Should we pray to Mary as the Mother of God?

[Atwood]

So, how does your church show its respect to St. Mary?

Simona, your question assumes a big error. There is only one Church, the Catholic Universal Church composed of all who trust the real Jesus as their only & sufficient Savior. You can only get in by baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). The Bible never calls denominations "churches." The expression, "The Methodist Church" is thus a misnomer. The Church is not Eastern nor Roman, but universal. It is the Body of Christ, not a human organization.

We confine our worship to the Lord, if we are not idolaters.

 

[Simona25]

Of course Mary was blessed, and I call her blessed (not bless-ed). But we don't address blessings TO her; quite a different matter.

Indeed. Why not? She said that all generations will call her blessed.

 

[Simona25]

Simona, your question assumes a big error. There is only one Church, the Catholic Universal Church composed of all who trust the real Jesus as their only & sufficient Savior. You can only get in by baptism of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). The Bible never calls denominations "churches." The expression, "The Methodist Church" is thus a misnomer. The Church is not Eastern nor Roman, but universal. It is the Body of Christ, not a human organization.

We confine our worship to the Lord, if we are not idolaters.

I agree that there is only one church. But this church is visible and it is the Eastern Orthodox Church (my belief).

 

[Atwood]

We, orthodox christians, do not worship Mary or the saints. We only worship the triune God.
How does your church manifest the respect to St. Mary? She prophesied that all generations will call her blessed.

You say you worship only the Triune God. But your signature lines look like blasphemous worship to me. To say that Mary is blessed has nothing to do with addressing praise TO her.

 

[Simona25]

You say you worship only the Triune God. But your signature lines look like blasphemous worship to me. To say that Mary is blessed has nothing to do with addressing praise TO her.

Put your glasses on and read carefully. The signature says that "it is truly right to bless you". It does not say that "it is truly right to worship you".

 

[Atwood]

I agree that there is only one church. But this church is visible and it is the Eastern Orthodox Church (my belief).

The one true catholic church (which is of course orthodox as to its doctrine, instead of heretical) is not Eastern or Western, it is world wide. The Lord does not favor the East vs the West vs the North vs the South, so far as we know.

Are the 12 apostles in your Church? Is the Lord Jesus in your Church? Are the many generations of Christians now in Heaven, in your Church? They are not visible. The Church is called invisible because 1) a lot of it is invisible as in Heaven, and 2) we cannot see who is really a born-again Christian. We can see church members, but many of these are just playing church, never born-again, not really believers in the Lord Jesus as Savior.

On the other hand, there are many born-again Christians which we see -- but we are never 100 percent sure that any particular one of them is a Christian, since only the Lord knows the hearts of men.

Now when you consider the picture of the Church in the NT, does your denomination really have any resemblance?

 

[Timeline]

[SUP]27 [/SUP]While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” [SUP]28 [/SUP]But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

 

[Atwood]

Put your glasses on and read carefully. The signature says that "it is truly right to bless
you". It does not say that "it is truly right to worship you".

I read it very well. It mimics worship of the Lord. It is an abomination. Mary does not hear such blasphemy; it would give her grief, and in Heaven you can have no grief.

 

[Last]

Here's a short vid for those of you who have time on my conclusion on if we should pray to Mary as co-mediator or not.

[video=youtube;nVdVQ0fUAfc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVdVQ0fUAfc[/video]

The term Mary Mother of God is actually a strange translation of the original word, which was Theotokos. The term is actually intended to describe the nature of Jesus Christ. In early Christianity, there were still some lingering issues on the nature of Jesus. People debated on whether or not He was God, if He became God, and so on. The leaders of early Christianity met and pronounced that Mary was the Theotokos, which in Greek means "God-bearer". This settled any lingering doubts. When Mary was pregnant with and gave birth to Jesus, she had within her God Himself. When Jesus was born, He was God.

Co-mediator can be a confusing term in the English language. Co is borrowed from Latin and has a very different meaning from what it was. Co in Latin and the other Romance languages, from which comes 'Co-Mediator' means aid or helper. In English, co has come to mean equal. Co-Mediator means that Mary helped the mediator (by being His mother), not that she is on par with the mediator.

 

[ForthAngel]

Where did I say that she was a god? Where did I say that I worship her?
You have avoided to answer my question. Instead, you launched yourself in assuming that we worship her and started to debate that.
Just admit that you do not call her blessed and you do not see the relevance that she has in the Church (body of Christ).

Off-topic: do you worship Jesus Christ?

I'm sticking to the OP. I already established that we share the same belief on no worship or prayer to Mary. I told you how my church works Mary is respected. she is not given special treatment in our church for who she was. she is called blessed. she can be called blessed without being idolized. -

As for your question:

I worship God the Father, whom Jesus is an extension of. I pray to our Father in the name of Jesus as we are instructed (by Jesus' own command and example). I know God the Father, because I know Jesus, and I trust that Jesus is His only begotten Son who was here, died as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all who would believe, and was raised again by the Father and has now has returned to the Father, whom he first came from. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, fully God, fully man. My focus is on God the Father, knowing Jesus is my Mediator, Intercessor, Righteous Example, Savior, King, Messiah, and an extension of God, and in his name do I worship and pray to the Father.

 

[Last]

this might be illuminating:

Asherah

I am not sure how an ancient Sumerian goddess has anything to do with Mary?

 

[Last]

If there is a region that used to burn people for even owning a bible, 200 million of them over 1200 years and it claims miracles,
be not deciieved by the evil one,

I am not aware of any groups which burned people for owning bibles, much less 200 million of them. Europe had only 100 million people at the time of discovering the New World. Do you have a reputable source for this claim?

 

[Simona25]

The one true catholic church (which is of course orthodox as to its doctrine, instead of heretical) is not Eastern or Western, it is world wide. The Lord does not favor the East vs the West vs the North vs the South, so far as we know.

Are the 12 apostles in your Church? Is the Lord Jesus in your Church? Are the many generations of Christians now in Heaven, in your Church? They are not visible. The Church is called invisible because 1) a lot of it is invisible as in Heaven, and 2) we cannot see who is really a born-again Christian. We can see church members, but many of these are just playing church, never born-again, not really believers in the Lord Jesus as Savior.

On the other hand, there are many born-again Christians which we see -- but we are never 100 percent sure that any particular one of them is a Christian, since only the Lord knows the hearts of men.

Now when you consider the picture of the Church in the NT, does your denomination really have any resemblance?

The church on earth (the fighting church) is visible and it was born in East. The church in heaven (the victorious church) is invisible and St. Mary and the saints are part of the triumphant church.

I don't believe that God is a God of disorder and division: and this is exactly what has happened in western christianity - they have lost the guidance of the Holy Spirit (who unites) and because of this loss, the western christianity, whether catholic, protestant or neoprotestant, has fallen into religions.

 

[Last]

JESUS told us how to Pray and who to Pray to and that is the FATHER. No where in the Bible does it state to pray to Mary, she is just a vessel GOD used to fulfill HIS Promise.

Blessings!!!!!!! :")

So God just used Mary like a surrogate? Mary is God's baby mama?

 

[Last]

No. It shouldn't be difficult to unstead either.

Moreover Mary can't be the mother of God. Jesus made this quite clear that anyone can be his mother or bretheren...

So Mary did not give birth to Jesus or was Jesus not God at the time of His birth?

 

[MaranathaSoonQuick]

I could imagine Paul or one of the biblical authors saying something like, What profit hath a man if he pray not to God alone?

 

[Last]

What is the Biblical/Scriptural evidence that Mary, or any other for that matter, is able to hear prayers, and then approach God to intercede?

(just wondering)

The bible says that when a sinner repents, all of Heaven rejoices. Is there evidence that heaven is ignorant of what happens on Earth?

 

[Last]

Catholicism is a theological cult that has deified Mary to the status of Godhood and worship her as if she is a god. I could recite the ten commandments, but I think you know them.

Catholics hold that Mary is a human being and is in no way divine or part of the Godhead.

 

[Simona25]

As for your question:

I worship God the Father, whom Jesus is an extension of. I pray to our Father in the name of Jesus as we are instructed (by Jesus' own command and example). I know God the Father, because I know Jesus, and I trust that Jesus is His only begotten Son who was here, died as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all who would believe, and was raised again by the Father and has now has returned to the Father, whom he first came from. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, fully God, fully man. My focus is on God the Father, knowing Jesus is my Mediator, Intercessor, Righteous Example, Savior, King, Messiah, and an extension of God, and in his name do I worship and pray to the Father.

In other words, you DO NOT worship Jesus Christ, although you claim to believe that He is both God and man.

 

[Last]

Mary is not now, nor has she ever been, a co-mediator. That is patently unbiblical. There is absolutely no reason to pray to any dead person.

Mary never helped Jesus? She never gave Him aid? She did not give birth to Him, raise Him, nurse Him, love Him? Because that is what co-mediator means.