Questions about Catholicism

[MITCH1234]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

Why venerate the saints?

 

[Splagchnizomai]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

I’ll give it a go to get the ball rolling, though I’m no expert apologist.

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Consider Jesus, the second person of the Holy Trinity: Mary is his mother. A traditional Eastern way of referring to her is Theotokos, which is Greek for “Mother of God.”

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

We don’t. We venerate them. There words you should learn to help clear this up: latria, hyperdulia, dulia. Latria (worship) is for God alone. Hyperdulia (elevated veneration) is for Mary. Dulia (veneration) is for the saints.

We offer dulia to the saints. Statues, icons, etc are reminders of them – much like a picture of your family (living and deceased) are reminders of them for you. Statues, icons, etc are not the saints.

Why venerate the saints?

Because they are mirrors of God.

 

[clmowry]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

Why venerate the saints?

Mitch,

You can find some excellent tracks on these subject in the Library Here on Catholic answers.

You might want to also thing about breaking each topic into a separate thread (the dialogue tends to get a bit confusing otherwise). You’ll find its hard enough to keep a thread on a single topic. Starting with 3 makes it quite difficult to stay on task.

That said, your first question is probably the least controversial. Very few Christians object to Mary being called the Mother of God. Of course, she was created by God, but she also had the singular privilage of giving Birth to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was fully God and Fully Man. Mary was His mother and can therefore rightfully be called the “Mother of God.” (Or more specifically the 2nd person of the trinity.)

To deny this title to Mary would require that she gave birth only two Christ’s “Human” nature and you would rapidly head down the heretical path of Seperating Christ’s Humanity from His Divinity.

As with most of the teachings and titles attributed to Mary, they have very little to do with her and very much to do with Christ.

I’ll refrain from comment on the other two pending your desire to split the thread.

God Bless,

Chuck

 

[pablope]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

A good resource would be the Catechism of the CC, in addition to the library section of this website…which is available online:

scborromeo.org/ccc.htm

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

You should take that for a Catholic, there is a difference between praying and worshipping.

For Catholics, the time to worship is during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Praying, to a catholic, is not worship, or worshipping, but a special time to communicate with God directly or through the saints.

The old meaning of prayer is to ask, to plea. We can pray for thanks, for help, for intercessions.

We are also called to intercede, or pray for one anther.

During the period after the Protestant REformation, protestants started disregarding Catholic practices, including the Liturgy, the Mass, so the only thing left was prayer as a form of worship.

More info here:scripturecatholic.com/saints.html

[/QUOTE]

 

[MITCH1234]

To deny this title to Mary would require that she gave birth only two Christ’s “Human” nature and you would rapidly head down the heretical path of Seperating Christ’s Humanity from His Divinity.chuck

How could she give birth to Christ’s divine nature, when his divine nature has always existed?

I post the other two questions in separate threads.

 

[John_Q_Sinner]

How could she give birth to Christ’s divine nature, when his divine nature has always existed?

I post the other two questions in separate threads.

She is the Mother of Christ’s human nature which still makes her the Mother of God since Christ is God.

 

[David]

How could she give birth to Christ’s divine nature, when his divine nature has always existed?

I post the other two questions in separate threads.

Think of it this way. Mothers don’t give birth to natures, they give birth to persons. Mary gave birth to Jesus. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Jesus is God. Mary is the Mother of God.

Peace
David

 

[TheDoctor]

How could she give birth to Christ’s divine nature, when his divine nature has always existed?

I post the other two questions in separate threads.

She could not, if both natures were separate. Once you realize they are not, it is a simple process.

Before the Incarnation, Jesus had only a divine nature. At the Incarnation, Jesus had both a human nature and a separate divine nature (“fully God and fully man”). These two natures cannot be divided so when Mary gives birth to the human person Jesus she is at the same time giving birth to the divine Jesus - hence she gives birth to God - hence she is the Mother of God.

 

[King_Lazy]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

Hey Mitch. I’m glad you’re looking into it. I hope that even if you don’t convert, you learn a little bit about what Catholicism is about.

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Mary is Jesus’ mother. Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Mary is the mother of God. There’s no other implication there other than an affirmation of the Divinity of Jesus. Someone who doesn’t believe Jesus is God couldn’t call Mary the Mother of God, and so the title reinforces the central doctrine of Christianity as a whole, and not just Catholicism. Her creation by God for the purpose of bearing His Son makes her special. The mother, and not the spouse of the king is the queen in the Jewish culture of the Old Testament, hence Mary’s title of Queen. And if a secular queen, like Queen Elizabeth II, should be honoured and respected by people, so much more should a true and perfect Queen, chosen by God Himself for that role, be worthy of honour and respect.

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

If you kiss a picture of a loved one that you miss when you’re on the other side of the world, you are not worshipping either the picture or the loved one. You are expressing your love and devotion not to the picture but to the person the picture represents. So external signs of devotion or reverence are more or less seen in this light. Touching a statue is a sign of devotion to that, which the statue represents.

And Catholics don’t pray to statues. A statue just helps in visualising who you are praying to. And you don’t worship them by praying to them. A saint is not God. A saint is seen more along the lines of an actual earthly person, albeit a very holy one and one favoured by God, who will in turn pray for you. This ancient idea is called the Communion of Saints - and it signifies their unity and presence with the living. So praying to saints is little different from asking your friend to pray for you. Although this request, or asking, in this case is called “prayer”, and is understood in the sense of being a communication to heaven, and not a form of worship.

Why venerate the saints?

They’re the ones who have pleased God in exceptional ways. They’re among the most faithful servants of God. If God has honoured them by giving them heaven, so too should we honour them for the service they have done for God in their earthly lives and for the service they continue to render him in heaven. We venerate them also that they may ask God to help us become more like them, and so that they pray to God on our behalf.

 

[Godfollower]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

Welcome! I hope we can help!

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

The entire Theotokos debate was an interesting one; it involved the Nestorian heresy (google Nestorianism), in which the heretics argued that Mary was not the mother of God because Jesus was not divine.

Calling her the mother of God acknowledges Jesus’ divine nature, rather than claiming that He was merely a really good human.

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

We don’t. You may well see Catholics standing or kneeling with a statue of a saint or Jesus or the Holy Family in front of them, but that’s just a visual representation to help in their praying to God.

If you break a statue in a Catholic Church, we’ll be mad because you broke a statue, not because you hurt God somehow. I sometimes kiss my wife’s picture on my desk at work. I’m not worshiping her, though I love her very much; my worship is reserved for God.

Why venerate the saints?

They’re a terrific example of Christian faithfulness. I hope I never get tested the way the saints were tested; but, if it happens, I pray that I’ll have the ability to emulate their example.

 

[onenow1]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

Why venerate the saints?

Hi, Mitch,and welcome ! Luke 1: 35, And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

The angel Gabrial, sent by God the father, adressed Mary as full of grace . Notice, a direct, if you will, email from God,calling her blessed among woman. Have you also noticed the first person to begin praising her was God. Can you really believe she is a mother like any other mother ?She was chosen by GOD, as GOD had chosen Abraham, and Moses, and many prophets before her.

And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.>>>> For behold, henceforth>>>> all generations will call me blessed;<<<<<< for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His name.” Luke 1:46-49

Hope this helps a little Mitch !!
God Bless

 

[CopticChristian]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

Why venerate the saints?

Difficult question that many have thought to answer. You may want to read “Cur Deus Homo” or Why the God/man.

Then consider that Mary is the mother of the God/man because God chose to enter the world that way. We all agree He created His own mother.

Catholics do not worhip Mary or statues.

We honor saints. It is better than the Hiesman trophy, the Olympics, and all the other honoring we do. We honor those that exemplify the teachings of Christ. Want a hero? Find a Saint of your choosing. I kind of like Paul…he’s the bomb…

 

[zz912]

Well scripture calls her that. Elizabeth calls her the mother of my Lord.

 

[mdcpensive1]

Think of it this way. Mothers don’t give birth to natures, they give birth to persons. Mary gave birth to Jesus. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Jesus is God. Mary is the Mother of God.

Peace
David

You are so right on this one. I have never seen a “nature” come out of the birth canal, only persons. This person of God just happened to have a dual nature.

On the veneration of the saints, I tend to look at it from the point of view of St. Paul. We are all not eyes or noses or ears. We have been gifted in different ways for the purposes of the Body of Christ. Some of the souls in the Body have gifts where God works through them in special ways. Since we know of this we can ask for help through those people for God’s will to be done. Another way of looking at it is if you are going to implore God for something you might want to take along with you those who are closest to him and have his ear so to speak. It is like taking Don Trump and others like him to negotiate a deal for you. You may have an advantage.
mdcpensive1

 

[po18guy]

Well scripture calls her that. Elizabeth calls her the mother of my Lord.

We have a winner!
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, calls Mary “the mother of my Lord” We call her that because the Holy Spirit inspired Elizabeth to call her that. Oh, and it’s in the bible (Luke 1:43).

As to Mary’s nature, read John 1:1-3. All things that were created were created by the power of God. The Word (Jesus Christ) was God. Thus, Christ concevied of His mother, Mary, in the Divine intellect then gave flesh to His own mother, so that she could in turn conceive Him in her womb and give flesh to Him. Perfect.

 

[thessalonian]

How could she give birth to Christ’s divine nature, when his divine nature has always existed?

I post the other two questions in separate threads.

If his divine nature was not contained in his human body, even as a child then he was not fully God. Doesn’t matter how long it existed, it was a part of who the God-man that came in to the world, was born of a woman who was his mother gave birth too. She was not mother to some part of him as if Christ could be divided. She was “the mother of my Lord”. Jesus is Lord because he is God… Further God puts our nature’s in us. They do not come from our parents. He simply put the divine nature of the son in to the body of Jesus. That divine nature entered the world as a man through birth. Ergo. It had a mother.

 

[steve_b]

How could she give birth to Christ’s divine nature, when his divine nature has always existed?

Yes His Divine nature always existed.

After the incarnation, Jesus has 2 natures, Divine & human. Jesus literally took His human nature from Mary. Because of the incarnation, (God becoming man) his natures are hypostatically united. http://oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Hypostatic_Union Because of this union of natures at the incarnation, Mary is mother of Jesus, ergo mother of God.

The baby she gave birth to, coming from her womb, was fully God & man

 

[snarflemike]

Lately I have been thinking of converting to Catholicism, but there some things that are troubling me with Catholic beliefs. I would like to ask a few questions

How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Mary is the Mother of God because God chose to take on a nature which can (must) have a mother. It’s the same reason as to why God could die - because he took on a nature in which death was possible. God, in the Divine Person of the Word, did not just play at being human. He became fully and perfectly human while remaining fully and perfectly God.

Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

The statue is just a focal point, just as many use a bible as a focal point. We are actually praying to the people represented by the statues, not the paint and plaster of the statue, just as Protestants are not actually praying to the paper or ink in the bible.

Why venerate the saints?

Because they have heeded God’s call and responded. By cooperating with God’s saving grace they have made themselves worthy of our love and veneration.

 

[snarflemike]

How could she give birth to Christ’s divine nature, when his divine nature has always existed?

Mothers do not give birth to natures but to persons. Mary gave birth to the Divine Person of Jesus Christ - God - when God took upon himself our nature, a nature capable of having a mother.

 

[neophyte]

…How can Mary be called the Mother of God, when she was created by God?

Jesus was God, Mary was his mother, therefore Mary is the mother of God.

…Why do Catholics Worship(praying to, touching) statues?

That’s not worship.

…Why venerate the saints?

We shouldn’t honor examples of heroic virtue?