Hey there:
Folks I really wish everyone here would stop name-calling. I am not ignorant friend, we have different belief systems. Let’s have a civilized discussion, ok?
To call a spade a spade is not name calling. I said you are ignorant of the Catholic faith and you are. Your posts proclaim it to all and sundry. Just one example of this is to say we practice “Mary worship”.
Praying to the virgin Mary and other saints for that matter. I have been told by Catholics to pray to Mary for favors (cars, money, material things). This is what I have been told, friend.
Well then those who told you are as painfully ill-informed as you. We address the prayer to Mary so that she can intercede for us to God.
I have found that as soon as I say to a Catholic, guys listen, you’re praying to an idol you say - no we’re not, it’s veneration.
Yes, they are correct. It is veneration. Do you know what veneration means?
Yet I see it all the time, flowers brought to statues, money attached to statues, I’ve even seen food brought the idol of Mary.
That some Catholics have strange practices does not mean it is the doctrinie of the Church. Many Catholics practice contraception, have divorced, and have killed the babies in their wombs but not of these are taught by the church.
So first lesson in good theology: learn the ability to distinguish fact from fiction, teaching from practice. Not all practice is in line with teaching.
I’m not going to argue with you - I’m telling you what I see and what I’ve been told. AND what I have personally been encouraged to do as a former Catholic. I’m not saying YOU personally do this - I’m telling you that I see this done in Catholic churches in my neighborhood and around the world (I’ve done missions to South America).
Yes, there are some bad practices. But that is not doctrine. So again. Learn to separate doctrine from practice. These people are very badly catechized as well. Christianity spread so fast there was not enough time to teach every single Catholic good doctrine. So some have tended to take it to the extreme. Some have even mixed their previous pagan practices with Catholic practice. Again, that is bad practice not doctirne.
Catholic doctrine is always sound and true.
Yes, I do pray with and for other people
If your prayer can help other people, the saints prayer help more. They are already seeing God face to face. They have already been glorified.
I don’t pray to other people and I don’t pray to saints or Mary
.
Your loss.
When we pray together - we pray to the Lord. James 5:16 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. We are also encouraged to pray in solitary. Do you want bible references for that?
No need for Bible references. I actually like the quotes yor provided.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. If you are praying for your friends, then are you claiming that you are righteous? Because of if you say you are well you are being up yourself. If you say not, then your prayer is ineffective so why pray for them at all.
The prayer of a righteous man… Hmmm as I said above, the saints have been made righteous by God. That is why they are saints. That is why they are in heaven. That is why when they pray for us, God grants their prayers. Beacause the prayer of a righteous man is effective.
And who can be more righteous than the Mother of God who is full of grace even when she was on earth? You know what it means to be full of grace? We are all saved by grace. She’s full of it
Also, just think back to the wedding at Cana. Jesus said His time had not yet come. Yet at Mary’s request He performs a miracle BEFORE His time.
we pray to God, and the statues are a visual reminder. It might look like we’re praying to the statue, but we are not. Just wanted to clarify that.