Did the ancient Mystery Religions get picked up as 'tradition'?

[Hobie]

Here is even more I came across...
Lets compare some of the pagan sun god beliefs of Baal with what has been picked up and 'christianized' by the Catholic church and some pagan beliefs and doctrines even allowed into Protestant churches.

PAGAN BELIEFS- The nativity of the Sun, the birth of Tammuz Dec. 25
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The nativity of Jesus, Christmas Dec 25

PAGAN BELIEFS- The Midsummer festival held Jun 24
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Nativity of St. John held June 24

PAGAN BELIEFS- The assumption of Semiramus who became the mother godess
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The assumption of Mary, who became the mother of God

PAGAN BELIEFS- The mother goddess was worshipped as the Queen of Heaven. Jer. 7:18
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Virgin Mary worshipped as the Queen of Heaven.

PAGAN BELIEFS-Cakes decorated to the goddess with a "+" drawn on it. Jer. 44:17,19
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Hot cross buns

PAGAN BELIEFS- 40 days fasting for Tammuz, Ezek. 8:14
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- 40 days of Lent

PAGAN BELIEFS- Pagan festival of Easter. Ezek 8:16
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The festival of Easter

PAGAN BELIEFS- The resurrection of Tammuz at Easter and the procession of graven images during holy week
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The procession of graven images of Jesus, Mary, and Peter, and of the saints

PAGAN BELIEFS- Veneration of graven images of Baal, Ishtar, Tammuz and lesser gods in the heavens
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Veneration of graven images of Jesus, Mary, Peter, and of the "lesser" saints in the heavens

PAGAN BELIEFS- The belief of immortality of the soul and burning place of torment.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The belief of immortality of the soul and burning place of torment.

PAGAN BELIEFS- The doctrine of purgatory
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The doctrine of purgatory

PAGAN BELIEFS- The belief of the dead visiting the living, feast held for all in November, (All souls day)
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The festival of all souls day held Nov. 2, and all saints day held Nov. 1 (All souls day)

PAGAN BELIEFS- Burning incense and candles Jer 11:17; Ezek 8:11
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The burning of incense and candles

PAGAN BELIEFS- Chants and repetative prayers. Beaded prayer chains.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Gregorian chants and the Rosary

PAGAN BELIEFS- Infant baptism, and sprinkling of holy water
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Infant baptism, and sprinkling of holy water

PAGAN BELIEFS- The Pagan high priest king believed to be the incarnate of the Sun god
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Pope proclaims to be Christ's Vicar (replacement) here on Earth. It is also recorded in numerous documents that the pope believes he is god on earth.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Phallic symbol of the male sex organ placed on roofs as a sign of allegiance with Baal
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Largest phallic symbol in center of St. Peter's square.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Solar wheel as symbol for Baal worship can be found carved into ancient as well as modern Buddhist temples,, carved into ancient ornament representing Osiris. Stone carvings showing a whell to represent and Assyrio Babylonian altar.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- St Peter's square has largest solar wheel on planet. ALL Catholic churches have numerous solar wheels in stain glass windows as well as many other areas of the church. Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris sports a very huge one on it's face. There is a great one in ceiling as well as the floor tiles of the monastery of St. Ignatius Loyola in Spain. Numerous paintings, statues, ornaments, and letterheads of all Catholic churches have one or more "solar wheels" depicted upon them.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Alternating rays of the sun burst used to represent unity of "man and woman" common in all aspects of Paganism. (Curved ray = female "yonic" Straight ray = male "phallic")

CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Monstrance of Catholicism as well as many paintings and sculptures all depict same rays of both the "phallic and yonic" symbolism can be found literally all over the Roman Catholic church

PAGAN BELIEFS- Statues of a "Madonna" found in all Pagan cults as well as Egyptian Madonna Isis with her son Horus, or Hindu cults with Divaki and her son Krishna.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Statues of Mary can be found in all Catholic churches holding baby Jesus.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Dagon, which was the God of Babylon and Philistia and is mentioned several times in scripture in Judges 16:23, 1 Samuel 5:2-7, and 1 Chronicles 1:10. Babylonian fish-god (half man half fish) was depicted by Pagan high priests by wearing a fish head mitre (head dress) upon a mans head to symbolize man and fish joining when "sun god" set into the ocean. (Neptune = case in point. Half man half fish) One particular Biblical diety = "Dagon" Dag=fish On=sun. In Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, this is the definition for Dagon: 1712. Dagown, daw-gohn'; from H1709; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity: - According to Ugaritic and other documents link Baal as the son of El, or Dagon.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Mitres are worn by all Popes of Catholicism
http://www.tofm.org/papacy/pope_mitre.htm

PAGAN BELIEFS- The Roman sun-god with the alternating yonic and phallic symbols surrounding his head was found carved in excavated Roman bath houses in England. It is also found as "Apollo" on the facade of the Pergamum Museum in East Berlin.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Almost all Catholic churches have the exact same carving above their pulpits, pillars, on statues, as well as carved into ceilings above altars. Some Catholic churches actually have it carved into the Eucharist itself.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Persian sun-god Mithra is also depicted with the globe in hand as a sign ruler of the Universe.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Vatican has a solid gold statues of Jesus with the globe in hand, plus a black marble statue called "the black virgin of Montserrat" and a statue of a "child Jesus" with globe in hand.

PAGAN BELIEFS- The first day of the week kept sacred to honor the Persian sun god Mithra. "SUN"day
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The admitted change of 7th day Sabbath to "SUN"day...

It just goes on and on.....

 

[BreadOfLife]

Here is even more I came across...
Lets compare some of the pagan sun god beliefs of Baal with what has been picked up and 'christianized' by the Catholic church and some pagan beliefs and doctrines even allowed into Protestant churches.

PAGAN BELIEFS- The mother goddess was worshipped as the Queen of Heaven. Jer. 7:18
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Virgin Mary worshipped as the Queen of Heaven.

This is a complete falsehood. Only GOD is worshipped in the Catholic Church.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:
70 The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone:

PAGAN BELIEFS-Cakes decorated to the goddess with a "+" drawn on it. Jer. 44:17,19
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Hot cross buns

Due – DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

The cross (+) symbol may have been used in pagan times to ward off evil.
Does that make all Protestant churches that display a cross “evil”??

In case you were unaware – out LORD was put to death on a cross. This has been a symbol of Christianity since the FIRST century . . .

PAGAN BELIEFS- 40 days fasting for Tammuz, Ezek. 8:14
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- 40 days of Lent

This is one of the more asinine of your things on your list . . .

The 40 Days of Lent is derived directly from Scripture (Matt. 4:1-11).
JESUS spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying in preparation for His mission.
Likewise - Catholics spend the same amount of time fasting and praying in preparation for the Resurrection.

Study your Bible . . .

PAGAN BELIEFS- The Pagan high priest king believed to be the incarnate of the Sun god
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The Pope proclaims to be Christ's Vicar (replacement) here on Earth. It is also recorded in numerous documents that the pope believes he is god on earth.

WRONG again.

Jesus left Peter as His chief earthly shepherd (Matt. 16:18-19, John 21:15019).
And please produce the official Church teaching that the Pope is GOD o earth. Otherwise – admit that you’re a liar.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Phallic symbol of the male sex organ placed on roofs as a sign of allegiance with Baal
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Largest phallic symbol in center of St. Peter's square.

I don’t claim you for being so disturbingly-ignorant. But I DO blame you for vomiting out these lie without doing your homework . . .

Go online and download a picture of the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square. WHY do you suppose it is there? WHAT it standing at the top of it? It’s a CRUCIFICX.

PAGAN BELIEFS- Dagon, which was the God of Babylon and Philistia and is mentioned several times in scripture in Judges 16:23, 1 Samuel 5:2-7, and 1 Chronicles 1:10. Babylonian fish-god (half man half fish) was depicted by Pagan high priests by wearing a fish head mitre (head dress) upon a mans head to symbolize man and fish joining when "sun god" set into the ocean. (Neptune = case in point. Half man half fish) One particular Biblical diety = "Dagon" Dag=fish On=sun. In Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, this is the definition for Dagon: 1712. Dagown, daw-gohn'; from H1709; the fish-god; Dagon, a Philistine deity: - According to Ugaritic and other documents link Baal as the son of El, or Dagon.
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- Mitres are worn by all Popes of Catholicism
http://www.tofm.org/papacy/pope_mitre.htm

More of your a historically-bankrupt drivel . . .

First of all - the bishop’s miter didn’t develop into its present form until the late Middle Ages – which is LONG after all of the “Dagon worshippers” were all dead and gone. Before that, it was a shorter version.

The Bishop’s mitre is based on the “ICHTHUS”.

Next time you’re driving on the freeway, pay attention to some of the cars with the Christian “Fish” symbol on the back. This symbol is the ICHTHUS - an ancient CHRISTIAN symbol for Christ”.

The letters inside the fish are the Greek letters which are the initials of the words I (ēsous) Ch (ristos) th (eou) hy(ios) s (ōtēr) meaning “Jesus Christ Son of God Savior”.

Go sell your dishonest anti-Catholic excrement elsewhere . . .http://www.tofm.org/papacy/pope_mitre.htm

PAGAN BELIEFS- The first day of the week kept sacred to honor the Persian sun god Mithra. "SUN"day
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES- The admitted change of 7th day Sabbath to "SUN"day...

The Early Church gathered for prayer, communion on the 7th Day in commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2).

Study your Bible, sparky . . .

 

[Hobie]

This is a complete falsehood. Only GOD is worshipped in the Catholic Church.

Catechism of the Catholic Church:
70 The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone:

Due – DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

The cross (+) symbol may have been used in pagan times to ward off evil.
Does that make all Protestant churches that display a cross “evil”??

In case you were unaware – out LORD was put to death on a cross. This has been a symbol of Christianity since the FIRST century . . .

This is one of the more asinine of your things on your list . . .

The 40 Days of Lent is derived directly from Scripture (Matt. 4:1-11).
JESUS spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying in preparation for His mission.
Likewise - Catholics spend the same amount of time fasting and praying in preparation for the Resurrection.

Study your Bible . . .

WRONG again.

Jesus left Peter as His chief earthly shepherd (Matt. 16:18-19, John 21:15019).
And please produce the official Church teaching that the Pope is GOD o earth. Otherwise – admit that you’re a liar.

I don’t claim you for being so disturbingly-ignorant. But I DO blame you for vomiting out these lie without doing your homework . . .

Go online and download a picture of the obelisk in St. Peter’s Square. WHY do you suppose it is there? WHAT it standing at the top of it? It’s a CRUCIFICX.

More of your a historically-bankrupt drivel . . .

First of all - the bishop’s miter didn’t develop into its present form until the late Middle Ages – which is LONG after all of the “Dagon worshippers” were all dead and gone. Before that, it was a shorter version.

The Bishop’s mitre is based on the “ICHTHUS”.

Next time you’re driving on the freeway, pay attention to some of the cars with the Christian “Fish” symbol on the back. This symbol is the ICHTHUS - an ancient CHRISTIAN symbol for Christ”.

The letters inside the fish are the Greek letters which are the initials of the words I (ēsous) Ch (ristos) th (eou) hy(ios) s (ōtēr) meaning “Jesus Christ Son of God Savior”.

Go sell your dishonest anti-Catholic excrement elsewhere . . .http://www.tofm.org/papacy/pope_mitre.htm

The Early Church gathered for prayer, communion on the 7th Day in commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2).

Study your Bible, sparky . . .

Have you seen the Idols made of wood and stone, to say nothing of the ones that were Greek pagan ones that were renamed so they could be "christianized"..

 

[BreadOfLife]

Have you seen the Idols made of wood and stone, to say nothing of the ones that were Greek pagan ones that were renamed so they could be "christianized"..

A statue is a statue and ONLY become an idol when it is worshipped as a god. Catholics don'tt worship status as gods. You know this - but you would rather perpetuate the LIE that we do.
Time for a Bible Lesson . . .
Exod. 25:18 - God commands Moses to create 2 Golden cheubim to sit atop the Ark.

Num. 21:5-9 - Gos commands Moses to create a Bronze Serpent anf place it on a pole so that the people would be cured when they gazed upon it.

When Solomon built the Temple - he installed massive statues of cherubom in the inner sancuary (1 Kings 6:23-28). This PLASED God, who blessed the Temple with fire, consuming the burnt offering (2 Chron. 7:7).

So, next time you get the urge to vomit out more lies - open up a Bible and go to the following verses:
Exod. 20:16
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Rev. 21:8
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and ALL LIARS their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

 

[Hobie]

Need to read Gods Word...
Deuteronomy 29:17
And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)

Revelation 9:20
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

 

[Hobie]

Now I was doing some studies on the Greeks and how they picked up and passed on to the Romans the ancient Babylonian sun gods and system of worship, when I came across a interesting sermon that really hit the issue dead center.

'...Pope is a shortened title for Pontifex Maximus. In Greek it means father. The Pontifex Maximus (meaning king of sacrifices or servant to the triads, as well as the "greatest bridge-maker between the gods and men") was the high priest of the College of Pontiffs (Collegium Pontificum) in ancient Rome. It's a pagan title that was incorporated from the Etruscan-Latin polytheistic culture (700 BC) who lived before the Romans. These early people (just like the Romans) had built great temples to the gods and goddess of the day. They also had a pagan triad. Eventually the Etruscans were conquered by Rome.

The title Pontifex Maximus (Pope) is mentioned numerous times by the early Catholic Church fathers (especially by Tertullian), but it was not applied to a Catholic bishop until much later on. The early Catholics said that the Pontifex Maximus was the "King of Heathendom," the evil high priest of the pagan mystery religion of Rome. This post was the most important position in the ancient Roman religion. A distinctly religious office under the early Roman Republic, it gradually became politicized until, beginning with Augustus, it was subsumed into the Imperial office. It's last use with reference to the emperors is in inscriptions of Gratian (reigned 375-383). He was then urged by the Catholic bishops to renounce the cultic Roman title, and instead grant it to their exalted leading bishop over Rome.

Pontifex Maximus is a name that's being used by the Roman Catholic Church clergy today. Though it may be abbreviated into Pope or Papa, yet it's clearly a title incorporated directly from paganism. Interesting to note that the all the pagan pontiffs or popes held that office for life. Exactly like the Catholics Popes. And their cult members met and elected a successor, who after his election became the next Pope or Pontifex Maximus (Dionys. II.22, 73). Just like the election held by the Catholic Church cardinals to choose a new Pope. The Pontifex Maximus was the guardian of the Vestal virgins. The Roman Catholic Church has simply named them Nuns instead. Many historians agree that the idea for the powers of the pope with the College of Cardinals came from the Pagan College of Pontiffs with its Sovereign Pontiff which had no doubt been in Rome from the earliest times, and must have been framed on the order of the original Council of Pontiffs at Babylon. It's also obvious to any historian that while the Catholics have called themselves Christians, they more closely resemble the ancient pagans both in customs and names. Pope Gregory I (601 AD) said in so many words literally, "We must compromise with the pagans in order to further Christianity."...'
http://www.upublish.info/Article/The-Pope--Pontifex-Maximus-/693298

And there is more on Emperor Constantine, as about the time of he came to be emperor the Christian religion received imperial sanction and the bishop of Rome became more than just another bishop, and we can see how the Papacy brought in a system of worship from another origin than Christianity.

After the fall of Rome, the Bishop of Rome served as a source of authority and continuity from the old empire but Rome had also been the center of the pagan priests and their temples during the Roman Empire, and they did not go away. The Bishop of Rome, to bring in more converts brought what they were familiar with and allowed the traditional Roman mysteries and deities of solar monism such as Mithras and Sol Invictus and idol worship back into the church, along with its Pagan doctrines, graven images and ceremonies. It renamed the mother goddess and others that were worshiped and brought them into the church at Rome, then with its influence it spread into the other centers of Christianity. So next lets take a look at the Roman mysteries and the changes to the day of worship and how they were brought in.

Christians at Rome had been faithful as they were persecuted for many years but as they became accepted and persecution stop, other challenges faced them. Greek philosophy and Gnosticism had been picked up and in Rome the old beliefs and festivals were still followed by the Romans and many Christian and leaders didnt see a problem with it. The first issue began when early in the life of the Church, disputes arose as the bishop of Rome allowed the celebration of the Pasch or Passover to continue till the following Sunday so Christians could also celebrate Spring Equinox festival as they had done before.

Now the danger of allowing the Christians to join in pagan solstice celebrations was overlooked as the new pagan 'converts' joined the church and swelled the numbers under the bishop of Rome. But other Christian leaders saw the danger of worship according to the old pagan festivals and tried to stop it in what came to be known as Paschal/Easter controversies. The first recorded such controversy came to be known as the Quartodeciman controversy.

Eusebius of Caesarea (Church History, V, xxiii) wrote:
"A question of no small importance arose at that time [i.e. the time of Pope Victor I, about A.D. 190]. The dioceses of all Asia, according to an ancient tradition, held that the fourteenth day of the moon [of Nisan], on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast of the life-giving pasch (epi tes tou soteriou Pascha heortes), contending that the fast ought to end on that day, whatever day of the week it might happen to be. However it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world to end it at this point, as they observed the practice, which from Apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time, of terminating the fast on no other day than on that of the Resurrection of our Saviour." So the bishop of Rome began the practice of fixing the celebration of Passover for Christians on Sunday and it spread through the old areas of the Empire.Polycarp the disciple of John the Apostle who was now the bishop of Smyrna, came and confronted Anicetus, the Bishop of Rome who had allow the changes in the Passover and other changes to bring in converts.According to Irenaeus, around the 150s or 160, Polycarp visited Rome to discuss the differences that existed between the other centers of Christianity in Asia and Rome "with regard to certain things" and especially about the time of the Pasch or Passover which in Rome were now the Easter festivals.

Irenaeus says that Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, observed the fourteenth day of the moon, whatever day of the week that might be, following therein the tradition which he derived from John the Apostle. Irenaeus said that on certain things the two bishops speedily came to an understanding, while as to the time of the Pasch and the change to Easter, each adhered to his own custom. Polycarp following the eastern practice of celebrating Passover on the 14th of Nisan, the day of the Jewish Passover, regardless of what day of the week it fell while the bishop of Rome let it be observed on Sunday.

So the Bishop of Rome ignore the warning and continued to allow the Passover to be observed on Sunday at the pagan Spring Equinox festival connected to the goddess Eostre the "goddess of sunrise" so this is how the Pasch was change to the festival of Easter. But not only was it just the festival but had been elevated as more pagan converts came in, they were allowed to worship on the pagan day of worship which they were used to, while Christians continued to worship on Sabbath.

When Polycarp was martyred for standing against the pagan worship, the Smyrnaean letter known as the Martyrdom of Polycarp states that Polycarp was taken on the day of the Sabbath and killed on the Great Sabbath, so we see that he observed the Sabbath.Scholar William Cave wrote, "...the Sabbath or Saturday (for so the word sabbatum is constantly used in the writings of the fathers, when speaking of it as it relates to Christians) was held by them in great veneration, and especially in the Eastern parts honoured with all the public solemnities of religion. But in the Western part of the Empire, Sunday had entered in through the back door celebration of the Pasch or Passover.

But it gets even worse, as later, one of the bishops of Rome, around 195, which some call Pope Victor I attempted to excommunicate the Christians who continued correctly to celebrate the the Pasch or Passover, turning the divergence of practice into a full-blown ecclesiastical controversy. According to Eusebius, synods were convened and letters were exchanged, but in the end, having over-stepped his mark Pope Victor was rebuked and backed down.

Eusebius of Caesarea (Church History, V, xxiv) notes:
"But this did not please all the bishops. And they besought him to consider the things of peace, and of neighborly unity and love. Words of theirs are extant, sharply rebuking Victor. Among them was Irenæus, who, sending letters in the name of the brethren in Gaul over whom he presided, maintained that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be observed only on the Lord’s day. He fittingly admonishes Victor that he should not cut off whole churches of God which observed the tradition of an ancient custom."

So you can see where this false day of worship as the 'Lord’s day' idea comes in from, and it wasnt from the disciple of John the Apostle or John himself.

 

[Hobie]

Now here is something I did not know..

"Eucharistic Adoration, Eucharistic Devotion, Perpetual Adoration
“They speak about the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine. Things relating to it are called eucharistic. A consecrated communion wafer is called a host. Hosts that are left over after Mass are kept in a tabernacle, (a large, ornate container that can be locked). When hosts are in the tabernacle, a candle is lit. This enables Catholics to know that consecrated hosts are inside, so they can kneel and pray in front of the tabernacle as a form of eucharistic devotion. The tabernacle also protects the hosts by making it difficult to steal them.

When I was a Catholic, I sometimes attended special services called Adoration
of the Blessed Sacrament. A large consecrated host was put in a monstrance [example]. (This is a large, ornate, metal container, in the basic shape of a daisy with a stem, plus a base so that it can stand up.) The monstrance looked like it was made of gold. It had a circular chamber in the middle which held a large, round host. The front of the chamber was glass, so you could see the host. Visually it looked like gold rays were coming out of the host.

The priest put the monstrance on the altar. We worshiped the host, believing
that it was Jesus. There were special prayers and special songs…At the end
of the service, we had Benediction. The priest held the monstrance and made the
sign of the cross with it. We believed that Jesus Christ Himself was blessing us.”
—Mary Ann Collins (A Former Catholic Nun)

When this adoration is, twenty-four hours a day, it is called perpetual adoration.

“…the host is comparable to a blazing fire whose flames spread out like rays all round it.’—Pere Teilhard, Mon Univers

Eucharistic Adoration and the sun god
The Eucharistic adoration or perpetual adoration of the host in the monstrance would seem to have roots in the pagan Worship of a Sun, which has been a part of many cultures throughout history.

The sacrifices offered on the altars of the [pagan] goddess were quite different
…the usual offering was a round cake, the symbol of the Sun. “The thin round cake,” says Wilkinson [“Egyptians”, vol. v. p. 353], “occurs on all altars.” This round cake was of course a symbol, both of the Sun, and of his Son, or incarnation, for the circle represented both the Sun’s disk and “The Seed.”
— John Garnier, “The Worship of the Dead: Or, The Origin and Nature of Pagan Idolatry and its bearing upon the early history of Egypt and Babylonia,” p. 345.."

"Eucharistic adoration is a Eucharistic devotional practice primarily in Western Catholicism, but also to a lesser extent in certain Lutheran and Anglican traditions, in which the Blessed Sacrament is adored by the faithful. This practice may occur either when the Eucharist is exposed, or when it is not publicly viewable because it is reserved in a place such as a church tabernacle.

Adoration is a sign of devotion to and worship of Jesus Christ, who is believed, according to Christian tradition, to be present in body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearance of the consecrated host, that is, sacramental bread. From a theological perspective, the adoration is a form of latria, based on the tenet of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament"...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharistic_adoration

We know what the Ten Commandments say on these graven images and its throughout the Bible not just there...

Deuteronomy 5:8
Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

Psalm 78:58
For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.

Isaiah 21:9
And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

saiah 42:17
They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.

Jeremiah 51:47
Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

And we see this clear warning..
Acts 17:29
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

 

[Hobie]

It just is astounding how much paganism they brought into the church, even the mother of Jesus is not spared being replaced.

The Virgin Mary you worship is not the historical Virgin Mary.
The Catholic Church are worshipping the Queen of Heaven, a pagan goddess.

431 A.D. - The Catholic Church introduces the worship of Mary. 104
431 A.D. - Council at Ephesus affirmed that Mary was the bearer of Jesus as “man and God”. 104
1854 - Roman Catholic Church introduce the “Immaculate conception of Mary”. 104
1904 - Roman Catholic Church “crowned” Mary. 105
1950 - Roman Catholic Church introduces the Assumption of Mary. 104'.. The Queen of Heaven..

Here are a few of the pagan gods and how they were renamed to let their worship continue:

"Demeter is a goddess of many festivals but most important, the Thesmophoria, which fell in late October. She became St. Demetrios, a masculine warrior saint, whose fd. is 10/26.

Aphrodite became St. Aphrodite, of which there are several, all with saints' tales that tell how she became a "repentant harlot."

Nike was picked up as Saint Nicholas, who was extremely popular wherever shipping was important. He is the patron saint of Russian, Holland and Germany, all on the north sea coast.

The Roman god Mars was originally a god who guarded wheat fields. He became St. Martin (esp. St. Martin-in-the-fields). Although March is the month associated with Mars (it was the beginning of the military campaigning season in Roman times), the major festival for him in Christian times now usually falls in February, called Mardi Gras "Great Mars."

The Roman god Quirinus became St. Cyrinus, of which there are various "equestrian warrior saints" such as St. Cyr in France, and St. Quirina, mother of St. Lawrence. The element quir- means (or was understood to mean) `horse.' These saints were very popular and widely worshiped in the Middle-Ages, in France, Holland and also eastern Christian countries.

The Roman gods known as the Lares became St. Lawrence, esp. St. Lawrence beyond-the-wall. The Lares were field gods who protected the grain growing in the fields. In Italian, he became St. Lorenzo beyond the Walls, meaning outside of the walls of the city, for which there is still a church in Rome, with many "daughter" churches which developed from it.

The Roman goddess Venus became St. Venera (with a feminized ending to her name since -us looks like a masculine ending in Latin). She had a major church in Rome in early Christian times, but that didn't last long.

The Roman gods known as the Gemini, who were protectors of sailors in Roman pagan times, became the Sanctos Geminos, with a number of forms in the various Christian religions. Santiago de Compostela, (St. James in English) became the protector of pilgrims during the Middle Ages. Forms of St. James all seem to be christianized from various forms of the Proto-Indo-European god *Yama. This god was repeatedly christianized in most of the Indo-European language groups.

The ancient Romans worshiped gods and goddesses involved with every aspect of life. Jupiter, the chief of the gods, was the god of rain and storms, while his wife, Juno, was the goddess of womanhood. Minerva was the goddess of handicrafts and wisdom; Venus, of sexual love and birth; Vesta, of the hearth and sacred fires; Ceres, of farming and harvests.

The Greeks considered Mercury, whom they called Hermes, to be the messenger of the gods, but the Romans worshiped him as the god of trade, with businesspeople celebrating his feast day to increase profits. And there were other popular deities: Mars, god of war; Castor and Pollux, gods of sea travelers; Cronos, the guardian of time; and of course Cupid, god of love, whose magic arrows caused both human beings and immortals to fall in love.

While the Romans would call generically on "the gods," each major deity still had its own cult, and worshippers would pray and conduct religious ceremonies to a specific god or goddess to implore help."... St. Valentine, Cupid and Jesus Christ

 

[Hobie]

Now idol worship flooded into the church under the cover of being renamed for 'saints' and if you check you will find that Roman Catholicism says that these 10,000 (and counting) designated saints are "special friends of God." They can be asked to intercede for those still on earth. In Roman Catholic teaching, a 'saint' can be designated as the patron saint of a particular activity or profession. A 'saint' can be prayed to in order to prevent disasters or heal illnesses. But if you look you will find that ancient pagan Greek and Roman held belief in a pantheon of many gods who had special powers in specific areas of life. Each one was to be prayed to, and devotion shown to him (or her) through various acts of veneration, in order to gain each god's favor as needed.

While the Church claims it never gave the 'Saints' to the people to worship or pray to, the pagan masses they drew in made no such fine distinctions, and they came to regard the idols of the Saints themselves as present helps in trouble and addressed their prayers directly to them. They were more interested in the power of the dead of pagan beliefs now set up as 'Saints' in the church, to help them in their troubles as they had done before as pagans. A good example of the closeness of the resemblance of the specialization of function of different Saints to that of pagan spirits is found in the published lists of Saints used by some Christians.

Here are some of the examples: San Serapio was used to appealed to in case of stomach-ache; Santa Polonia for tooth-ache; San Jose, San Juan Bautista and Santa Catalina for headache; San Bernardo and San Cirilo for indigestion; San Luis for cholera; San Francisco for colic; San Ignacio and Santa Lutgarda for childbirth; Santa Balsania for scrofula; San Felix for ulcers; Santa Agueda for nursing mothers; San Babilas for burns; San Gorge for an infected cut; Santa Quiteria for dog's bite; San Ciriaco for diseases of the ear; Santa Lucia for the eyes; San Pedro for fever; and Santa Rita for the impossible and on and on. Now many of the early Christians themselves protested against the cult of the Saints: for example, Vigilantius and Faustus in the fifth century. But on the other side were such great apologists as Augustine, Jerome, Ambrose, Chrysostom, and Basil, who though claiming that God alone was worshipped, expressed full belief in the efficacy of the intercession of the Saints.

Now looking at the festivals, there are some specific festivals that go back directly to pagan customs connected with the dead. All Saints' Day, was observed on the the Roman festival of the dead, the Lemuria. In the modern festival the faithful visit the tombs of the Saints, venerate their relics, and pray for their blessing. The next day also, the second of November, All Souls' Day, unquestionably reproduces some of the features of the Parentalia. The Parentalia or dies parentales ("ancestral days") was a nine-day festival held to honor the dead ancestors with visits to tombs and sacred offerings. It got into the church, and Christians went to the cemeteries and decked the graves of the members of their family with flowers and candles, and there were ceremonies which took the place of the ancient sacrifice, directed to the repose of the souls of the departed.

This comes from a site I came across which describes how that as the Gentile converts were brought into the Catholic Church they were allowed to bring in their pagan statues which had to be given Christian names in order to be 'Christianized', eg: the Statue of St Peter in St Peters Cathedral was originally the statue of the pagan god Jupiter.

'Some dispute that Church leaders incorporated pagan religious practices from Babylon into the Catholic Church but even Catholic historians admit it. Cardinal Newman in his Development of Christian Doctrine, pages 372, 373 says that they incorporated many pagan religious practices into the Church. He claims that the Church sanctified them and that made it safe to bring these practices into the Church. The Catholic Council of Trent also declared that: “It is lawful to have images in the Church and to give honour and worship to them ... Images are put in Churches that they may be worshipped.”
The Oxford dictionary defines an idol as: “An image used as an object of worship. A person or thing that is the object of excessive devotion.”...

Now if we go to scripture, there is a dilemma for the Catholic church and the practice of the 'veneration of the saints', as here is what scripture says...

And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols shall utterly pass away. And men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth. In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for them to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth. [Isaiah 2:17-21]

The burden of Egypt. Behold, Jehovah rideth upon a swift cloud, and cometh unto Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall tremble at his presence; and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. [Isaiah 19:1]

For in that day they shall cast away every man his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. [Isaiah 31:7]

Let all them be put to shame that serve graven images, That boast themselves of idols: Worship him, all ye gods. [Psalm 97:7]

And your altars shall become desolate, and your sun-images shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. "I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars. In all your dwelling-places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your sun-images may be hewn down, and your works may be abolished [Ezekiel 6:4-6]

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. [Ezekiel 14:6]

And two verses From Revelation and 1 Corinthians:
Revelation 21:8
But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

1 Corinthians 6:9
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind

 

[Hobie]

Now the interesting part is they brought together church councils and basically pushed through what clearly was from pagan origin. We see this especially at the Council of Trent as it confirmed the seven sacraments which basically were of pagan origin in the form they brought in. They held seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist (mass), penance/reconciliation (indulgences), extreme unction\last rites, marriage, and orders\ordination. They declared all to be anathema who do not hold to Rome's claim that it was Christ Himself who instituted these seven sacraments, but the form they used were from paganism more than anything from scripture.

The Council of Trent also confirmed Purgatory which has no biblical basis but of pagan origin. It confirmed the use Indulgences of which clearly is not sanctioned by the scriptures. It confirmed the Mass as a propitiatory offering. The Mass was unknown in the early church, the mass did not become an official doctrine until pronounced by the Lateran Council of 1215 under the direction of Pope Innocent III, and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent.

The Council of Trent also confirmed the perpetual virginity of Mary, which clearly is not Biblical. The Lateran Council of 469 had started this under Pope Martin I who declared: "if anyone does not confess in harmony with the holy Fathers that the holy and ever virgin and immaculate Mary is really and truly the mother of God, inasmuch as she in the last times and without sperm by the Holy Spirit conceived God the Word himself specially and truthfully, who was born from God the Father before all ages, and she bore him uncorrupted, and after his birth her virginity remaining indissoluble, let him be condemned."

The perpetual virginity of Mary thus became an official teaching of the church: 'Mary was a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus.' In 1555, the Council of Trent confirmed this dogma in the Constitution of Pope Paul IV known as "Cum Quorundam." Here the pope warns against teaching that "the same blessed Virgin Mary is not truly the Mother of God, and did not remain always in the integrity of virginity, i. e., before birth, in birth, and perpetually after birth." This is made up so they could worship a pagan godess, the 'Queen of Heaven', as this is not the historical Mary, and the Bible gives warning on.

Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Jeremiah 44:17
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

Jeremiah 44:18
But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

Jeremiah 44:19
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?

Jeremiah 44:25
Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.

 

[Hobie]

This is eye opening and shows the origin of this goddess for those who discern..

"The ‘Queen of Heaven’
God pronounced severe judgment on the people of Judah and Jerusalem because they worshiped “the queen of heaven” (Jer. 7:17–20; 44:15–19). Who or what was the queen of heaven, and how did the people of Israel get involved in worship of her?

As early as the twenty-fifth century B.C., people of Ur of the Chaldees in Sumeria worshiped a mother-goddess named Ishtar.1 Around the same time the Minoans of Crete had a mother-goddess portrayed with “her divine child Velchanos” in her arms.2 Later, the people of Cyprus revered a goddess who appears to have been patterned after the Sumerian Ishtar and later adopted by the Greeks as Aphrodite,3 or Astarte.4

The Babylonians, who conquered Sumeria around the twenty-second century B.C.,5 related their religious beliefs to the heavenly bodies. They regarded the planets as gods and goddesses and equated the planet Venus with the Sumerian mother-goddess Ishtar.6

The Babylonians worshiped Ishtar as “The Virgin,” “The Holy Virgin,” “The Virgin Mother,” “Goddess of Goddesses,”7 and “Queen of Heaven and Earth.”8 They exclaimed, “Ishtar is great! Ishtar is Queen! My Lady is exalted, my Lady is Queen. . . . There is none like unto her.”9

They called her “Shining light of heaven, light of the world, enlightener of all the places where men dwell, who gatherest together the hosts of the nations”; and they claimed, “Where thou glancest, the dead come to life, and the sick rise and walk; the mind of the diseased is healed when it looks upon thy face.”10

In Babylonian mythology Ishtar wore a crown and was related to Tammuz, who sometimes was portrayed as her son and other times as her lover.11

It appears that the Sumerian-Babylonian Ishtar was the counterpart of the Egyptian Isis and the model for the Grecian Aphrodite, Roman Venus, Assyrian Nina, Phrygian and Roman Cybele, Phoenician Astarte,12 and Astarte of Syria.13 In essence they were the same mother-goddess.14

The Egyptians called Isis “the Great Mother” and “the Mother of God.”15 Isis worship spread to Italy by the second century and then throughout the entire Roman Empire. There the goddess was portrayed with her “divine child Horus” in her arms and widely acclaimed as “Queen of Heaven” and “Mother of God.”16

The people of Phoenicia worshiped Baal. Baalism included the worship of Molech with fiery sacrifices of children and the worship of Astarte, the Phoenician Ishtar Queen of Heaven.17

When the Phoenician princess Jezebel became the wife of King Ahab of the northern Kingdom of Israel, she influenced him to fully establish Baal worship in his realm (1 Ki. 16:29–33; 21:25–26). This move entangled the people of Israel in Queen-of-Heaven worship. As a result, God judged them with the Assyrian Captivity (2 Ki. 17:5–7, 16–18).

Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, became the wife of King Jehoram of the Kingdom of Judah. She influenced him to do what her father had done—fully establish Baal worship in his kingdom (2 Ki. 8:16–18). Her son, Ahaziah, the next king of Judah, did the same (2 Ki. 8:25–27), as did King Manasseh (2 Ki. 21:1–6). These actions would have entangled the people of Judah in Queen-of-Heaven worship. Thus God judged them with the Babylonian Captivity (2 Ki. 21:12–14)."

 

[BreadOfLife]

It just is astounding how much paganism they brought into the church, even the mother of Jesus is not spared being replaced.

The Virgin Mary you worship is not the historical Virgin Mary.
The Catholic Church are worshipping the Queen of Heaven, a pagan goddess.

431 A.D. - The Catholic Church introduces the worship of Mary. 104
431 A.D. - Council at Ephesus affirmed that Mary was the bearer of Jesus as “man and God”. 104
1854 - Roman Catholic Church introduce the “Immaculate conception of Mary”. 104
1904 - Roman Catholic Church “crowned” Mary. 105
1950 - Roman Catholic Church introduces the Assumption of Mary. 104'.. The Queen of Heaven..

Here are a few of the pagan gods and how they were renamed to let their worship continue:

"Demeter is a goddess of many festivals but most important, the Thesmophoria, which fell in late October. She became St. Demetrios, a masculine warrior saint, whose fd. is 10/26.

Aphrodite became St. Aphrodite, of which there are several, all with saints' tales that tell how she became a "repentant harlot."

Nike was picked up as Saint Nicholas, who was extremely popular wherever shipping was important. He is the patron saint of Russian, Holland and Germany, all on the north sea coast.

The Roman god Mars was originally a god who guarded wheat fields. He became St. Martin (esp. St. Martin-in-the-fields). Although March is the month associated with Mars (it was the beginning of the military campaigning season in Roman times), the major festival for him in Christian times now usually falls in February, called Mardi Gras "Great Mars."

The Roman god Quirinus became St. Cyrinus, of which there are various "equestrian warrior saints" such as St. Cyr in France, and St. Quirina, mother of St. Lawrence. The element quir- means (or was understood to mean) `horse.' These saints were very popular and widely worshiped in the Middle-Ages, in France, Holland and also eastern Christian countries.

The Roman gods known as the Lares became St. Lawrence, esp. St. Lawrence beyond-the-wall. The Lares were field gods who protected the grain growing in the fields. In Italian, he became St. Lorenzo beyond the Walls, meaning outside of the walls of the city, for which there is still a church in Rome, with many "daughter" churches which developed from it.

The Roman goddess Venus became St. Venera (with a feminized ending to her name since -us looks like a masculine ending in Latin). She had a major church in Rome in early Christian times, but that didn't last long.

The Roman gods known as the Gemini, who were protectors of sailors in Roman pagan times, became the Sanctos Geminos, with a number of forms in the various Christian religions. Santiago de Compostela, (St. James in English) became the protector of pilgrims during the Middle Ages. Forms of St. James all seem to be christianized from various forms of the Proto-Indo-European god *Yama. This god was repeatedly christianized in most of the Indo-European language groups.

The ancient Romans worshiped gods and goddesses involved with every aspect of life. Jupiter, the chief of the gods, was the god of rain and storms, while his wife, Juno, was the goddess of womanhood. Minerva was the goddess of handicrafts and wisdom; Venus, of sexual love and birth; Vesta, of the hearth and sacred fires; Ceres, of farming and harvests.

The Greeks considered Mercury, whom they called Hermes, to be the messenger of the gods, but the Romans worshiped him as the god of trade, with businesspeople celebrating his feast day to increase profits. And there were other popular deities: Mars, god of war; Castor and Pollux, gods of sea travelers; Cronos, the guardian of time; and of course Cupid, god of love, whose magic arrows caused both human beings and immortals to fall in love.

While the Romans would call generically on "the gods," each major deity still had its own cult, and worshippers would pray and conduct religious ceremonies to a specific god or goddess to implore help."... St. Valentine, Cupid and Jesus Christ

This is just another one of your usual “excrement-bombs” that you drop instead of being truthful.

Here are a few examples of your idiotic lies:
a. 431 A.D. - The Catholic Church introduces the worship of Mary. 104
b. 431 A.D. - Council at Ephesus affirmed that Mary was the bearer of Jesus as “man and God”. 104
c. 1854 - Roman Catholic Church introduce the “Immaculate conception of Mary”. 104
d. 1904 - Roman Catholic Church “crowned” Mary. 105
e. 1950 - Roman Catholic Church introduces the Assumption of Mary. 104'..

a. The Catholic Church never advocated the “worship” of Mary.

b. This one is correct. Mary carried and gave birth to Jesus who is both God and man.

c. The Catholic Church didn’t “introduce” the Immaculate Conception of Mary on 1854.
This is an ancient Tradition that was officially defined in 1854.

d. The Catholic Church didn’t “crown” Mary – GOD did (Rev. 12:1).

e. The Catholic Church didn’t “introduce” the Assumption of Mary in 1950.
This is an ancient Tradition that was officially defined in 1950.

I don’t know what you get out of these constant lies – but the Bible has a warning for you:

Rev. 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and ALL LIARS—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

 

[Hobie]

This is just another one of your usual “excrement-bombs” that you drop instead of being truthful.

Here are a few examples of your idiotic lies:
a. 431 A.D. - The Catholic Church introduces the worship of Mary. 104
b. 431 A.D. - Council at Ephesus affirmed that Mary was the bearer of Jesus as “man and God”. 104
c. 1854 - Roman Catholic Church introduce the “Immaculate conception of Mary”. 104
d. 1904 - Roman Catholic Church “crowned” Mary. 105
e. 1950 - Roman Catholic Church introduces the Assumption of Mary. 104'..

a. The Catholic Church never advocated the “worship” of Mary.

b. This one is correct. Mary carried and gave birth to Jesus who is both God and man.

c. The Catholic Church didn’t “introduce” the Immaculate Conception of Mary on 1854.
This is an ancient Tradition that was officially defined in 1854.

d. The Catholic Church didn’t “crown” Mary – GOD did (Rev. 12:1).

e. The Catholic Church didn’t “introduce” the Assumption of Mary in 1950.
This is an ancient Tradition that was officially defined in 1950.

I don’t know what you get out of these constant lies – but the Bible has a warning for you:

Rev. 21:8
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and ALL LIARS—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Need to see what they do before the statue of "Mary", its not " adoration"to say the least, and what did Christ say about "tradition". Need to read your Bible and discern...

 

[BreadOfLife]

Need to see what they do before the statue of "Mary", its not " adoration"to say the least,

Are thee people worshipping idols - or are hey just kneeling in prayer?

YOUR problem is that you're so used to lying that you can't tell the difference . . .

and what did Christ say about "tradition". Need to read your Bible and discern...

Maybe YOU should study your Bible instead of just "reading" it .
Time for a Bible Lesson . . .

When Jesus warned against the “human precepts” and “traditions of men" (Matt. 15:9, Mark 7:5-9), He was speaking of the Pharisees and scribes who were living hypocritical lives and placing THEIR traditions above the word of God and the spirit of the Law.

Whereas, we know that the Scriptures are the written word of God, they do NOT explicitly encompass ALL of God’s truth. This is the false doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which is not even supported by Scripture itself. In fact, the Bible explicitly teaches the Catholic Church's position that the Word of God is contained in both Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Paul tells us that we are to “hold fast to the traditions” taught by the Apostles – "either by an oral statement OR written letter” (2 Thess. 2:15, 2 Thess. 3:6, 1 Cor. 11:2). He goes on to say in that the CHURCH is the “pillar and foundation of truth” ( 1 Tim. 3:15). He doesn’t say that the Bible is the pillar and foundation of truth because it hadn’t been compiled yet and MUCH of it hadn’t yet been written.

And guess what? The Canon of Scripture is what YOU would consider a “Tradition of men”. Using its God-given Authority (Matt. 16:18, Matt, 18:15-18 Luke 10:16, John 16:12-15), it was compiled and declared by the Catholic Church at the Council of Rome in 382 and completed at the Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397).
Now, THAT'S Authority . . .

 

[Hobie]

Are thee people worshipping idols - or are hey just kneeling in prayer?

YOUR problem is that you're so used to lying that you can't tell the difference . . .

Maybe YOU should study your Bible instead of just "reading" it .
Time for a Bible Lesson . . .

When Jesus warned against the “human precepts” and “traditions of men" (Matt. 15:9, Mark 7:5-9), He was speaking of the Pharisees and scribes who were living hypocritical lives and placing THEIR traditions above the word of God and the spirit of the Law.

Whereas, we know that the Scriptures are the written word of God, they do NOT explicitly encompass ALL of God’s truth. This is the false doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which is not even supported by Scripture itself. In fact, the Bible explicitly teaches the Catholic Church's position that the Word of God is contained in both Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Paul tells us that we are to “hold fast to the traditions” taught by the Apostles – "either by an oral statement OR written letter” (2 Thess. 2:15, 2 Thess. 3:6, 1 Cor. 11:2). He goes on to say in that the CHURCH is the “pillar and foundation of truth” ( 1 Tim. 3:15). He doesn’t say that the Bible is the pillar and foundation of truth because it hadn’t been compiled yet and MUCH of it hadn’t yet been written.

And guess what? The Canon of Scripture is what YOU would consider a “Tradition of men”. Using its God-given Authority (Matt. 16:18, Matt, 18:15-18 Luke 10:16, John 16:12-15), it was compiled and declared by the Catholic Church at the Council of Rome in 382 and completed at the Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397).
Now, THAT'S Authority . . .

Go to any Cathedral in Italy and see how they bow and worship the idol, its not adoration..

 

[Hobie]

And we see the roots even today...
"VATICAN CITY (RNS) — As Romans search for alternatives to Catholicism, some have turned to Jupiter, Minerva and Juno.
.. Disillusioned by their experiences in Catholicism, some Romans are turning to paganism and finding a connection to their roots through worshipping the gods of antiquity, whom they see as more welcoming than the church.

“Rome is pagan,” Pope Francis told members of the Roman clergy during a closed-door meeting Jan. 14, when he urged them to consider the city a mission territory. Asked about the pope’s surprising words a few weeks later, the head of the department for catechesis of the Diocese of Rome, the Rev. Andrea Camillini, admitted: “Rome is at the same time pagan and the city of the pope: It’s a paradoxical city.”

 

[BreadOfLife]

Go to any Cathedral in Italy and see how they bow and worship the idol, its not adoration..

Nobody is "worshipping" statues in a Catholic Church.
It's glaringly apparent that you don't have a CLUE as to what an "idol" is. An idol is something that is worshipped as a god. Time for a badly-needed History Lesson . . .

Many, of not most of the great religious sculptures, drawings, paintings, etc. that you find throughout the world were commissioned by the Catholic Church as a teaching tool. They vividly depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

In can you didn't know - MOST of the world throughout the centuries was illiterate. Since they couldn't read - they were able to visualize and understand the Word much more clearly. It was ignorant, anti-Catholic hate-mongers like yourself who spread the lies about "idols" . . .

 

[BreadOfLife]

And we see the roots even today...
"VATICAN CITY (RNS) — As Romans search for alternatives to Catholicism, some have turned to Jupiter, Minerva and Juno.
.. Disillusioned by their experiences in Catholicism, some Romans are turning to paganism and finding a connection to their roots through worshipping the gods of antiquity, whom they see as more welcoming than the church.

“Rome is pagan,” Pope Francis told members of the Roman clergy during a closed-door meeting Jan. 14, when he urged them to consider the city a mission territory. Asked about the pope’s surprising words a few weeks later, the head of the department for catechesis of the Diocese of Rome, the Rev. Andrea Camillini, admitted: “Rome is at the same time pagan and the city of the pope: It’s a paradoxical city.”

An only a moron doesn't understand that Rome is NOT the Church.
It is like every other secular city in the world. Some worse, some better.

Nice try, sparky . . .

 

[Hobie]

Nobody is "worshipping" statues in a Catholic Church.
It's glaringly apparent that you don't have a CLUE as to what an "idol" is. An idol is something that is worshipped as a god. Time for a badly-needed History Lesson . . .

Many, of not most of the great religious sculptures, drawings, paintings, etc. that you find throughout the world were commissioned by the Catholic Church as a teaching tool. They vividly depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

In can you didn't know - MOST of the world throughout the centuries was illiterate. Since they couldn't read - they were able to visualize and understand the Word much more clearly. It was ignorant, anti-Catholic hate-mongers like yourself who spread the lies about "idols" . . .

I think the worship of 'Mary' plainly fits that and you find even the Pope bows to this idol and worships, so people are seeing what this entity is and where it comes from.