I'm getting tired of hearing from Protestants that we worship Mary and the saints!

[Mannyfit75]

I am fed up with the false misconceptions by Protestant Christians who insist that we worship Mary and the saints. I will put this in plain English.

Catholics DO NOT worship Mary and the saints. It is veneration and honor due to them because they lived out the life that Jesus Christ taught them! They are also in Heaven with God. They are much closer to God than you and me.

Who are you to judge us that we worship saints and Mary? Do you think you an expert in Catholicism. Do you have proof from a Catholic document permitting the worship of saints and Mary?

You won’t find it. We believe these saints are more alive than you and me. It benefits us to ask the entire of the people of God to help us while we are still in this world which is full of temptation and sin. We ask the saints to “pray for us.”

Many times here on Catholic Answers Forums. Some Newbie self-proclaimed Christian declares, I say many Catholics worship Mary. Not all do, and maybe it’s not in the instruction manual, but many do. Every Catholic will come to these idoloters’ defense and say, “Oh, it’s not worship, it’s veneration.” Sorry, not buying it, and nobody should.

Oh, please. You will probably start searching for the truth and use Catholic prayer books on saints and Mary as proof text. Prayer Books however, are not Church documents.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church forbids worshipping idols. Worship is due to God alone.

Must we Catholic force you to type, “Catholics do not worship Mary.”

If you continue on this persistence, I might as well say that “Protestants worship the Bible, or the roof during their Sunday worship at Church.”

After all they raise hands up towards the ceiling. So they worship ceilings of the Church. Of course, I don’t think they worship ceiling just because they had their hands raised up high in adoration.

 

[churchcamefirst]

Manny, they know we don’t ‘worship’ Mary, but that’s how they think they can get to you by saying that. That’s all they have. I thank God my seed is planted in the Catholic church , the church Jesus founded. Everyone else is just an off-shoot…remember that.

 

[reteeks21]

Manny, they know we don’t ‘worship’ Mary, but that’s how they think they can get to you by saying that. That’s all they have. I thank God my seed is planted in the Catholic church , the church Jesus founded. Everyone else is just an off-shoot…remember that.

Too broad of a statement. Many folks don’t know any better so their response is to say those things. We all tend to do that to one another. Hopefully they can be educated to stop doing so.

 

[churchcamefirst]

Too broad of a statement. Many folks don’t know any better so their response is to say those things. We all tend to do that to one another. Hopefully they can be educated to stop doing so.

Too broad? But true.

 

[puzzleannie]

do you know, in over 20 years working with RCIA, I can’t recall one Protestant who made this claim? Several say they heard it various places, but no one actually believed it.

 

[reteeks21]

Too broad? But true.

No it isn’t. You said that “they” do it to, in essence, stir up trouble. That is simply not true. It would be like me saying that all catholics call us heretics just so we can argue with one another. That is not true either.

 

[elvisman]

do you know, in over 20 years working with RCIA, I can’t recall one Protestant who made this claim? Several say they heard it various places, but no one actually believed it.

Usually most of the Protestants you deal with are coming into the Church and are ready to surrender to the Church. Of course, this is only a guess and I’m not impliong that you have no contact with other Protestants.

I think that this thread is very relavent because I come from a large family, most of whom have abandoned the Church.
I have 9 ex-Catholic, Evangelical Protestant siblings who attend different churches and believe that we worship not only Mary, but that we worship idols and that we are cannibals.

 

[Publisher]

As an outsider and a Protestant I would offer one small piece of advice…if Catholics would like Protestants to “stop making false statements” about what Catholics believe, Catholics should take the high road and do the same toward Protestants when it comes to claims that there are 35K different denominations or that Protestants do not accept works as part of our salvation theologies or any number of other “rants” many Catholics make about Protestants.

It would be a big step in assuring we don’t “speak past one another”. I firmly believe if we would listen to one another instead of attack one another, we would find we have many points of similarity where we can meet…and at those points learn from one another.

Just a suggestion.

 

[Peter_J]

As an outsider and a Protestant I would offer one small piece of advice…if Catholics would like Protestants to “stop making false statements” about what Catholics believe, Catholics should take the high road and do the same toward Protestants when it comes to claims that there are 35K different denominations or that Protestants do not accept works as part of our salvation theologies or any number of other “rants” many Catholics make about Protestants.

It would be a big step in assuring we don’t “speak past one another”. I firmly believe if we would listen to one another instead of attack one another, we would find we have many points of similarity where we can meet…and at those points learn from one another.

Just a suggestion.

I agree, except that I would change it into a more symmetrical statement: anyone could decide to “take the high road”, take a first step toward having us all listen to each other, etc.

 

[Publisher]

I agree, except that I would change it into a more symmetrical statement: anyone could decide to “take the high road”, take a first step toward having us all listen to each other, etc.

Agreed, every poster on this board should take the high road…and each poster should take it first before anyone else.

 

[Mannyfit75]

do you know, in over 20 years working with RCIA, I can’t recall one Protestant who made this claim? Several say they heard it various places, but no one actually believed it.

Not all of them believe it or say it but are those who insist that we worship the saints and Mary. If a Protestant individual happen to fit in this group of believers, then he is wrong for making such a claims.

Protestants who do know the truth that Catholics do not worship saints or Mary, good for them. At least they admit we don’t worship anyone else but God.

 

[Peter_J]

Agreed, every poster on this board should take the high road…and each poster should take it first before anyone else.

Well, something like that.

 

[Reformed]

I am fed up with the false misconceptions by Protestant Christians who insist that we worship Mary and the saints. I will put this in plain English.

Catholics DO NOT worship Mary and the saints. It is veneration and honor due to them because they lived out the life that Jesus Christ taught them! They are also in Heaven with God. They are much closer to God than you and me.

Who are you to judge us that we worship saints and Mary? Do you think you an expert in Catholicism. Do you have proof from a Catholic document permitting the worship of saints and Mary?

You won’t find it. We believe these saints are more alive than you and me. It benefits us to ask the entire of the people of God to help us while we are still in this world which is full of temptation and sin. We ask the saints to “pray for us.”

Many times here on Catholic Answers Forums. Some Newbie self-proclaimed Christian declares, I say many Catholics worship Mary. Not all do, and maybe it’s not in the instruction manual, but many do. Every Catholic will come to these idoloters’ defense and say, “Oh, it’s not worship, it’s veneration.” Sorry, not buying it, and nobody should.

Oh, please. You will probably start searching for the truth and use Catholic prayer books on saints and Mary as proof text. Prayer Books however, are not Church documents.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church forbids worshipping idols. Worship is due to God alone.

Must we Catholic force you to type, “Catholics do not worship Mary.”

If you continue on this persistence, I might as well say that “Protestants worship the Bible, or the roof during their Sunday worship at Church.”

After all they raise hands up towards the ceiling. So they worship ceilings of the Church. Of course, I don’t think they worship ceiling just because they had their hands raised up high in adoration.

I think the debate and discussion of Mary and the Saints is a non-issue and a distant secondary division. We should be focusing on the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the gospel of God.

 

[Patrick_Murebil]

**Usually most **of the Protestants you deal with are coming into the Church and are ready to surrender to the Church. Of course, this is only a guess and I’m not impliong that you have no contact with other Protestants.

I think that this thread is very relavent because I come from a large family, most of whom have abandoned the Church.
I have 9 ex-Catholic, Evangelical Protestant siblings who attend different churches and believe that we worship not only Mary, but that we worship idols and that we are cannibals.

I fully embraced Catholicism this past April, and am just now this fall beginning R.C.I.A. I do not now believe that Catholics worship Mary and statues, or are cannibals…but I once did. Well not that they were cannibals, I just found it offensive that they “put God in a box” in Church and kept sacrificing Him over and over and over.

I am soon to be 50 years old, and having been a life long protestant I can say that I held many many erroneous beliefs about Catholicism and Catholic teaching. Over the past 23 years I have come to understand what Catholicism actually teaches, and can testify that most of what I used to believe about Catholicism was totally WRONG.

It takes much study, and much much prayer to break through those ideas about Catholics that are engrained in the core of your being without anything more than uninformed conversation among other protestants.

Looking back, I think the most difficult part of coming to understand Catholic teaching was the humiliation and embarassment I felt when I had to admit that I was wrong. And when you have spent the greater part of your life preaching that Catholics are wrong and you are right and on God’s side…well…it wasn’t the most pleasant experience of my spritual journey…but it was the most grace filled liberating experience of my spiritual journey. No one likes to be proven wrong when they know for sure they are “right”.

And now the thing about Catholicism that I despised the most, The Eucharist, is the one thing in which I find it most difficult to wait for. I praise God and thank Him for this full communion to occur in my lifetime. And I cannot describe nor convince anyone of the joy and peace this brings a Christian…because it is more intimate than a kiss shared with the one you love. How can you prove that to anyone unless they have experienced it.

Praise God!!

 

[elvisman]

I fully embraced Catholicism this past April, and am just now this fall beginning R.C.I.A. I do not now believe that Catholics worship Mary and statues, or are cannibals…but I once did. Well not that they were cannibals, I just found it offensive that they “put God in a box” in Church and kept sacrificing Him over and over and over.

I am soon to be 50 years old, and having been a life long protestant I can say that I held many many erroneous beliefs about Catholicism and Catholic teaching. Over the past 23 years I have come to understand what Catholicism actually teaches, and can testify that most of what I used to believe about Catholicism was totally WRONG.

It takes much study, and much much prayer to break through those ideas about Catholics that are engrained in the core of your being without anything more than uninformed conversation among other protestants.

Looking back, I think the most difficult part of coming to understand Catholic teaching was the humiliation and embarassment I felt when I had to admit that I was wrong. And when you have spent the greater part of your life preaching that Catholics are wrong and you are right and on God’s side…well…it wasn’t the most pleasant experience of my spritual journey…but it was the most grace filled liberating experience of my spiritual journey. No one likes to be proven wrong when they know for sure they are “right”.

And now the thing about Catholicism that I despised the most, The Eucharist, is the one thing in which I find it most difficult to wait for. I praise God and thank Him for this full communion to occur in my lifetime. And I cannot describe nor convince anyone of the joy and peace this brings a Christian…because it is more intimate than a kiss shared with the one you love. How can you prove that to anyone unless they have experienced it.

Praise God!!

Praise God and Bless you, Brother!!!

 

[churchcamefirst]

I fully embraced Catholicism this past April, and am just now this fall beginning R.C.I.A. I do not now believe that Catholics worship Mary and statues, or are cannibals…but I once did. Well not that they were cannibals, I just found it offensive that they “put God in a box” in Church and kept sacrificing Him over and over and over.

I am soon to be 50 years old, and having been a life long protestant I can say that I held many many erroneous beliefs about Catholicism and Catholic teaching. Over the past 23 years I have come to understand what Catholicism actually teaches, and can testify that most of what I used to believe about Catholicism was totally WRONG.

It takes much study, and much much prayer to break through those ideas about Catholics that are engrained in the core of your being without anything more than uninformed conversation among other protestants.

Looking back, I think the most difficult part of coming to understand Catholic teaching was the humiliation and embarassment I felt when I had to admit that I was wrong. And when you have spent the greater part of your life preaching that Catholics are wrong and you are right and on God’s side…well…it wasn’t the most pleasant experience of my spritual journey…but it was the most grace filled liberating experience of my spiritual journey. No one likes to be proven wrong when they know for sure they are “right”.

And now the thing about Catholicism that I despised the most, The Eucharist, is the one thing in which I find it most difficult to wait for. I praise God and thank Him for this full communion to occur in my lifetime. And I cannot describe nor convince anyone of the joy and peace this brings a Christian…because it is more intimate than a kiss shared with the one you love. How can you prove that to anyone unless they have experienced it.

Praise God!!

I am so happy for you! You had the Holy Spirit guide you into the true church Christ established!! I only hope your Protestant friends will also see the light! :extrahappy:

 

[ricko]

Yes, there are many who believe that we worship idols. Most of them are the hardcore anti-Catholic types and no matter what you tell them about the teachings of the Church against such activity they refuse to accept your answer. You may as well talk to a brick wall.

As to the comment about the 30K different denominations, that may be a bit high but I have proven on this forum that it is a fact that there are at least 20K different denominations.

 

[Mannyfit75]

I think the debate and discussion of Mary and the Saints is a non-issue and a distant secondary division. We should be focusing on the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the gospel of God.

Well, we do. The lives of the saints and Mary reflect the Light of the world, who is none other than Jesus Christ.

 

[churchcamefirst]

Yes, there are many who believe that we worship idols. Most of them are the hardcore anti-Catholic types and no matter what you tell them about the teachings of the Church against such activity they refuse to accept your answer. You may as well talk to a brick wall.

As to the comment about the 30K different denominations, that may be a bit high but I have proven on this forum that it is a fact that there are at least 20K different denominations.

Actually, both figures are wrong. There are at least 38,000 denominations.

 

[SIA]

I am fed up with the false misconceptions by Protestant Christians who insist that we worship Mary and the saints. I will put this in plain English.

Catholics DO NOT worship Mary and the saints. It is veneration and honor due to them because they lived out the life that Jesus Christ taught them! They are also in Heaven with God. They are much closer to God than you and me.

Who are you to judge us that we worship saints and Mary? Do you think you an expert in Catholicism. Do you have proof from a Catholic document permitting the worship of saints and Mary?

You won’t find it. We believe these saints are more alive than you and me. It benefits us to ask the entire of the people of God to help us while we are still in this world which is full of temptation and sin. We ask the saints to “pray for us.”

Many times here on Catholic Answers Forums. Some Newbie self-proclaimed Christian declares, I say many Catholics worship Mary. Not all do, and maybe it’s not in the instruction manual, but many do. Every Catholic will come to these idoloters’ defense and say, “Oh, it’s not worship, it’s veneration.” Sorry, not buying it, and nobody should.

Oh, please. You will probably start searching for the truth and use Catholic prayer books on saints and Mary as proof text. Prayer Books however, are not Church documents.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church forbids worshipping idols. Worship is due to God alone.

Must we Catholic force you to type, “Catholics do not worship Mary.”

If you continue on this persistence, I might as well say that “Protestants worship the Bible, or the roof during their Sunday worship at Church.”

After all they raise hands up towards the ceiling. So they worship ceilings of the Church. Of course, I don’t think they worship ceiling just because they had their hands raised up high in adoration.

Don’t take it from me Manny, research what Pope Pius XII said in the Marian year he proclaimed. Pure idolotry and worship.