VictoryinJesus said:
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I won’t dispute or attempt to diminish Mary’s place of honour as the Lord’s mother and thereby, making her blessed among women. But there is another chaste virgin spoken of …the bride of Christ. Who is washed clean and made righteous (righteous meaning right “right with God”) [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]only because[/SIZE][SIZE=medium]
of the blood of the Lamb. One day, there will be a consummation of that marriage—the marriage of the Lamb. Genesis 2: 24 says: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” Again, this command is given in Ephesians 5: 31: “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” [/SIZE]
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A man is to [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]leave his mother[/SIZE][SIZE=medium]
and father…and [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]cleave[/SIZE][SIZE=medium]
to his wife because the two become one. [/SIZE]
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I am not condemning the roman catholic church nor attacking it. I am trying to understand because I pray every day if there is something I need to see, if I am wrong, then I want to see the error in my thinking. This is what I struggle with. Rarely do I read RC posting about Jesus. Yes, Jesus is included but the post are predominating battling for the Mother Mary and tradition and any thing else to deflect from Christ. [/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]
If a Thread begins about Jesus, RC's seem to rarely participate and if they do participate, they steer the thread toward, once again…back to Mary, tradition, and any thing else that deflects from Christ. [/SIZE]
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The only way for someone to truly have a relationship with God is [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]through Christ[/SIZE][SIZE=medium]
. Christ is the only way. And when we steer someone away from an intimate relationship with Christ, we are inadvertently preventing that relationship from maturing. Saying “Mary prays to the Father on our behalf” is no different than instructing someone they must go to their earthly husband’s mother to have her speak on their behalf. I do not want my husband’s mother speaking on my behalf. [/SIZE] [SIZE=medium]
My husband’s mother does not know me intimately (thoughts, actions, hindrances). My relationship and earthly marriage is with my husband, not his mother. I would want my husband to speak on my behalf because he knows my needs better than anyone else. The only way I would even consider going to my husband's mother instead of my husband would be if there was no communication between my husband and I. Then I might be tempted to have my mother-in-law speak on my behalf. If there was no relationship with my husband. Which implications are frightening.[/SIZE]
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(Matthew 1: 23) “[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”[/SIZE]
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What is the first that catches your attention in that verse? Mary? Or the “God with us”? I want THE HUSBAND(JESUS CHRIST) speaking on my behalf to the father. No one else!! Even worse, instructing that I need the Pope to speak to the Father on my behalf; a man that doesn’t even know my name...makes absolutely no sense. The pope has no idea how I can best serve God. Scripture says I am to be in subjection to my husband. I have to add: If I came to your house every day and walked up to your wife and pointed at your mother and told your wife, "Go to her ." How long would you allow it?[/SIZE]
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The Psalms do not cry out to Mary. Who is the affection of the Songs of Solomon? Scripture does not reveal Mary. Who did Paul preach? Paul preached the volume of the book…CHRIST. Whose name is proclaimed throughout the book of revelation? Who do we want to intercede for us? Who do we want to pray on our behalf? Mary, the pope, or the Lord( God with us)? [/SIZE][SIZE=medium]
If you knew tomorrow that your time here was short: would you spend it proclaiming Mary? Would you spend it praising Mary? [/SIZE]
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(Psalm 150: 6) “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”[/SIZE]
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(Matt 23: 13) “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” I read that to mean the scribes and Pharisees blocked the way and prevented relationship. The husband( Jesus Christ- God with us) wants relationship and to speak before an Almighty God on His bride’s behalf. [/SIZE]
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(Luke 11: 27) “[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]
And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.[/SIZE]
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But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”[/SIZE]
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I really do not understand. 
Where are the post by RCs proclaiming Christ and ONLY Christ. Why divert others to every thing BUT
simply Christ? [/SIZE]
Thanks for the post.
First of all – the Catholic Church has
ALWAYS taught that the
only way to the Father is through our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. The Church have
NEVER taught that Mary is
“another” way to salvation.
Christ is our focus ad always
HAS been, as it was the Catholic Church who taught the
world about Him.
As for forums like this – the reason you hear so much about Mary is
NOT because it was brought up by a
Catholic – but because it was brought up by an obsessive
anti-Catholic. The Catholics on this and
many other forums are then, left to
defend our position with Scripture, Tradition and history.
Mary is
not the main focus of the Church. She plays a
role in salvation history by pointing to her
Son. When I hear
angry and
ignorant attacks against the mother of our Lord by people who claim that He
“disowned” her or
denigrated her in the verses mentioned – that kind of
manure makes me respond for
TWO reasons:
a ) Jesus was not a sinner and would
NEVER have
dishonored His mother.
b ) Not only is Mary the
mother of our Lord – she is to be called
“Blessed” by
ALL generations
These are
Biblical truths – not some
minor Catholic tradition.
Finally – the
asinine claim that we
“worship” Mary and the saints because we
ASK them to pray
FOR us makes us have to explain ourselves ad nauseam to deaf, hate-filled, anti-Catholic ears.
In all fairness – I
don’t include
your post in that number because you have asked fair and
honest questions for the sake of a
charitable conversation.
Do you
HAVE to pray to Mary or the saints in Heaven for prayer?
No.
However – why
wouldn’t you?
