Why do Catholics adore, worship and deify Mary so much?

[Bruce Atkinson]

Given the excessive number of threads and responses in this forum an others regarding Mary, I have to ask...WHY?

Why are Catholics so fixated on Mary? Why does every Catholic church have a significant number of statues and shrines to Mary on the premises and only the giant crucifix with Christ hanging on the cross and maybe a handful of stained glass windows depicting Him? Why do Catholics have shrines to Mary in their front yard and NOT a cross?

In my opinion, it's the magicians 'trick' of distraction taking ones' focus off Jesus, our Savior! How many 'Hail Mary's' have Catholics droned over the years? How many Catholic prayers even MENTION Jesus?

There is close to zero prophecy in the old testament about her other than a couple of references to 'born of a virgin' that refer to Mary 100s of years before she was chosen by God to carry HIS Son. Yet there is voluminous OT prophecy of the Messiah...Jesus.

And no, Genesis 3:15 does NOT reference Mary. The woman in that verse refers to Israel in and Satan's war to destroy Israel thus nullifying Gods' Word, not MARY!

Mary is NOT God! Mary is NOT A god! Mary is simply the 'birth mother' of Jesus chosen by God, no more, no less. So why all the hub-bub about Mary?

 

[GaryAnderson]

I think this debate can be settled quite easily.

For all those who think that icons and statues are idolatry, they should keep believing that and move on.

For the rest of us that go to churches where icons and statues exist, we know that we’re not praying to a literal painting or statue so we move on too.

Everybody’s happy. Problem solved.

 

[Pearl]

Given the excessive number of threads and responses in this forum an others regarding Mary, I have to ask...WHY?

Why are Catholics so fixated on Mary? Why does every Catholic church have a significant number of statues and shrines to Mary on the premises and only the giant crucifix with Christ hanging on the cross and maybe a handful of stained glass windows depicting Him? Why do Catholics have shrines to Mary in their front yard and NOT a cross?

In my opinion, it's the magicians 'trick' of distraction taking ones' focus off Jesus, our Savior! How many 'Hail Mary's' have Catholics droned over the years? How many Catholic prayers even MENTION Jesus?

There is close to zero prophecy in the old testament about her other than a couple of references to 'born of a virgin' that refer to Mary 100s of years before she was chosen by God to carry HIS Son. Yet there is voluminous OT prophecy of the Messiah...Jesus.

And no, Genesis 3:15 does NOT reference Mary. The woman in that verse refers to Israel in and Satan's war to destroy Israel thus nullifying Gods' Word, not MARY!

Mary is NOT God! Mary is NOT A god! Mary is simply the 'birth mother' of Jesus chosen by God, no more, no less. So why all the hub-bub about Mary?

I have been on many different 'Christian' forums and this question always crops up and often leads to bitter argument so best not to go there.

 

[theefaith]

To love Mary is to love salvation!

to hate or reject Mary is to hate or reject salvation!

Mary is the mother of our salvation! Lk 2:30


Mary and all the saints grace, virtues, and merits are from God’s infinite goodness mercy and love and they end in the God glory!

Not by nature but by supernatural grace!
Mary and the saints are what God made them not according nature but by the supernatural grace of God!

Glory to God for His mighty works and grace and mercy in His saints!

The nature of vice and virtue:

Pride by its nature must always be in rebellion and protest!
Alway says no, I will not serve!
Always associated with presumption and arrogance!

Humility by its nature must obey, and be faithful! Unless you become like little children. Matt 18:3 always associated with faith, hope, and charity!

Mary is the temple of God, God consecrated and dwelt in this temple for 9 months and it cannot be used for a ordinary purpose, anymore than you could hold a teen rock & roll dance in the holy of Holies in the temple of God?

King david has love of Mary!

Psalm 26:8
Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

 

[atpollard]

Given the excessive number of threads and responses in this forum an others regarding Mary, I have to ask...WHY?

They just do it to provoke Protestants.
It is sort of funny how upset some people get about other people’s prayer life.

It is no skin off my nose how Catholics want to pray.
It is not like they are trying to force ME to pray to Mary (or anything else).
They just refuse to share their wafer and juice with me (which is sort of OK since I am not a member of their church).

 

[atpollard]

To love Mary is to love salvation!

to hate or reject Mary is to hate or reject salvation!

That is just silly and wrong.

Which of the following is scripture [Romans 10:8-13 CSB]:

1. On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, "Mary is the mother of salvation," and believe in your heart that God raised [her] from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on [Mary] will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same [Mother] of all richly blesses all who call on [her]. For everyone who calls on the name of [Mary] will be saved.
   
   
2. On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

 

[atpollard]

Mary is the mother of our salvation! Lk 2:30

[Luke 2:25-35 CSB]

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel's consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord's Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,
29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples --
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: "Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed -- 35 "and a sword will pierce your own soul -- that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."​

FYI, Luke 2:30 is about Jesus and not about Mary in the middle of a whole section about Jesus and not about Mary.

 

[Enoch111]

So why all the hub-bub about Mary?

DEFLECT. DEFLECT. DEFLECT.

 

[theefaith]

To correct to op, we do not adore, worship or deify Mary!

only God may be lawfully worshiped and adored!


Mary and all the saints grace, virtues, and merits are from God’s infinite goodness mercy and love and they end in the God glory!

Not by nature but by supernatural grace!
Mary and the saints are what God made them not according nature but by the supernatural grace of God!

Glory to God for His mighty works and grace and mercy in His saints!

All praise honor veneration applied to Mary and the saints begins in God, and ends in God!

All glory unto God!

2 thes. 1:10 glorified in his saints

 

[theefaith]

They just do it to provoke Protestants.
It is sort of funny how upset some people get about other people’s prayer life.

It is no skin off my nose how Catholics want to pray.
It is not like they are trying to force ME to pray to Mary (or anything else).
They just refuse to share their wafer and juice with me (which is sort of OK since I am not a member of their church).

jude 1:3 contend for thee faith

The Dove, & rainbow signs of peace are types of Mary mother of our salvation who obtained peace for all men!

Song of Solomon 1:2
Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.
Oil heals and fuels the flame, and is the fruit of the olive (peace) so the name of Mary is our peace, and healing, and fire of divine love!

Proverbs 8:35
He that shall find me, shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:

And hundreds more, you will find in the excellent book by Saint Alphonse Lugosi the glories of Mary!

Lk 1:45 all generations shall call me blessed!

Actually this is an exultation of thanksgiving for having obtain thier eternal salvation!

Mary and all the saints grace, virtues, and merits are from God’s infinite goodness mercy and love and they end in the God glory!

All is a gift of God!
All begins in God:
All is maintained by God:
All ends in God:

all honor, glory, and thanksgiving are unto God!

Lk 1:49 He that is almighty has done great things to me!

Blessed be God, forever and ever!

 

[David H.]

Given the excessive number of threads and responses in this forum an others regarding Mary, I have to ask...WHY?

Why are Catholics so fixated on Mary? Why does every Catholic church have a significant number of statues and shrines to Mary on the premises and only the giant crucifix with Christ hanging on the cross and maybe a handful of stained glass windows depicting Him? Why do Catholics have shrines to Mary in their front yard and NOT a cross?

In my opinion, it's the magicians 'trick' of distraction taking ones' focus off Jesus, our Savior! How many 'Hail Mary's' have Catholics droned over the years? How many Catholic prayers even MENTION Jesus?

There is close to zero prophecy in the old testament about her other than a couple of references to 'born of a virgin' that refer to Mary 100s of years before she was chosen by God to carry HIS Son. Yet there is voluminous OT prophecy of the Messiah...Jesus.

And no, Genesis 3:15 does NOT reference Mary. The woman in that verse refers to Israel in and Satan's war to destroy Israel thus nullifying Gods' Word, not MARY!

Mary is NOT God! Mary is NOT A god! Mary is simply the 'birth mother' of Jesus chosen by God, no more, no less. So why all the hub-bub about Mary?

It is because the Catholic church Got corrupted by the Babylonian religion of Semiramis worship... the whole notion of the "Queen of heaven" stems from this corruption which began with Constantine who melded the Roman religion with Christianity. This is why Christ is still hanging on the cross for them because they still mourn for Tammuz the son of Semiramis.

 

[theefaith]

They just do it to provoke Protestants.
It is sort of funny how upset some people get about other people’s prayer life.

It is no skin off my nose how Catholics want to pray.
It is not like they are trying to force ME to pray to Mary (or anything else).
They just refuse to share their wafer and juice with me (which is sort of OK since I am not a member of their church).

it’s not a wafer and a plastic cup of juice

it is the bony and blood of Jesus Christ!

1 cor 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

 

[theefaith]

That is just silly and wrong.

Which of the following is scripture [Romans 10:8-13 CSB]:

1. On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, "Mary is the mother of salvation," and believe in your heart that God raised [her] from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on [Mary] will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same [Mother] of all richly blesses all who call on [her]. For everyone who calls on the name of [Mary] will be saved.
   
   
2. On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

That is just silly and wrong.

Which of the following is scripture [Romans 10:8-13 CSB]:

1. On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, "Mary is the mother of salvation," and believe in your heart that God raised [her] from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on [Mary] will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same [Mother] of all richly blesses all who call on [her]. For everyone who calls on the name of [Mary] will be saved.
   
   
2. On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Lk 2:30

 

[theefaith]

[Luke 2:25-35 CSB]

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel's consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord's Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,
29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples --
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.
33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: "Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed -- 35 "and a sword will pierce your own soul -- that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."​

FYI, Luke 2:30 is about Jesus and not about Mary in the middle of a whole section about Jesus and not about Mary.

Jesus is our salvation!

mary is his mother!

so Mary is the mother of our salvation!

isa 7:14 rev 12:1 Mary is the sign of our salvation!

 

[atpollard]

The Dove, & rainbow signs of peace are types of Mary mother of our salvation who obtained peace for all men!

This is where Catholics tend to confuse non-Catholic Christians.
I can't tell from this complex sentence structure whether Mary (an obedient Jewish girl blessed by God) "obtained peace for all men!" or if her son ... "our Salvation", God Incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ ... "obtained peace for all men!"

If you ascribe Mary as the one who obtained "peace for all men", then I really have a problem with crediting Mary with what Christ accomplished on the Cross. If you ascribe the Son of God, born of Mary as the one who obtained "peace for all men" ... then I can add my "Amen."


PS. I disagree about the rainbow:

"This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth."
- God [Genesis 9:12-17]​

 

[atpollard]

it’s not a wafer and a plastic cup of juice
it is the body and blood of Jesus Christ!

[Act 15:23-29 NKJV]

23 They wrote this [letter] by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "[You must] be circumcised and keep the law"--to whom we gave no [such] commandment-- 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.​

Then you are in violation of the command of the Holy Spirit and the Apostles to the Church as recorded by the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:29).
(... and the ridiculous charge of cannibalism is true).

Spiritual reality transcends physical reality, it does not deny it. It is a wafer and a cup of juice (I could take it and have it DNA tested and it would not come back "human remains").

 

[atpollard]

1 cor 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

From the pen of Paul himself and the lips of Jesus himself ... bread.

 

[atpollard]

Lk 2:30

Luke 2:30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.

Simeon, speaking of the baby Jesus and NOT about his mother Mary. Don't take my word for it, read the story for yourself: Luke 2:25-35

 

[atpollard]

Jesus is our salvation!
mary is his mother!
so Mary is the mother of our salvation!

Non sequitur.
Luke 2:30 is STILL about Jesus and not about Mary, in the middle of a whole section about Jesus and not about Mary (Luke 2:25-35)

Jesus is our salvation!

Yes.

mary is his mother!

Yes.

so Mary is the mother of our salvation!

No. Mary did not give birth to our salvation, God the Son was already our salvation from the foundation of the earth. Mary gave birth to God Incarnate.

Mary deserves credit for what SHE did, but not credit for what GOD does.

 

[atpollard]

isa 7:14 rev 12:1 Mary is the sign of our salvation!

[Isa 7:14 NKJV] 14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

The EVENT is the sign, not the person.

[Rev 12:1 NKJV] 1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.

(Sorry, but I do not comment on the visions in Revelation ... they say what people want them to say in online discussions.)

Neither verse mentions "salvation" anywhere. That hardly proves that "Mary is the sign of our salvation".