What do Evangelicals say about Fatima?

[mo3]

The 89th anniversary of the Miracle at Fatima is tomorrow, October 13. Over 70,000 people, including Masons, communists and atheist, witnessed the sun dance in the sky, throw off multi-colors and descend to the earth. They looked directly at the sun for approx. 10 minutes and nobody was blinded! Many newspapers around the world reported it including the New York Times.

I have never asked non-Catholics but what do Evangelicals and Protestants say about this miracle? How can they deny this truth and the message delivered by the Blessed Virgin Mary?

 

[Veritas41]

When I’ve talked to fundamentalists about Marian apparitions, they dismiss them as Satanic counterfeits

 

[Saint_Augustin]

When I’ve talked to fundamentalists about Marian apparitions, they dismiss them as Satanic counterfeits

However, they would accept Jesus’ apparitions more easily. In dreams or visions.

 

[Cat]

I was evangelical Protestant for over 40 years before converting to Catholicism in 2004.

I never heard of Fatima or Guadalupe or any of the “Marian” apparitions. I would have thought you were speaking in tongues if you brought it up.

I don’t think most evangelical Protestants have any idea what you’re talking about. Evangelical Protestants are incredibly suspicious of ANY vision that isn’t Jesus, and even visions of Jesus would be suspect, since after all, He revealed everything we needed to know in His Word, the Bible, right?!

Also, sadly, I don’t think most evangelical Protestants have Catholic friends who feel comfortable enough around them to share information about Marian apparitions. I think there’s a mutual barrier of respect that Catholics and Protestants erect, and neither of them ever cross it because they know it will probably lead to an argument.

Think about it this way. You are Catholic and you have managed to make friends with an evangelical Protestant. After months of careful talking around religion, sharing only the most shallow details about your Christianity (I believe in Jesus!), you finally get an opening. You finally have one chance to say something to your evangelical Protestant friend about Catholicism. One chance to make a good impression on him/her about the Catholic Church. So what would you say?

I doubt you would say, “Let me tell you about how Mary was visible at Fatima.”

I think that would pretty much scare the Protestant away from the Catholic Church for a looooong time!!! It scares Catholics away!

 

[jmcrae]

I have never asked non-Catholics but what do Evangelicals and Protestants say about this miracle? How can they deny this truth and the message delivered by the Blessed Virgin Mary?

As a non-Catholic, I was totally unaware of history - I didn’t have an explanation for this event because I didn’t even know that it had happened.

As a relatively new Catholic (5 years), I’m still learning about Fatima and the other Apparitions, but the more I learn, the more fascinating it is to me.

I do talk about it to my Fundamentalist friends, but I talk about the messages that were given to the three children; not about the event itself. They do listen - their eyes get pretty big, but they don’t say anything rude to me.

 

[Paul_Folbrecht]

The other posters are correct: They almost never are even aware of these great events, or of other modern saints surrounded by the miraculous, such as St. Pio.

My girlfriend was raised protestant and attended Baptist seminary for three years and she had never heard of Fatima!!!

When you do try to bring up such things with fundies, at least, the immediate, out-of-hand rejection to even consider them as authentic is amusing in a twisted way. They tend to just bury their heads in the sand a bit deeper. I witnessed this with many different people until I just stopped hanging around with the fundamentalist friends I had. Sad? Yes, more than a bit. I was just not able to not stand up for or want to spread the truths of our great faith, though.

 

[Liberian]

When I was a Protestant (nominally Episcopalian, but with a VERY strong Southern Baptist influence) in college I heard about Garabandal for the first time. My reaction was simply that this was so totally unlike anything else I had ever heard of, it could not possibly be true. Psychologists call the phenomenon “cognitive dissonance;” it is best exemplified in the joke about the rube who goes to a zoo and, seeing a giraffe for the first time, exclaims “There ain’t no such sort of creature as that!”

• Liberian

 

[RomanCrusader]

I’m not sure about Fatima. I know its not a required belief by the Church so I haven’t made up my mind yet. I need to do a little more research.

 

[Rawb]

I was basically an Evangelical before I began the process to convert (is there a different term? We’re not really converting…“coming to the fullness of the faith” but that’s soooo long… )

Anyway, I had seen “Our Lady of Guadalupe” and “Our Lady of Fatima” bumper stickers. I thought it was just a shrine, that there was a special church in those areas where Catholics went on pilgramiges (sp?) The only other interaction I ever had with Mary was when I saw a statue on the news one day that supposidly cried blood. I was very young and I remember thinking “Those people are crazy, and that statue is creepy”.

 

[bones_IV]

When I’ve talked to fundamentalists about Marian apparitions, they dismiss them as Satanic counterfeits

Assuming that they’ve been exposed to the trueness of the faith, it’s their refusal to acknowledge the Catholic faith as the one true Church on Earth.

 

[Damo73]

Gal 1:8
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

“Our Lady said that many souls would be saved from Hell and the annihilation of nations averted if, in time, devotion to Her Immaculate Heart were established…”

The Bible only speaks of devotion to Christ and his sacrifice as the only way anybody can be saved from hell.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 3:16-18
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

the Bible clearly teaches that Satan can also perform miracles, signs, and wonders (Revelation 13:14). We must be extremely careful about attributing anything to God simply because it is a miracle.

Do not get angry with we i am only answering the Question

 

[SouthCoast]

I don’t think most evangelical Protestants have any idea what you’re talking about.

3 years ago, as an evangelical protestant, I would have looked at you with a BLANK STARE if you asked my opinion on Fatima… I would have said something to the effect of “Fat-ih-whah?”…

Marian apparitions are completely inconsequential to the evangelical-type of protestants. It’s just not discussed in any form.

-Michael

 

[Victorious]

Gal 1:8
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

“Our Lady said that many souls would be saved from Hell and the annihilation of nations averted if, in time, devotion to Her Immaculate Heart were established…”

The Bible only speaks of devotion to Christ and his sacrifice as the only way anybody can be saved from hell.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 3:16-18
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

the Bible clearly teaches that Satan can also perform miracles, signs, and wonders (Revelation 13:14). We must be extremely careful about attributing anything to God simply because it is a miracle.

Do not get angry with we i am only answering the Question

Alleged miracles are not lightly attributed to God, and nobody is more extremely careful about them than the Catholic Church. Her detractors unjustly accuse her of being superstitious, but the reality is that the Catholic Church has probably debunked more – well, bunk – than any other institution in human history. She subjects purported visionaries and claimed miracles and private revelations to withering cross-examination, endless scientific tests, searching scrutiny, and excruciating investigation. One of the big, huge criteria for genuineness of a purported apparition is consistency with public revelation (i.e., Scripture and Tradition). Mary would never preach another Gospel, so anything alleged to be Mary that does is fake, period.

The real Mary always exhorts us to turn back to her Son in prayer and repentance. Devotion to her Immaculate Heart is not worship. Protestants have lost the distinction between prayer and worship that is due to God alone, and so there is always misunderstanding on this point.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Hi,

I agree with Damo but I dont know enough about Fatima and what happened to make a total judgement. I have heard of it a little because I do have catholic friends. They are not afraid to tell me stuff because they know I wont judge them

Could someone tell me the details of Fatima so I can understand better.

Thanks

 

[tundramom]

I always thought that any of the Marian apparitions were a hoax. I even made the statement to my husband, a life-long Catholic, “why do you think Mary is always crying in these visions? She’s trying to tell you to stop praying to her because it makes her so sad!” I really believed that too.

in Christ
Steph

 

[Victorious]

I always thought that any of the Marian apparitions were a hoax. I even made the statement to my husband, a life-long Catholic, “why do you think Mary is always crying in these visions? She’s trying to tell you to stop praying to her because it makes her so sad!” I really believed that too.

You mean you don’t believe that anymore? Good!

Incidentally, I think that line comes straight out of Jack Chick.

 

[Valke2]

The 89th anniversary of the Miracle at Fatima is tomorrow, October 13. Over 70,000 people, including Masons, communists and atheist, witnessed the sun dance in the sky, throw off multi-colors and descend to the earth. They looked directly at the sun for approx. 10 minutes and nobody was blinded! Many newspapers around the world reported it including the New York Times.

I have never asked non-Catholics but what do Evangelicals and Protestants say about this miracle? How can they deny this truth and the message delivered by the Blessed Virgin Mary?

They can probably deny it like this:

1. No scientific accounts exist of any unusual solar or astronomic activity during the time the sun was reported to have “danced”, and there are no witness reports of any unusual solar phenomenon further than forty miles out from Cova da Iria.
2. The… solar phenomena were not observed in any observatory. Impossible that they should escape notice of so many astronomers and indeed the other inhabitants of the hemisphere…there is no question of an astronomical or meteorological event phenomenon…
3. Some ascribe the “miracle” to Satan (all this according to wikipedia).

 

[oat_soda]

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

first off, Mary isn’t an angel, she is the Theotokos–God bearer. 2nd, the church judges weather an apparition is authentic according to weather it is harmonious with the gospels. i think mormonism and islam better fit your argument.

the Blessed Virgin only points to her son. her role is the same as the queen mother during the kingdom of david, she intercedes on our behalf. devotion to her immaculate heart is because people like you, ignorant as you may be, cause suffering for Mary because you reject her role as Queen of heaven and earth and mediatrix of all grace. and as was formerly noted, devotion is not worship. Mary is given hyperdulia, or the highest devotion because her glory surpasses all the angels and saints.

you can’t take a teaching of the church and seperate it from the faith as a whole. catholics believe in the communion of saints, that Jesus’ mystical body is here on earth as well as in heaven, as is his kingdom.

quoting from the scriptures generally proves little because you are misinterpreting them.

you can’t get to heaven without praying to Mary, you can also drive a car with your feet, either way, it doesn’t make it a good idea.

 

[jmcrae]

Hi,

I agree with Damo but I dont know enough about Fatima and what happened to make a total judgement. I have heard of it a little because I do have catholic friends. They are not afraid to tell me stuff because they know I wont judge them

Could someone tell me the details of Fatima so I can understand better.

Thanks

Three little Portugese children, ages five, six, and seven years old (Lucia, a girl - she died just recently; Francesco, a boy, the six year old, died about a year later, and Jacinta, the five year old girl who also died shortly after these events) - on May 13, 1917, after praying their Rosary after lunch, while tending Lucia’s father’s herd of sheep, they received a vision of the Archangel Michael, who taught them to pray the Prayer of Reparation.

Later the same day, while they were walking home, Mother Mary appeared to them and showed them the many thousands of souls falling into Hell like snowflakes in a December blizzard, and asked them to help her spread the message of Jesus to the whole world - that people should pray the Rosary, and they should be converted to Christ, to avoid going to Hell. (Portugal at that time was under the Communists, and the practice of any kind of religion was forbidden by law. Through the witness of these three little children, Portugal threw off Communism and became a Catholic country, shortly after that time.)

On the 13th of every month after that, Mary promised to return and give them more messages, which she did, all except for August 13th, because on August 13, the children were in a mental hospital - they had been admitted to a mental hospital after telling their parents about their visions.

While they were in the hospital, they cured and converted many poor souls, and after two weeks, when doctors could find nothing wrong with them, and saw these great healings, they released them back home to their parents.

People heard of the miracles that were occurring, and on September 13th, a great crowd was waiting for them at the place where they were accustomed to seeing the visions of Mary. The crowd was so large that they trampled all of the grass that was for the sheep, and Lucia’s father was very angry because of that. He wanted to forbid the people from ever coming back.

Mother Mary said that she would come only one more time, to leave a final message on October 13, which she did - it was on that day that the miracle of the sun occurred - hundreds of thousands of people witnessed it, including atheists and journalists - there were many explanations for this event proposed, but the simplest explanation was that it was a miracle.

A shrine was erected on the spot where Mary had appeared to the children, and it remains there to this day.

I don’t know what the ultimate fate of those poor sheep was - I do hope everything worked out okay for them, though.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

Three little Portugese children, ages five, six, and seven years old (Lucia, a girl - she died just recently; Francesco, a boy, the six year old, died about a year later, and Jacinta, the five year old girl who also died shortly after these events) - on May 13, 1917, after praying their Rosary after lunch, while tending Lucia’s father’s herd of sheep, they received a vision of the Archangel Michael, who taught them to pray the Prayer of Reparation.

Later the same day, while they were walking home, Mother Mary appeared to them and showed them the many thousands of souls falling into Hell like snowflakes in a December blizzard, and asked them to help her spread the message of Jesus to the whole world - that people should pray the Rosary, and they should be converted to Christ, to avoid going to Hell. (Portugal at that time was under the Communists, and the practice of any kind of religion was forbidden by law. Through the witness of these three little children, Portugal threw off Communism and became a Catholic country, shortly after that time.)

On the 13th of every month after that, Mary promised to return and give them more messages, which she did, all except for August 13th, because on August 13, the children were in a mental hospital - they had been admitted to a mental hospital after telling their parents about their visions.

While they were in the hospital, they cured and converted many poor souls, and after two weeks, when doctors could find nothing wrong with them, and saw these great healings, they released them back home to their parents.

People heard of the miracles that were occurring, and on September 13th, a great crowd was waiting for them at the place where they were accustomed to seeing the visions of Mary. The crowd was so large that they trampled all of the grass that was for the sheep, and Lucia’s father was very angry because of that. He wanted to forbid the people from ever coming back.

Mother Mary said that she would come only one more time, to leave a final message on October 13, which she did - it was on that day that the miracle of the sun occurred - hundreds of thousands of people witnessed it, including atheists and journalists - there were many explanations for this event proposed, but the simplest explanation was that it was a miracle.

A shrine was erected on the spot where Mary had appeared to the children, and it remains there to this day.

I don’t know what the ultimate fate of those poor sheep was - I do hope everything worked out okay for them, though.

Hi,
Thank you for the story It sounds plausible to me. I suppose if God wanted to he could have sent Mary. I guess I would be a little wary because Satan does try to deceive people. IMHO Satan could have very well done this to throw off many believers into thinking Mary is more than she is. Of course I have no idea. I do tend to believe in that stuff I just dont know if it truly comes from God or Satan.

What did the sun do?