What is the non-Catholic Response to Mary Apparitions?

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What is the non-Catholic response to Mary Apparitions?

http://www.rexresearch.com/mary/zeitun.jpg
(Zeitun, Egypt (1968) Millions of people - Our Lady of Light (semi-approved)

Here is a short list of Mary Apparitions -
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Short list of Mary Apparitions continued from last post (#1)
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Short list of Mary Apparitions continued from last post (#2)
Your Thoughts?
 
As a former Protestant, my own personal experience was that the majority of Protestants either don’t even know or care about Marian apparitions, or if they do, they generally don’t take much notice. Some are hostile and state they are from the devil.

My old Protestant pastor was an exception. He thought there was a lot of trouble coming, and that the Marian apparitions were a warning. His actual comment was “There’s been a lot of them. I think they’re a judgment on a divided church.”

Well, he was correct about the fact there’s been a lot of them. There’s also a lot of alleged private apparitions, which may or may not be bona fide. I claim to have my father appear in my room the night he died. The way he acted, the things he said, and the terrifying scream just before he disappeared leads me to think I was seeing his reaction to his particular judgment, which takes place immediately after death. And that was the night, and probably the time, that he died. So I’m a bit reluctant to dismiss the personal experiences of others. They may well be telling the truth.

As for judgment on a divided church, Mary warned us at Akita that we “have no idea what is being prepared for us if we don’t change”. But a fair portion of Protestants these days are putting their hope in a non-Biblical Rapture. So while God’s sending Mary to warn us, we in our arrogant, self-righteous, divisive state are simply ignoring her.
 
I didn’t vote because I didn’t want to decide between “yes” and “no.”

I am skeptical of the Marian apparitions but I realize that there are people for whom they are very real. I respect those beliefs even though I am not able, at this time, to hold them myself.
 
I believe in the ones accepted by the Church. Also I believe that many people have had their own personal experiences. This happened in my family to a child.

Some have given very good fruit to the Church. “By their fruits you will know them”.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
 
Details, Bernadette, details! 🙂
BernadetteM said:
I believe in the ones accepted by the Church. Also I believe that many people have had their own personal experiences. This happened in my family to a child.

Some have given very good fruit to the Church. “By their fruits you will know them”.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
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When I was Catholic, I didn’t really believe them.

Now, I have less reason to.
 
BernadetteM said:
I believe in the ones accepted by the Church. Also I believe that many people have had their own personal experiences. This happened in my family to a child.

Some have given very good fruit to the Church. “By their fruits you will know them”.

Yours in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary

Bernadette
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Bernadette,

This is a perfect expression of how I feel about Marian Apparitions.

Thank you,

Jimmy
 
cheese_sdc said:
When I was Catholic, I didn’t really believe them.

Now, I have less reason to.
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Hello cheese_sdc,
Why is that? And, does this include some of the most documented accounts, such as Fatima or Lourdes?
 
No. Don’t believe in them at all…and the fact there always seems to be someone seeing Mary in a stain on his garage floor or in a slice of french toast doesn’t help.
 
http://www.miraclehunter.com/layout...w.miraclehunter.com/layouts/images/box_05.gif miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/approved_apparitions/images/zaragoza.jpg

More Information
**Zaragoza, Spain (Year - 40) **
Title: Our Lady of the Pillar
Feast Day : October 12th
Investigated: N/A
First Apparition:
Jan 2, 40 AD
**Approved: **
Last Apparition:
Jan 2, 40 AD
**Visionaries: **St. James the Greater
**Number of Apparitions: **1
**Miracles & Signs: **
The chapel originally built by Saint James was later destroyed as were several subsequent chapels on the same site. The statue and pillar have been preserved however for *almost 2000 years. *
**Summary:**According to legend, in the early days of the Church on January 2, 40 AD, the Apostle James the Greater was proclaiming the Gospel in Caesaraugusta (present day Zaragoza) by the river Ebro, when he saw Mary miraculously appearing in the flesh on a pillar calling him to return to Jerusalem.
miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/images/alexandria.jpg%between%

More Information

**Alexandria, Egypt (Year - 305) **
Feast Day : November 25
Investigated: N/A
First Apparition:
305 (Jesus and Mary)
**Approved: **N/A
Last Apparition:
310 (Jesus)
**Visionaries: **St. Catherine of Alexandria
**Number of Apparitions: **3
**Miracles & Signs: **
According to legend, at her martyrdom white, milk-like liquid flowed from her severed veins instead of blood. It is claimed that for many years oil oozed from her bones; this oil was prized as medicine and for lamps in holy sanctuaries.
**Summary: **Legend says that St. Catherine of Alexandria studied philosophy when she was young as was fashionable in Alexandria’s high society. During the course of her studies she learned about Christ. Then Catherine was converted by a vision of Our Lady and the Holy Child. She refused marriage to an emperor because Christ had already appeared to her in person and placed his gold ring on her finger (like St. Catherine of Siena). She later received a vision of Christ while in prison.

What do you think about the first two listed here?
 
Lutheranteach said:
No. Don’t believe in them at all…and the fact there always seems to be someone seeing Mary in a stain on his garage floor or in a slice of french toast doesn’t help.
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I get irritated when people say they see Mary or Jesus in bizarre ways like that. As someone who believes they occur, it saddens me that such obstacles are put up which essentially mocks the occurances and makes it much more difficult for people to believe.

BTW, I voted yes, although I think the poll was meant for non-Catholics only. Oops. :o
 
Jimmy_B said:
Hello cheese_sdc,
Why is that? And, does this include some of the most documented accounts, such as Fatima or Lourdes?
Click to expand...
Because it seems that the apparitions attracted the most unbalanced, ungrounded, and apocalyptic minded Catholics that I knew. They’d always talk about this secret and that secret, and Mary said that we need to get ready for 3 days of darkness or 18 days of rain, or something equally improbable.

I actually went to Medjuorgia (sp) with my parents when I was in junior high. The only thing I got out of it was eye damage after staring into the sun, and a funny story (the story’s not worth eye damage, though).

Fatima and Lourdes? You can keep 'em. The messages of the most reputable apparitions are always the same “Pray and Repent”, or “Repent and Pray”. I don’t need an apparition to hear that message, and any other message about signs or the end-times, I’m not going to believe.
 
‘What is the non-Catholic Response to Mary Apparitions?’

Delusion
Confusion
Coincidence ( grilled cheese sandwhiches that are held in high esteem due to the likeness of Christ appearing on the face)
Fraud or deception
 
Zatzat said:
Coincidence ( grilled cheese sandwhiches that are held in high esteem due to the likeness of Christ appearing on the face)
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Ahem. points to name

There shall be no mocking of the sacred grilled cheese.
 
cheese_sdc said:
Because it seems that the apparitions attracted the most unbalanced, ungrounded, and apocalyptic minded Catholics that I knew. They’d always talk about this secret and that secret, and Mary said that we need to get ready for 3 days of darkness or 18 days of rain, or something equally improbable.

I actually went to Medjuorgia (sp) with my parents when I was in junior high. The only thing I got out of it was eye damage after staring into the sun, and a funny story (the story’s not worth eye damage, though).

Fatima and Lourdes? You can keep 'em. The messages of the most reputable apparitions are always the same “Pray and Repent”, or “Repent and Pray”. I don’t need an apparition to hear that message, and any other message about signs or the end-times, I’m not going to believe.
Click to expand...
It’s is funny that you mentioned the “3 days of darkness or 18 days of rain”, because I know someone like that and I am also reluctant to except all Mary apparitions and as a Catholic, I’m not required to.

Me personally, I’m somewhat skeptical in general…for instance, I don’t believe in alien OFO’s, Bigfoot, Ghosts, the paranormal, fortune tellers, End Time Prophesies and so on.

However, as a Christian, I must except the fact that within the context of Christianity, there exists angels, a virgin birth, miracles and resurrection and so on.

In general, I reject all those cases, not investigated and fully approved by the Church.

The Catholic Church has investigated many so-called apparitions of Mary and have ultimately rejected many of them.

Of the over One Billion Catholics worldwide, are there Catholics who believe in things, which aren’t true, sure there are but there are people from all walks of life who are duped, in various, different ways.

Then again, there are some “Catholics” who believe in things, which fall outside of approved Catholic teachings…I have met a few here at CAF…

I also agree that “repent and pray” should be a concept that all Christians understand and adhere to but some don’t.

How many of us go to church and are basically “going through the motions”?

I believe that anything that brings someone closer to Jesus, including Marian apparitions, are in some way a good thing, only God knows and “God works in mysterious ways”.

Your thoughts?
 
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