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Goddess worship
Goddess worshipping religions were mostly based on being fertile and its relationship to nature. Crops yield bountifully(read fertile) because the “Mother” provided. This belief honors the females “power” to produce or “create new life”. Nature, and the earth in particular is itself a “mother” which produces bounty.
Goddess worship is found in almost all the pagan religions throughout history, including the ancient middle east countries, Egypt, Sumeria and Canaan not to mention India, Europe and Africa. The Goddess has a long history as proven by stone statuettes indicating Goddess worship as early as the Paleolithic ages.
By the time of Jesus’ ministry, the worship of Goddesses such as Artemis and Aphrodite was prevalent in the Middle East, Greece and Rome. The pagan goddess Cybele, or the “Earth Mother/Magna Mater” was brought to Rome to “protect it” from foreign foes. It was also for Cybele where the tradition of procession was observed when the statue was brought from Pessinos to Rome. Under Emperor Augustus, Cybele’s prominence so much so that the emperor restored her temple on Palatine hill, the centermost of the seven hills of Rome. The Basilica di Santa Maria now occupies the spot.
Cybele, also known as Kubile, worship spread from Phrygia now modern day Turkey (think Constantinople) and well into Greece, Rome and neighboring countries. Like the Ephesian Artemis (see Acts 19) Cybele was worshiped in the Roman Empire until the 4th Century well after the death of Christ’s Apostles. Her full Roman name was “Mother of the Gods”. She was deified as a great single parent not only of gods but also of human beings. In 431 at the Council of Ephesus, the devotion tot he Virgin Mary was formally sanctioned by the Catholic church. It was through this council that Mary was declared the “Mother of God”.
Stephen Benko specializes in early Christianity in its pagan environment. In The Virgin Goddess: Studies in the Pagan and Christian Roots of Mariology, he traces the development of the cult of Mary from Greek and Roman mythology through to recent times. Benko avoids anti-Catholic polemics and is sympathetic to the place of the “queen of heaven” in Christianity. That said, he unerringly traces Mary’s roots to the pagan, pre-Christian heavenly queens of Greece, Rome and the wider Mediterranean—those mutable goddesses whose ranks include Artemis, Astarte, Celeste, Ceres, Cybele, Demeter, Diana, Ishtar, Isis and Selene.
It is interesting to know that the first basilica dedicated to Mary is located in Ephesus where the ancient pagan goddess of Artemis was worshiped.
The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid. The fountain of Cibeles is found in the part of Madrid commonly called the Paseo de Recoletos. It depicts the goddess Cibeles (Cybele), the Phrygian goddess of fertility, sitting on a chariot pulled by two lions.
Cibeles(Cybele) the Phrygian goddess of fertility
The mere title Mater Dei, then coming ito frequent use, would instantly provoke a comparison with Mater Deum, and the formal vewtowal of the former title on the Virgin (Mary) in council in 430 A.D. might well have seemed in the eyes of pagans like despoiling their fallen goddess (Cybele) of even her title. The temple of the Mother in Cyzicus was converted into a church of the Virgin (Mary), a fate likely to have befallen every temple of the goddess not destroyed by the zeal of fanatics. The church of Santa Maria Maggiore was supposed to have arisen on the ruins of anther temple, and the Santa Maria Rotunda, the mediaeval Pantheon, was long supposed to have been originally a sanctuary of the Mother (Cybele).
source: The Great Mother of the Gods, showerman, 1901
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To Resbak,
As I read the heated arguments posted here, I wish not to add fuel to the fire nor persuade you to join in my belief or religion. I just want you to ponder this thing about God’s Trinity.
Matthew 3:13-17 (New International Version)
The Baptism of Jesus
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Also, about Jesus as the Son of God:
John 3:16 (New International Version)
16″For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
I am saddened that despite your intensive biblical study, you missed these. But it’s your choice.
My only reminder to you as I end up…Walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT.
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
This alone should be enough for you to realize that the Son is NOT the Father and therefore they cannot be the same ONE God.
QUOTE FROM RESBAK:”because the so-called “canonizing/beatification” done in the Catholic church has no biblical basis.”UNQUOTE
RESBAK,you do not understand. In the early centuries of the Church, there was not a formal canonization process. Saints were declared or acclaimed BY THE PEOPLE after death. Later on, the Church formalized the canonization process in order to prevent such abuses as venerating someone about whom little or nothing is known. A CANONIZATION is simply an official acknowledgment by the Church that a particular person is in HeaveN. The only requirement is two attested miracles by a person who lived a holy life while here on earth. The purpose of canonization is to set forth for Catholics a model of Catholic Christian holiness.
you said it yourself “there was not a formal canonizing process”. It’s not a biblical teaching. It’s an invention of the catholic church and patterned after a pagan practice. it is an addition to what is written in the bible, therefore unbiblical, therefore unchristian.
FROM RESBAK:” It’s an invention of the catholic church and patterned after a pagan practice.”
RESBAK,I don’t think you or any INC minister understand “BINDING AND LOOSING” (Hebrew, asar ve-hittir) on MATTHEW. 16:19; 18:18.
QUOTE FROM RESBAK:”or that Mary is “another” mediator/intercessor to God?”
When the Catholic Church uses the term “CO-REDEMPTRIX” to show the role of Mary in the redemptive work of our Lord,we must remember,the prefix “CO” DOES NOT mean EQUAL but comes from the Latin word “CUM” which means “WITH”. The title of “CO-REDEMPTRIX” that is applied to the Mother of Jesus NEVER places Mary on a level of equality with Jesus Christ,the Divine Lord of all,in the saving process of humanity’s redemption.It denotes Mary’s singular and unique sharing with her Son in the saving work of redemption for the human family. Mary PARTICIPATES in the redemptive work of her Savior Son,WHO ALONE could reconcile humanity with the Father in His glorious divinity and humanity.
Because of her intimate and unparalleled sharing in the mysterious work with the Divine Redeemer,Mary,the human mother of the Redeemer,has merited the Church title “CO-REDEMPTRIX”,which literally means “WITH THE REDEEMER.”
You can rationalize all you want. The fact remains that there is only ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN. And that is the Lord Jesus.
Nowhere is the bible will you find a verse saying Mary is CO anything.
In attempting to interpret a particular Bible passage correctly, it is imperative to begin by considering the passage in its context. Paul’s first letter to Timothy 2:5 shows how these principles apply. If we consider this verse—”For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”—apart from its context, it is easy to misinterpret. Doesn’t “one mediator” mean just that—one, no exception? If this is so, asking for the intercession of saints seems anti-biblical.
However, this interpretation is inaccurate. The passage is not isolated. It is a verse in a larger book called an epistle. What, then, is the correct meaning of Paul’s teaching? How does this passage fit in with the whole picture presented in the Bible?
Let’s consider these questions by first examining the immediate context of 1 Timothy 2:5. Is Paul rejecting the idea of mediators subordinate to Jesus? Actually, the opposite is true. Chapter two of 1 Timothy opens with the following exhortation: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way” (1 Tim. 2:1–2).
Supplications, prayers, and intercessions are acts of mediation. Paul is instructing Timothy that Christians are to assume the role of a subordinate mediator between God and those listed (namely, “all men, for kings and all who are in high positions”). The theological principle that Paul uses to buttress his command is the passage already quoted in verse five—the one, primary mediation of Jesus.
circular argumentation again! First of all, catholic “saints” were made saints only by the catholic church. please research “beatification, canonizing”. Second, your understanding of the chapter leave a lot to be desired. Reading a different version of the chapter would have led you to the right understanding of verse 5. Sadly, you didn’t do enough research. Consider verses 1 in the NLT:
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks.
That takes care of the word “intercessions” which you are basing your argument on.
QUOTE FROM RESBAK:” First of all, catholic “saints” were made saints only by the catholic church. please research “beatification, canonizing”.
HAHA. You don’t even know who the saints are! The word saint in the New Testament translates the Greek word hagios, which simply means “holy.” When it is used substantively (as a noun), it means “holy one” (ho hagios). Thus, it could refer to God, the angels, or human beings. In the verses you cited, Paul is referring to Christians as “holy ones” because they have been made holy by God. A related word is used in 1 Corinthians 6:11 when Paul says, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” The word sanctified here is HAGIAZO, meaning “to make something or someone holy.” So saints are those who have been made holy by God.
If we keep the root meaning of hagios in mind—that is, a holy one—then we can use the word both of those LIVING ON EARTH and those IN HEAVEN. But keep in mind that we Catholics distinguish between saints on earth and the saints in heaven. It’s simply a matter of reasoning from the lesser to the greater. As we on earth are saints in the making, so those in heaven are saints who have been perfected in faith, hope, and love (cf. 1 Cor. 13:13).
Jesus has only one Body – not one on earth and another one in heaven (Eph. 4:4, Col. 3:15). All Christians, including those in heaven, are members of that one body.
Because of Christ’s victory over death, a victory in which all Christians share,(See 1 Cor. 15:25-26, 54-56; 2 Cor. 2:14; 2 Tim. 1:10.) natural death can’t separate Christians from Christ or from each other. That’s why Paul exulted,
“What will separate us from the love of Christ? . . . I am convinced that NEITHER death, NOR life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 8:35- 39). Since death has no power to sever the bond of Christian unity, the relationship between Christians on earth and those in heaven remains intact.
You said “So saints are those who have been made holy by God.”. This statement is true as it has biblical basis. Now, “saints” made and proclaimed by the Catholic church are not “saints” because the so-called “canonizing/beatification” done in the Catholic church has no biblical basis.
“Those in heaven” doesn’t include the “saints” of the Catholic church.
Whether your understanding of “CO” is “WITH” or not doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you believe in another person mediation between you and your god, whoever that god is. The bible is clear there is only ONE mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.
QUOTE FROM RESBAK:”Can you provide a verse wherein Jesus or the Apostles teach that believers should pray to Mary? ”
The problem with you is you believe that we Catholics pray to Mary to “GRANT” our prayers when in reality,we DON’T! She merely intercedes our prayers TO God.
But asking one person to pray for you in no way violates Christ’s mediatorship, as can be seen from considering the way in which Christ is a mediator. First, Christ is a unique mediator between man and God because he is the only person who is both God and man. He is the only bridge between the two, the only God-man. But that role as mediator is not compromised in the least by the fact that others intercede for us. Furthermore, Christ is a unique mediator between God and man because he is the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 9:15, 12:24), just as Moses was the mediator (Greek mesitas) of the Old Covenant (Gal. 3:19–20).
The intercession of fellow Christians—which is what the saints in heaven are—also clearly does not interfere with Christ’s unique mediatorship because in the four verses immediately preceding 1 Timothy 2:5, Paul says that Christians should interceed: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and pleasing to God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1–4). Clearly, then, intercessory prayers offered by Christians on behalf of others is something “good and pleasing to God,” not something infringing on Christ’s role as mediator.
Praying for each other is simply part of what Christians do. As we saw, in 1 Timothy 2:1–4, Paul strongly encouraged Christians to intercede for many different things, and that passage is by no means unique in his writings. Elsewhere Paul directly asks others to pray for him (Rom. 15:30–32, Eph. 6:18–20, Col. 4:3, 1 Thess. 5:25, 2 Thess. 3:1), and he assured them that he was praying for them as well (2 Thess. 1:11). Most fundamentally, Jesus himself required us to pray for others, and not only for those who asked us to do so (Matt. 5:44).
Since the practice of asking others to pray for us is so highly recommended in Scripture, it cannot be regarded as superfluous on the grounds that one can go directly to Jesus. The New Testament would not recommend it if there were not benefits coming from it. One such benefit is that the faith and devotion of the saints can support our own weaknesses and supply what is lacking in our own faith and devotion. Jesus regularly supplied for one person based on another person’s faith (e.g., Matt. 8:13, 15:28, 17:15–18, Mark 9:17–29, Luke 8:49–55). And it goes without saying that those in heaven, being free of the body and the distractions of this life, have even greater confidence and devotion to God than anyone on earth.
I take it you can’t provide a bible verse stating that men should pray to Mary? If that’s the case and you still pray to Mary, I’d say that that is extra-biblical or in an addition to what is prescribed by the bible.
Indeed,we cannot find in the Bible VERBATIM that we should not pray to Mary. But Mary is a saint,Greek word hagios, which simply means “holy.” When it is used substantively (as a noun), it means “holy one” (ho hagios), those who have been made holy by God, Just as we on earth are saints in the making, so those in heaven are saints who have been perfected in faith, hope, and love (cf. 1 Cor. 13:13).
The Bible encourages Christians to approach the saints in heaven, just as they approach God the Father and Jesus Christ the Lord: “But you have approached Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, and the assembly and church of the firstborn who have been enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and spirits of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood which speaks better than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:22-24).
It is clear the Christian has approached a number of heavenly beings: the heavenly Jerusalem, the angels, God the judge, and Jesus the mediator. “The assembly and church of the firstborn who have been enrolled in heaven” and the phrase “spirits of righteous ones who have been made perfect” can refer only to the saints in heaven.
First, they are spirits, not flesh and blood. Second, they are righteous people, presumably made righteous by Jesus Christ, “who is our righteousness.” Third, they have been made perfect. The only place where spirits of perfected righteous people can dwell is heaven.
Furthermore, “spirits of righteous ones who have been made perfect” is a perfect definition of the saints in heaven. This passage is saying that, just as Christians approach the angels, God the judge, Jesus Christ, and his saving blood, so also must we approach the saints in heaven.
Does the Bible say we should approach the saints with our prayers? Yes, in two places. In Revelation 5:8 John saw the Lamb, Christ Jesus, on a throne in the midst of four beasts and 24 elders. When the Lamb took the book with the seven seals, the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb in worship, “each one having a harp and golden bowls of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Similarly, in Revelation 8:3-4 we are told that something similar happened when the Lamb opened the seventh seal of the book:
“Another angel came and stood on the altar, having a golden censer, and many incenses were given to him, in order that he will give it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incenses went up with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.”
These texts give us a way to understand how the saints offer our prayers for us. Our prayers are like nuggets of incense. They smell sweet and good. The 24 elders around the throne, who are saints, and the angels offer these nuggets of incense for us. They set them on fire before the throne of God.
This is a beautiful image of how the intercession of the saints works. Because the saints are so close to the fire of God’s love and because they stand immediately before him, they can set our prayers on fire with their love and release the power of our prayers.
You’re again displaying your ignorance of the bible. If your reason for praying to Mary is because she’s “holy”, then you should pray to everyone made holy by the blood of Christ.
Also, there are no “saints” in heaven. That’s a myth. No one goes to heaven until after the second coming of the Lord Jesus.
I’m sorry but I will not address the rest of your comments because they just don’t make any sense.
QUOTE FROM RESBAK:”Your god has a mother? This is totally in direct contradiction to what’s in the bible “I am the First and the Last, the start and the end.””
Now now Resbak,before making any conclusions on the Mother of God issue,let’s review carefully the Biblical foundations of the Catholic belief.
Didn’t the prophet ISAIAH predicted that a ” virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.(Isaiah 7:14) and in Luke 1:30-35 the angel Gabriel appeared before the virgin Mary and said,
“…Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.”
Matthew 1:18-23 says,
“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means “GOD WITH US.”
Since Mary is Jesus mother, it must be concluded that she is also the Mother of God: If Mary is the mother of Jesus, and if Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God. There is no way out of this logical syllogism, the valid form of which has been recognized by classical logicians since before the time of Christ.
Although Mary is the Mother of God, she is NOT his mother in the sense that she is older than God or the source of her Sons divinity, for she is neither. Rather, we say that She is the Mother of God IN THE SENSE that she carried in her womb a divine person—Jesus Christ, God “in the flesh” (2 John 7, cf. John 1:14)—and in the sense that she contributed the genetic matter to the human form God took in Jesus Christ.
dandelionne said:
Classic circular argument. You need to first establish that Jesus is God(which you can’t, btw) before you can claim the Mary is the “Mother of God”. Besides, nowhere is the verses you quoted is it said the Mary was “Mother of God”. You basing you argument of the name “Immanuel”? Have you heard of the Filipino names like Dalisay, Liwayway, Makisig and the like? Same concept. Read up on ancient names like Dani el, Ishma el, Ezeki el to name a few.
The very idea that God has a mother is preposterous. Are you telling me that there was no God before he was supposedly born?
Resbak,what I do not understand with the belief of the INC is that Jesus is NOT God and yet they believe He will be the Judge in His second coming. If He is not God,how can the INC explain when Jesus proclaimed “I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST” in the Book of Revelation?
Significant are passages that apply the title “the First and the Last” to Jesus. This is one of the Old Testament titles of Yahweh: “Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of armies: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; besides me there is no god’” (Is. 44:6; cf. 41:4, 48:12).
This title is directly applied to Jesus three times in the book of Revelation: “When I saw him Christ, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the First and the Last’” (Rev. 1:17). “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the First and the Last, who died and came to life’” (Rev. 2:8). “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:12–13).
This last quote is especially significant since it applies to Jesus the parallel title “the Alpha and the Omega,” which Revelation earlier applied to the Lord God: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8).
Please read your bible and look for the verse that says everything on earth were given to the Lord Jesus by the Lord God. That simple.
The Catholic Church DOES NOT teach “Mary worship,” nor do Catholics place their faith in Mary instead of God. To say they do advertises your ignorance of Catholic teaching (or, if you know better, your willingness to propagate a lie).
The word WORSHIP is a contraction of “worth-ship” (worth = “worthy” and ship = “state of”), or the state of being worthy. It derives from the Old English word worðscip and the West Saxon word weorðscipe, both of which mean “condition of being worthy, honored, or renowned.” Simply stated, to worship meant to honor someone who is worthy of honor.
This sense of the term is preserved in the title “Your Worship,” an honorific still in use primarily in Britain for certain dignitaries such as mayors, justices of the peace, and magistrates. Today, though, especially in the United States, worship is understood as that which belongs to God alone. For the honor that is due to the saints, we use the word venerate.
Here is where the Catholic Church’s tradition of using Latin as its official language is most helpful. Whereas English usage is often inexact in theological disquisition, Latin remains more precise. In response to the early iconoclasm heresy in the Eastern Church, St. John of Damascus’s eighth-century treatise Apologia against those Who Decry Holy Images distinguishes the type of worship Christians reserve for God alone, arguing:
I believe in one supersubstantial being, one divine Godhead in three entities, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and I adore him alone with the worship of latria. (Part I)
The key term in this statement is the word latria. Generally, the most precise English translation of the word latria is “adoration,” which is reserved for God alone. Catholics adore (latria), which is expressed in the sacrificial reverence appropriate to only the Triune God.
The Latin term for the honor properly rendered to the angels and saints in heaven is DULIA, and the term for the honor properly rendered to Mary is HYPERDULIA. While the terms latria, dulia, and hyperdulia were used in the writings of the early Christian Fathers such as Sts. Augustine and Jerome, the clearest discussion of their differences appears in St. Thomas Aquinas’s thirteenth-century Summa Theologiae. He writes:
“Reverence is due to God on account of his excellence, which is communicated to certain creatures not in equal measure but according to a measure of proportion; and so the reverence that we pay to God, and that belongs to latria, differs from the reverence that we pay to certain excellent creatures; this belongs to dulia.” (ST II-II.103.3)
Thus, according to Aquinas, reverence is rendered to creatures according to the “measure of proportion” of God’s excellence they have received, and only God receives our latria. On the other hand, dulia is given to “excellent creatures,” such as the saints. Hyperdulia is a level of reverence reserved for the Blessed Mother of God. The point must be made: God alone receives adoration (latria), whereas the saints are given veneration (dulia).
lASTLY, if Jesus is God and Mary is Jesus’ mother, than Mary is the Mother of God. Period. This does not mean Mary is the mother of Jesus’ divinity. Not at all. Mary is the mother of the PERSON, Jesus Christ, who is God. We don’t limit Mary’s motherhood to Jesus’ human nature. Do you call your mother the mother of your human nature only? No. Even though your mother did not give you your soul, she is still the mother of YOU, as a PERSON. Similarly, even though Mary did not give Jesus His soul or divinity, she still is His mother. This does not elevate Mary to a goddess anymore than it elevates your mother to a goddess (The fact that a pagan deity was known as the queen of heaven doesn’t mean this term can’t rightfully be applied, in another sense altogether, to Mary. The PAGAN king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, is called the KING OF KINGS by Daniel (Dn 2:37), yet this doesn’t preclude Jesus from being called by the same title Rv 17:14; 19:16), who participated in giving you an immortal soul.
Your modalist point is way off base. Mary is the Mother of the Divine Person, Jesus Christ, who is God. Don’t confuse the human and divine natures, but also don’t reduce Mary’s motherhood to Jesus’ nature alone, and not His personhood.
If God alone is to be adored, if Christ alone is to be worshiped as our Mediator of Redemption, may any honor be shown to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, what, then, must be said of our duty of honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose dignity as far transcends that of any other creature as heaven excels earth? . . .
Of all creatures Mary has the unique privilege of adoring her own Child. To Mary alone can God the Son address the sweet title Mother! What a marvelous dignity, then, was conferred on the humble Virgin of Nazareth!
Can you provide a verse wherein Jesus or the Apostles teach that believers should pray to Mary? or that Mary is “another” mediator/intercessor to God? If you can’t, they you’ve admitted your practicing something that was not taught by Jesus or the Apostles.
Your god has a mother? This is totally in direct contradiction to what’s in the bible “I am the First and the Last, the start and the end.”
How do you know Jesus and/or the Apostles did not teach people to pray to Mary? Because the Bible doesn’t say so? That is one of the problems with sola scriptura. Even John stated that he didn’t think the world could hold all the books needed to describe everything Jesus did! The Bible is silent on this, just as it is silent on polygamy, stem cell research, and tons of things. So why would we rely on the Bible for everything? The Apostles taught by speaking. Most people were illiterate and wouldn’t have been able to read the Bible, even if it had existed.
Not everything Jesus said and did is in the Bible. Pure and simple. We need to know all we can about Jesus and the Apostles. The Catholic Church does not teach sola scriptura as we rely on Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition.
Why didn’t the Bible state we should pray to Mary? I can think of a few reasons. First, it may have been so obvious that taking the time to write it down would have been ridiculous. Second, papyrus and ink were probably in short supply and the illiteracy problem has already been noted. Third, it’s possible that the original writing has been lost. I’m sure there are more reasons. Your insistence that everything regarding Mary be found in the Bible is illogical. The Bible is the Word of God, but it is not the WHOLE Word of God.
Yes, Mary is the Mother of God. Jesus is God Incarnate and Mary being His mother makes her the Theotokos – the Mother of God. She is full of grace and we do well to pray to her to present our pleas to her Son. If there are no saints in Heaven, who has the bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints? As noted before, this is straight from the Bible so it should please even you. Can sleeping/dead people have prayers?
Mary is NOT equal with God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. She agreed to become the Mother of God and played an important role in our salvation but everything good about her comes from God. Without God she would be nothing.
True, not everything is written in the bible but praying to Mary is against what is WRITTEN IN the bible.
What is written is enough to live a life worthy to be called Christians. You Catholic traditions go against Christian teachings written in the bible.
Your “reasons” are childish to say the least, no offense intended.
God is eternal, therefore He has no Mother. Theotokos is a catholic invention and is never supported by scriptures.
Trinity is another catholic invention without biblical basis.
Please watch GEMnet streaming videos to find out for yourself what I believe in.
Thank you and God bless you and your love ones.