Mary] were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things [including Mary] , and by him all things consist”.
John 8:58 says, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus existed before Abraham was born. That means that He also existed before Mary was born. In John 17:5, Jesus says, “And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” So Jesus existed even before the world began. Jesus came first ‑- not Mary.

MOTHER OF THE CHURCH ‑- Mary is the Mother of the Church. (Catechism 963, 975).
Acts 1:13-14 gives a picture of a group of people praying together. Mary is mentioned as one of them, but nothing indicates any special prominence.
“And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Phillip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”
Mary was probably in the Upper Room when the tongues of fire fell upon the 120 disciples. However, she is never mentioned again in the Book of Acts, which is our only historical record of how the Church was born. She is also not specifically identified in the epistles. Paul did send greetings to “Mary”, but that was a common name. (In the Gospels and in the Book of Acts, she is referred to as “Mary the mother of Jesus” to distinguish her from other women named Mary.)
It is notable that John, who took Mary into his home after Jesus was crucified, does not mention her in his epistles, and he only mentions her on two occasions in his Gospel (the wedding at Cana and the crucifixion of Jesus). John mentions Mary Magdalene more than he mentions Jesus' mother.

ASSUMPTION ‑- At the end of her life, Mary was taken up (“assumed”) body and soul into Heaven. (Catechism 966, 974)
There is no biblical reference to the assumption of Mary. The Gospel of John was written around 90 A.D., which is more than 100 years after Mary was born. (Surely Mary was more than ten years old when Jesus was conceived.) If Mary had been supernaturally assumed into Heaven, wouldn’t John (the disciple that Mary lived with) have mentioned it? When Enoch and Elijah were taken up to Heaven, the Bible recorded it. With Elijah it was recorded in some detail. (See Genesis 6:24 and 2 Kings 2:1‑18.)
The Assumption of Mary was officially declared to be a dogma of the Roman Catholic faith in 1950. This means that every Roman Catholic is required to believe this doctrine without questioning it. However, as we will see, the teaching of the Assumption originated with heretical writings which were officially condemned by the early Church.
In 495 A.D., Pope Gelasius issued a decree which rejected this teaching as heresy and its proponents as heretics. In the sixth century, Pope Hormisdas also condemned as heretics those authors who taught the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. The early Church clearly considered the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary to be a heresy worthy of condemnation. Here we have “infallible” popes declaring something to be a heresy. Then in 1950, Pope Pius XII, another “infallible” pope, declared it to be official Roman Catholic doctrine. [15]

CO-MEDIATOR ‑- Mary is the Co-Mediator to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions. (Catechism 968-970, 2677)
There is only one mediator and that is Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Hebrews 7:25 says,Wherefore he [Jesus] is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Ephesians 3:12 says, “In whom [Jesus} we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
If Jesus is constantly interceding for us and He is able to save us “to the uttermost,” (utterly, completely) then He doesn’t need Mary’s help. If we can approach God with “boldness” and “confidence” because of our faith in Jesus, then we don't need Mary’s help either.

QUEEN OF HEAVEN ‑- God has exalted Mary in heavenly glory as Queen of Heaven and earth. (Catechism 966) She is to be praised with special devotion. (Catechism 971, 2675)
Psalm 148:13 says, “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.” This makes it quite clear that only God’s name (not Mary’s) is to be exalted. (In Catholic Bibles the numbering of the chapters and verses of some of the Psalms is slightly different.)
When people tried to give Mary special honor and pre-eminence because she was His mother, Jesus corrected them.
“And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:27-28)
In chapters four and five of the Book of Revelation, we are given a quite detailed picture of Heaven. God is seated on the throne, surrounded by 24 elders and four living creatures. The Lamb (Jesus) is standing in the center of the throne. Thousands upon thousands of angels circle the throne, singing God's praises. And Mary is not in the picture at all.

Catholic?

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Senior Member

Hearer

Guest

kujo313

Guest

Hearer

Guest

Senior Member

Senior Member

Banned

Banned

Senior Member

SantoSubito

Guest

SantoSubito

Guest

Lifelike

Guest

Lifelike

Guest

SantoSubito

Guest

W3T

Guest

W3T

Guest