Index: Click on a red subsection below or just scroll
down the page in order (recommended):
Introduction
The Veneration of Mary
The Pope Prays to and Worships
Mother Mary
The Holy Trinity Explained
The Rosary and the Worship of the
Sacred Heart
The Origins of the Relationship
Between the Mother & Son and Mary Worship
The supposed 'Our Lady of Fatima'
The Lay-Catholic and Current
Events from the Media
The full Address of Pope John
Paul II at Shrine of Mary
Introduction
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subsections of this study
It has been said that actions speak louder than words. And while the average Catholic may tell you that they do not worship the Mother Mary, their actions say something quite different. Let's examine the danger in this. Foremost of all, it must be stated that we do not intend to disrespect the Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We recognize her as a highly moral woman, who while yet being a virgin, conceived the Messiah Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. It is our endeavor to lay bare the evidence that the Roman Catholic Church has erred in elevating Mother Mary to a status that is blasphemous even, and in doing so, places all Catholic lay-persons in danger of worshipping her as a goddess figure. This of course, as we shall show, is against the whole of God's command.
The Catholic Church has not honored Mary by the odd manner in which they exult her, but rather they dishonor her. What could be more of a slap in the face to the Mother of the Messiah Jesus Christ than to demote her to the level of a goddess figure who intrudes upon the Holy Trinity?
Mary is only mentioned about a dozen times in the Bible, and never as having any redemptive powers nor afforded special reverence. On the contrary, Jesus when speaking of His Mother never spoke of her as being above any of the other people, and most certainly not as someone to be adored, worshiped, venerated, prayed to, have images and statues raised to,.... Below are two such examples:
John 2:3-5
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. (KJV)
Matt 12:46-50 (Speaking of Jesus)
46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (KJV)
Nor did Mary herself ever give any indication that she was anything more than a chosen vessel of God to bear the Savior:
Luke 1:35-38 (The Angel telling Mary that she would bear Jesus)
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (KJV)
There are many chosen vessels mentioned in the Bible, Apostle Paul for instance:
Acts 9:15 (Jesus speaking of Paul)
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel (KJV)
But the Catholic Church didn't raise Apostle Paul to be 'one to be petitioned for favors', 'a mediator between God and men', 'a comforter', 'a helper'... as they do Mary. And Mary referred any praises to God, not to herself, she merely considered herself blessed of the Lord, and she was, as are all servants of the Lord God:
Luke 1:46-50
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. (KJV)
The Catholic Church also tries to twist Scripture to show that Mary was 'ever-virgin.' She was not. Mary was a virgin when she bore Jesus Christ, after that her work was finished and she went on to have a normal marriage with her husband Joseph. Mary went on to have four other sons and at least three daughters by Joseph.
The Catholic Church will have you believe that Jesus' mother, brothers, and sisters as mentioned in the below Scriptures simply mean all peoples. But you read these Scriptures and determine if you will believe the Catholic Dogma or the common sense simplicity of the Word of God.
The below Scriptures refer to the half brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are specifically named by their proper names, and they are singled out from all other people present. Jesus and His sisters and brothers all had the same mother but different fathers, for their father was Joseph and Jesus' Father was God. They were conceived the normal way and Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God to a virgin:
Matt 13:53-58
53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (KJV)
Matt 12:46
46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. (KJV)
Gal 1:19
19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. (KJV)
Jude 1:1
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called (KJV)
And there was nothing wrong with Mary having a normal family with normal marital relations AFTER her duties to the Lord God of bearing the Christ Child BEFORE she 'knew' her husband Joseph. She wasn't sinning or considered less in the eyes of the Lord by having her other children the normal way with her husband, Mary was a normal God fearing married woman obeying the Lord. In fact, it is by commandment of God that a husband and wife bring forth children if possible:
Gen 1:27-28
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (KJV)
Gen 9:1
1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. (KJV)
We at Watchmen Bible Study Group most certainly do not disrespect the Lord's mother! We know that she was the most righteous of Women on the earth for Almighty God to have chosen her to bear the Savior to mankind - the Son of the Everliving Eternal God! But we also will not sit by silently while the corrupt church of the day exploits and perverts the Word of God to enable their heretical agendas.
You might ask: "Why would the Catholic Church lie about such things?" The path to uncovering the base reason for any and all of the Roman Catholic false doctrines and Dogmas, and their vain and empty traditions of man which are void of Biblical authority always bring you back to the Scepter and the Purse. Meaning: Power and Money. If they, as an institution can make the world believe that they must be gone through to acquire salvation itself, what truly could be the genesis of any greater power among men? And what power could ever be more tempting to abuse? Place your trust in God, and learn of Him through His holy written Word, the Bible.
So if you have been mislead into virtually worshiping the Lord's human mother, fear not, but do repent, for a sin done in ignorance bears a certain degree of innocency. Even Apostle Paul, whom wrote most of the New Testament, sinned in ignorance of the truth and was forgiven:
1 Tim 1:12-17
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)
A DEFINITION; From the Webster's Dictionary:
WORSHIP: n. A term of ironical respect. Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like. The worship of God is an eminent part of religion. Prayer is a chief part of religious worship. Also: The homage paid to idols or false gods by pagans; as the worship of Isis.
The 'Queen of Heaven': Pope Pius XII (1939-58), a Pope many today still remember, described Mary as 'Queen of Heaven'. It was he, on November 1st 1950, who proclaimed ex-Cathedra 'from the seat' (infallibly) that Mary's body was raised from the grave shortly after she died, and she was taken up and enthroned as 'Queen of Heaven.' At St. Peter Square on Easter Day 1988, Pope John Paul II's message included a prayer "to the Queen of Heaven for protection and peace in the world." The only references to be found in Scripture of the 'Queen of Heaven' relate to the Canaanite pagan goddess to whom the Israelites burned incense, made cakes and poured out drink offerings, and who was detestable and wicked in the eyes of the Lord:
Jer 44:25-27
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.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.
27 Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. (KJV)
PICTURE:
Pope John Paul II offering incense from an incense burner to a
graven image of the Mother Mary (top right of picture), the
Catholic 'Queen of Heaven', in
direct violation of Almighty God's Word in the book of Jeremiah (see
Scriptures below). Photo taken on May 13th 1991, as the Pope was
thanking 'Our Lady of Fatima' (Mother Mary) for saving his life
on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the assassination
attempt upon him.
Jer 44:16-17
16 As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.
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. (KJV)Jer 7:18
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. (KJV)
PICTURE:
A Catholic Cardinal offers incense from an
Incense Burner to a statue (image) of a Saint. But God's Word
forbids any such activity.
Deut 4:16
16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a
graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male
or female (KJV)
Hosea 11:2
2 As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed
unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. (KJV)
At the heart of the dilemma for any Christian (whether Catholic or not) is the First (I) and Second (II) Commandments of God as found in [Exodus 20:1-6]:
Exod 20:1-6
1 And God spake all these words, saying,
(I)
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
(II)
4 Thou shalt not make unto 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 water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (KJV)
The Veneration of Mary:
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While the veneration with which Mary, the Mother of Christ, is regarded by the Catholic church is indicated in various indirect ways, for example by the large nimbus (Halo), such as may be seen in the pictures of the Crucifixion in the Rabulas manuscript of A.D. 586. As early as A.D. 540 we find a mosaic in which she sits enthroned as Queen of Heaven in the center of the apex of the cathedral of Parenzo in Austria, which was constructed at that date by Bishop Euphrasius. Let's look at one of the Catechisms (teachings) of the Catholic church:
CC (Catechism) 966: "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as QUEEN over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.' [LG 59; cf. Pius XII, Munificentissimus Deus (1950): DS 3903; cf. Rev 19:16.] The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians: In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls from death." [Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion, Feast of the Dormition, August 15th.] *emphasis added
Christians, including this Author, have historically held Mary in high regard as a decent, good, and highly favored woman of God, being no more god-like than any of God's children, but simply a sinner saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, as all Christians are. Catholic dogma, on the other hand, has exalted her in an irresponsible and idolatrous way. And in doing so, they do an injustice to her memory and place the entire Catholic Church in danger of the Judgment.
She is declared (by the Roman Catholic church) to have been free from all original sin (the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, first declared in 1854; (Catechism 491-492), free from any actual sin during her life (Catechism 411), and perpetually a virgin even after the birth of Jesus (Catechism 499-500) - Even though the Bible speaks of four other sons and at least three daughters born to Mary and Joseph after the virgin birth of our Messiah Jesus Christ [Mark 6:1-4].
Mary, the Catholic Church says, " was redeemed from the moment of her conception ... preserved immune from all stain of original sin." (Catechism 491). "Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long." (Catechism 493). However, the Bible says: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" [Rom 3:23].
Allegedly, Mary was taken, body and soul, into heaven (Catechism 974). This is the dogma of the "Assumption of Mary," not declared until the year 1950! In heaven, Mary supposedly intercedes for the church as "advocate, helper, benefactress, and mediatrix" (Catechism 969). She is made virtually a co-redeemer with her Son (Catechism 968).
These doctrines are so far afield from the Scriptures that Biblical Christians are amazed and saddened. The Catholic church has in effect turned the beautiful memory of our Lord's Mother into that of some false goddess.
Recently, an increasing number of prominent Catholics have petitioned the church to officially declare that Mary can provide forgiveness of sins. It is anticipated that shortly after the year 2000 the Pope will elevated Mother Mary to co-Savior status with Jesus Christ! This could be laughed off as Papal vanity if not the consequences be so devastating. What will happen because of this is that many Catholics who adore the Pope as almost a god himself, will believe that he is operating under the authority of Almighty God. They will confess their sins and ask to be forgiven and saved in the name of Mother Mary, and their sins will not have been forgiven them, and they will have placed themselves in danger on the Judgment Day. For as it is written: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." [Acts 4:12].
The Lord God says through His Bible:
1 Tim 2:5
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (KJV)
Acts 4:10-12
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (KJV)
The Catholic Pope says through it's Catechism (teaching):
CC (Catechism) 968: "Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. 'In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason she is a mother to us in the order of grace." [LG 61.] *emphasis added
CC 969: "This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." [LG 62.] *emphasis added
CC 973: "By pronouncing her 'fiat' at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation, Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish. She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body." *emphasis added
In the Catholic Catechism, Mary is placed on par with Jesus Christ:
CC 964: "Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. 'This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death'; [LG 57.] it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion: Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with these words: 'Woman, behold your son.'[LG 58; cf. Jn 19:26-27 .]" *emphasis added
CC 2677: "Holy Mary, Mother of God": With Elizabeth we marvel, 'And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?' [Lk 1:43] Because she gives us Jesus, her son, Mary is Mother of God and our mother; we can entrust all our cares and petitions to her: she prays for us as she prayed for herself: 'Let it be to me according to your word.' [Lk 1:38] By entrusting ourselves to her prayer, we abandon ourselves to the will of God together with her: 'Thy will be done'. "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death": By asking Mary to pray for us, we acknowledge ourselves to be poor sinners and we address ourselves to the 'Mother of Mercy,' the All-Holy One. We give ourselves over to her now, in the Today of our lives. And our trust broadens further, already at the present moment, to surrender 'the hour of our death' wholly to her care. May she be there as she was at her son's death on the cross. May she welcome us as our mother at the hour of our passing [Jn 19:27] to lead us to her son, Jesus, in paradise." *emphasis added
CC 2674: "Mary gave her consent in faith at the Annunciation and maintained it without hesitation at the foot of the Cross. Ever since, her motherhood has extended to the brothers and sisters of her Son 'who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties.' [LG 62.] Jesus, the only mediator, is the way of our prayer; Mary, his mother and ours, is wholly transparent to him: she 'shows the way' (hodigitria), and is herself 'the Sign' of the way, according to the traditional iconography of East and West." *emphasis added
The Catholic dogma even claims that the Commandment prohibiting the use of the lord's name in vain is extended to the name of Mary:
CC 2146: "The second commandment forbids the abuse of God's name, i.e., every improper use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the saints." *emphasis added
CC 2162: "The second commandment forbids every improper use of God's name. Blasphemy is the use of the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Virgin Mary, and of the saints in an offensive way." *emphasis added
The Catholic Church is 'creating' a nice little family here of the Father (God, the Great King of All), the Mother (Mary, the 'Queen of Heaven'), and the Son (Jesus Christ, the Messiah), in effect rewriting the Holy Trinity. In Europe and elsewhere where the Papal system of Rome (Catholicism) has spread, all appearance of worshiping the Great King Eternal God is almost extinct, while the Mother and the Child are the grand objects of worship.
This mirrors ancient pagan Babylon who supremely worshiped a goddess mother and a Son; Egypt, under the names of Isis and Osiris, as Osiris as the child called most frequently Horus; in India, even to this day, as Isi and Iswara; in Asia,as Cybele and Deoius; in pagan Rome, as Fortuna and Jupiter-puer, or Jupiter the boy; In Greece, as Ceres, the Great Mother, with the babe at her breast, or as Irene, the goddess of Peace, with the boy Plutus in her arms; and in China, Shing Moo, the Holy Mother, being represented with a child in her arms.
Roman Catholicism even goes one step further by adding a bunch of Pope appointed saints. These kinds of worship and reverence are both totally non-Biblical and blasphemous. They are an alternate reality compared to the Holy Scriptures of God. Many times when the Angel of the Lord visited men, he would chastise them for bowing down to him and he told them to only worship God:
Rev 19:10
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (KJV)
Rev 22:8-9
8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. (KJV)
II Ki 17:36
36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice. (KJV)
Col 2:18
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind (KJV)
This unfortunately is the direction in which the largest Christian congregation on the planet has gone. In fact, in the Bible, Mary is only mentioned in the Scriptures regarding the birth and the administering of the Hebrew customs upon the young Jesus (circumcision...). And Mary is only mentioned one time after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! [Acts 1:14] So by what authority does the Catholic Church so elevate the Lord's flesh Mother into an almost goddess status as the 'Queen of Heaven'?
It should be noted that in the corrupt Catechism (teaching) of the Catholic Church, they disguise and weaken the true Second Commandment by making it part of the First. So when they refer to the Second Commandment, it is really the Third Commandment of the Ten. Then to still have a total of Ten Commandments, they divide the Tenth Commandment into two separate Commandments (illustrated below). Why did they do this? Because the Second Commandment condemns the whole of the Catholic traditional system which is foundationally based upon idol worship, saint worship, and Mariolatry (the idolatrous worshiping of Mother Mary almost as though she were part of the Godhead herself. The Second Commandment condemns these practices explicitly:
The Second Commandment:
Exodus 20:4-6
4 Thou shalt not make unto 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 water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (KJV)
By attaching the Second Commandment above, onto the first Commandment below:
Exodus 20:4-6
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
The Roman church makes it to seem that the Second Commandment is in regards only to bowing down to and worshipping some other false gods, and not the 'Saints' and Mother Mary.
The SECOND Commandment according to the Catholic Church; from the CC:
CC 2162. "The SECOND COMMANDMENT forbids every improper use of God's name. Blasphemy is the use of the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of the Virgin Mary, and of the saints in an offensive way. "
The THIRD Commandment from the Bible:
Exod 20:7
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (KJV)
To still have a total of Ten Commandments, the Catholic Church divides the Tenth Commandment into two separate Commandments (illustrated below).
The Ninth and Tenth Commandment according to the Catholic Church; from the CC:
CC 2514. "St. John distinguishes three kinds of covetousness or concupiscence: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.[Cf. 1Jn 2:16 .] In the Catholic catechetical tradition, the NINTH COMMANDMENT forbids carnal concupiscence; the TENTH forbids coveting another's goods."
The TRUE Ninth Commandment from the Bible:
Exod 20:16
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (KJV)The TRUE Tenth Commandment from the Bible:
Exod 20:17
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (KJV)
By reading the true tenth commandment above [Ex 20:17] it is quite clear that the Catholic Church separates it into two separate commandments without any authority to do so; it is clearly one thought, one statement, and one commandment, there is no room to separate the sentence into two different subjects. The Catholic Church does this to camouflage the joining of the first commandment onto the second. After all, they did need to add up to ten.
An even clearer testament to their corruption of the ten commandments is that they put the "carnal concupiscence" before the "coveting another's goods", when in the Scriptures, the portion of the sentence containing "coveting another's goods" ie: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house" comes first.
If we wish to delve even further, we see that the Catholic Catechism claims that their Ninth Commandment is against having sexual intercourse; when in reality, it is speaking about adultery, which is having sex with another man's wife. ie: "thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife," it didn't say the girl next door, or your girlfriend, or your own wife even. We are not saying that it is OK to go sleeping around with everybody, for it is not, but what we are simply saying it is not in the Ten Commandments. And there is never any 'good reason' to misrepresent the Word of the Lord! If the Catholic Church wanted to teach that it is God's will that we don't go sleeping around with people we aren't married to, then they should let the Word of God do the teaching, and not corrupt and misrepresent the Ten Commandments:
1 Cor 7:2
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (KJV)
And there is quite a difference between two single people having sex, as opposed to a married man or woman sleeping with someone other than their spouse. The Catholic Church distorts this to support their Priest's chastity rules which are not Biblical in origin and have led to the most perverse of misconduct. Although, one could say that the mere lack of sexual fulfillment or the state of being in desire for sexual gratification would not normally lead a grown man to sexually abuse young altar boys. The Priest that does such a thing is inherently pure evil. Below is the definition of the words carnal and concupiscence, there is no allusion whatsoever to the party involved being married to someone other than the person they are engaging in sex with:
WEBSTER'S DEFINITION:
CARNAL, a.
1. Pertaining to flesh; fleshly; sensual; opposed to spiritual; as carnal pleasure.
2. Being in the natural state; unregenerate.
The carnal mind is enmity against God. Rom. 8.
3. Pertaining to the ceremonial law; as carnal ordinances. Heb. 9:10.
4. Lecherous; lustful; libidinous; given to sensual indulgence.
Carnal-knowledge, sexual intercourse.
CONCUPISCENCE, n. [L., to covet or lust after, to desire or covet.] Lust; unlawful or irregular desire of sexual pleasure.
To all of this this they add that since Mary and the Saints aren't called 'gods', the church is free to elevate them to the position that they do. But the First Commandment warns us not to have any false gods. A god is anyone or anything that you worship, whether it be Buddha, Allah, Mother Mary, a Totem Pole, Saints, Demons, Stars, the Elements, the Sun, Mythical Creatures, Riches.... And the Second Commandment warns us not to make statues or figures of people or things to bow down to.
The TRUE First Commandment from the Bible:
Exod 20:3
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (KJV)The TRUE Second Commandment from the Bible:
Exod 20:4-6
4 Thou shalt not make unto 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 water under the earth:
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (KJV)
The Roman Catholic Church also further blurs the lines of reality by stating that they 'venerate' Mary and the Saints, not 'worship' them. This is merely semantics. There is an old saying: If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quakes like a duck - guess what? - It's a duck! I don't care how much they have 'spin-doctored' what they do, if they do things that constitute worship - then they are worshiping!
In other words, if you bow down to, kneel down before, clasp your hands together as you pray before, light candles to, burn incense to, Pray to (with or without a Rosary) anything or anyone other than the Lord; guess what? You are praying and worshiping something other than God. And do not think that God finds it is cute!
I assure you, God is not up in Heaven looking down saying: "Oh look, there is so-and-so laying flowers at the feet of a statue of Mary, one of my creation, asking her for a healing, isn't that pious." nor is He saying: "Oh look, there's Pope John Paul II, the leader of a church containing one-billion of my children, and look, he is kneeling before an standing idol of Mary, one of my children, setting the good example and thanking her for sparing his life in the assassination attempt in 1981, how pious of him." Nor is He saying: "Oh look, there's so-and-so praying to saint Jude, the 'Patron saint of lost causes,' how pious. Lucky thing the Pope made him a saint, so that he could be petitioned for things that are too hopeless for Me to accomplish."
Perhaps I was being a little sarcastic, but not really, how do you think God feels about it, how would you feel if you were Him? How would you feel if your child went to the man next door for baseball card money or to sign his report card? Or if your wife went to the neighbor man when she was in need? Or your husband went next door to be fed by another woman? I think you get the idea! God is a jealous God when it comes to His children betraying Him. What is the only way that the creation can betray the Creator? By worshiping someone or something other than the Creator, and going to him, her, or it when you are in need or to give thanks for good fortune. Don't take my word for it, listen to God's Word. God knew that man would corrupt His true religion, and He foretold of it:
Deut 4:23-25
23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger (KJV)Isa 48:2-5
2 For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.
3 I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I shewed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.
4 Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass;
5 I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. (KJV)1 Tim 4:1-3
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (KJV)
2 Tim 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (KJV)
And the Catholic Church has even created two Latin phrases that supposedly draws a thin line between what the Bible speaks against and what they do. They are:
- Idol-latria: Which means idol worship.
- Idol-dulia: Which means idol service and/or veneration.
Naturally, they claim to do Idol-dulia. But once again their actions speak louder than words. And for that matter, where in the Bible does it say that we are to "Idol-dulia: Which means idol service and/or veneration.?" It doesn't! It is hoped that the reader can see the transparency of the Catholic heresies.
It does in fact seem clear that the Catholic Church, while veiling their true intentions by carefully wording their Catechisms and their prayers, do indeed call for the worship of Mother Mary as well as the 'Saints'; while at the same time still leaving itself 'wiggle room' for denials and 'smoothing overs' until the time is right to fully proclaim Mary as the co-Savior of mankind -- to a world who has by then disregarded their Bibles and instead followed the precepts and traditions of man (Catechism, Koran, Avestra, Kaballah, Adi-Granth, Book of Mormon, Kojiki, Talmud....) That day is not far off. Think about it.
The Pope prays to and
worships Mother Mary:
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Excerpt of Pope's Address at the Shrine of Mary in Poland. Click Full Address to read the whole speech of Pope John Paul II (located at end of this study & supplied with a return link to this precise place):
"Hail,
O Daughter of God the Father,
Hail, O Mother of the Son of God,
Hail, O Bride of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the Most Holy Trinity.
Amen."
- Pope John Paul II; Address at
Blessing of Marian Shrine:
Poland, Monday, 7 June 1999
There is a problem here, the Pope just gave the wrong Trinity. The Holy Trinity of the Bible is:
- The Father
- The Son
- The Holy Spirit
But the trinity the Pope just gave is:
- The Daughter (of the Father)
- The Mother (of the Son)
- The Bride (of the Holy Spirit)
There is also a problem with the Pope's Bridegroom and Bride. In the Bible we learn that Jesus Christ is the bridegroom, and the true body of believers (in Jesus) are the Bride. Naturally, the wedding is purely symbolic:
Mark 2:19
19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. (KJV)Rev 21:9
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (KJV)
But the Pope says that Mary is the Bride and the Holy Spirit is the bridegroom! Now the knee-jerk reaction would be to dismiss 'his holiness' the Pope with a chiding to better read his Bible, but something far more sinister is afoot - the Pope is no dummy, he has spent his entire long life indoctrinated in, raised up, and groomed in the Roman Catholic Institution and he knows exactly what he is doing and saying, and just exactly what it represents. We, as the general mass of peoples are the ignorant ones here. Let me explain.
The Holy Trinity
Explained:
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The Godhead (Trinity) is not being explained to the laity in the Catholic Church. It's lay members are being kept ignorant to the true meaning of the Triune Godhead (the Holy Trinity). The reason for this is that the Catholic Church has adopted a form of quad-nity (four parts instead of three: the Father, the Son, the Daughter/Mother, the Holy Spirit). The Daughter/Mother here is significant, and we shall address it shortly. But first let's get on solid Biblical ground and let's fully understand the concept of the Holy Trinity: Three in One - One in Three - but yet only One.
The concept of the Trinity is difficult for us to fully grasp with our limited human minds (compared to God). For as it is written: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" [Rom 11:33].
Take a look at it this way: You may be a husband to your wife, a father to your children, and a boss to your employee; But you are not three people, you do not cease being a father when you are in the presence of your wife; Nor are you no longer a husband when you are interacting with your employees. These are simply three aspects of the one person you, no one aspect nullifies or contradicts the other.
Let's illustrate the three 'offices' of the Trinity this way, then we shall examine the Scriptures:
- The Father is The Lord God Eternal, the Creator of everything and everyone, Him who has no beginning and no end.
- The Son is God manifest in the flesh. God become flesh to save us from our sins.
- The Holy Spirit is the power of God in action. It is through His Holy Spirit that God deals directly with man.
Let's go to the Scriptures to pull out the meaning of the oneness of God in three offices, for we do not worship three gods - God forbid! But rather One God, revealed to us in three offices, manifested in three aspects that we, with all our human frailty, can understand. The misunderstanding or ignorance of this constitutes the biggest objections of Judaism (Jews) and Islam (Muslims) to Christianity, for they think that Jesus is another god other than the Lord God. But alas, as God said: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." [Hosea 4:6].
I Jn 5:7
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (KJV)Gen 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh..." (KJV)
1 Tim 3:16
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (KJV)Matt 1:23 (speaking of Jesus Christ)
23 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. (KJV)John 10:30 (Jesus speaking)
30 I and my Father are one. (KJV)John 20:28-29
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (KJV)Acts 2:17
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams (KJV)1 Cor 15:28
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (KJV)*See also: Isa 9:6; Phil 2:5-6; Titus 2:13; Heb 1:5-14; I Jn 5:20; Ps 51:9-12; Eph 4:30; Gen 6:3; Acts 2:18;....
OK, now that we are all together in understanding the Trinity, let's take a deeper look at what the Pope has just said. And the reason that we single out the Pope so often in our examinations is that the Pope IS Catholicism. When the Pope speaks, he speaks for all of Catholicism, for he is a sovereign Pope. Understand that we are drawing a line between Catholicism and true Biblical Christianity. Here again is the Roman Pontiff's statement:
"Hail,
O Daughter of God the Father,
Hail, O Mother of the Son of God,
Hail, O Bride of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the Most Holy Trinity.
Amen."
- Pope John Paul II; Address at Blessing of Marian
Shrine:
Poland, Monday, 7 June 1999
The Pope says that Mary is the Bride and the Holy Spirit is the bridegroom. Now we know that the true believer (in Jesus Christ) is to be the bride of Christ, and that this is to be a symbolic wedding, we are not actually going through a literal wedding ritual with Jesus Christ (although the Cloistered Nuns in the Roman Catholic Church actually do have a literal wedding ceremony with 'Christ', officiated by a Catholic priest, complete with a white wedding gown, a wedding ring, and a walk down the church isle - where will the blasphemies of the Catholic Institution cease?!?).
When we speak of the bride of Christ we are not speaking on an individual level, we are speaking of the union of Christ with His Church (a group or gathering of His true believers). However, when it is rendered as one specific entity marrying one specific entity, it is a literal wedding union between THOSE two.
It should be noted that the Pope didn't refer to Jesus Christ as the bridegroom, but rather, the Holy Spirit is the husband of Mary. This we shall overlook, for as we know: Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are one. So if you are joined to one, you are joined to all, and God is all in all.
There is something also observed in the way that the Pope called Mary: "O Daughter of God the Father." Now it is true that we are all children of God, but Jesus is the only Begotten Son. In the context that the Pope called Mary the Daughter of God, it is naming her singularly. Mary is A daughter of God, not THE Daughter of God. There is a difference.
We can illustrate the importance of this by looking in the Bible. In the Bible, the phrase: "Son of God" appears 51 times (which is the same context that Mary was put into by the Pope in his declaration: "O Daughter of God"). Each and every one of the 51 times that the phrase: "Son of God" is used in the Bible, it is speaking specifically of the one individual Jesus Christ. Below we supply the first time in the Bible that the phrase appears and the last: With a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance you can have at your disposal every time a word is used in the King James Bible and what verses it is in.
The first time (Jesus, before His earthly Advent, in the furnace with the three Hebrews):
Dan 3:25
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (KJV)The last time (Jesus giving the revelation):
Rev 2:18
18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass (KJV)
Thus we see the Pope elevating Mary to a goddess-like status. Some of these things may seem subtle but with closer examination they are revealed for the blasphemies that they are. Basically, the point is, and the problem occurs, because the Pope possesses an 'unhealthy' over-reverence for Mother Mary.
From an article (provided further on in this study) titled Traveling statue of Mary stirs faithful, in the Chicago Tribune Newspaper on Aug 4, 1999 we see [Catholic] Theologians credited for saying: "...Pope John Paul's II's dedication of his papacy to the Blessed Mother..."
The Pope has dedicated his papacy to his idol; this is the intention for his (the Pope's) Latin saying "toetus too-us" (phonetic spelling) meaning: "Everything is done for you." (Mother Mary). The Pope also publicly credits Mary for saving his life in the assassination attempt upon him. The Pope would be better to thank God, and quit placing Mother Mary between himself and God. For as it is written: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" [1 Tim 2:5]. I don't see any 'Mary' there! It says that there is ONE mediator, not two, or three, or ten, but ONE mediator between God and men, and that is Jesus Christ alone!
But sadly, in the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, we see that Mary is called a "mediatrix" (which is a female mediator), but God said only Jesus was the mediator. As is so often the case, the Catholic teaching and belief is in direct contradiction with God's Word and is nothing more than blasphemous idolatry based upon the lies of satan. And I say satan because satan has from the beginning tried to usurp God and dethrone Jesus Christ. Below we see the Roman Catholic Church attempt to accomplish both:
CC 969 (Catechism): "This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. [LG 62.]"
We have already exposed the blasphemy of calling Mary the Mediator (Mediatrix), but in the last line of the above Catechism of the Catholic Church, we find two more titles attributed to Mary that are used exclusively of God and Jesus Christ in the Bible, they are: "Advocate" & "Helper". Let's put the Catechism of man away and see what the Bible of God tells us:
I Jn 2:1
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (KJV)Heb 13:6 (this is quoted from Psm 118:6 in the O.T.)
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (KJV)
And lest you think that we are just picking on 'word play,' take a look into any Catholic church, you see the images and statues of Mary (idols); And a large percentage of practicing Catholics use a Rosary to pray to Mary, ie: "Hail Mary, full of grace..."
Let's pause here to really drive a point home. Catholics say that they don't pray to Mary; well who on God's earth are you praying to when you begin the prayer with: "Hail Mary, full of grace..." Come-on, get real! You may be able to fool yourself and your Catholic buddies, but you aren't fooling this author and you most certainly aren't fooling God. You are praying to Mary! Admit it, repent of it, and stop it.
The Rosary
and the Worship of the Sacred Heart:
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You shouldn't be surprised that the 'Rosary" is found nowhere in God's Word, nor is praying to deceased women. The Rosary finds it's origin in the Buddhist prayer beads used to this very day by Buddhist Monks who don't even believe in God - any god! Let's examine an excerpt from a comprehensive book on Catholic paganism: The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop:
An Excerpt:
SECTION IV.--THE ROSARY AND THE WORSHIP OF THE SACRED HEART.
Every one knows how thoroughly Romanist is the use of the rosary; and how the devotees of Rome mechanically tell their prayers upon their beads. The rosary, however, is no invention of the Papacy. It is of the highest antiquity, and almost universally found among Pagan nations. The rosary was used as a sacred instrument among the ancient Mexicans. It is commonly employed among the Brahmins of Hindustan; and in the Hindoo sacred books reference is made to it again and again. Thus, in an account of the death of Sati, the wife of Shiva, we find the rosary introduced:
"On hearing of this event, Shiva fainted from grief; then, having recovered, he hastened to the banks of the river of heaven, where he beheld lying the body of his beloved Sati, arrayed in white garments, holding a rosary in her hand, and glowing with splendour, bright as burnished gold."
In Thibet it has been used from time immemorial, and among all the millions in the East that adhere to the Buddhist faith. The following, from Sir John F. Davis, will show how it is employed in China: "From the Tartar religion of the Lamas, the rosary of 108 beads has become a part of the ceremonial dress attached to the nine grades of official rank. It consists of a necklace of stones and coral, nearly as large as a pigeon's egg, descending to the waist, and distinguished by various beads, according to the quality of the wearer. There is a small rosary of eighteen beads, of inferior size, with which the bonzes count their prayers and ejaculations exactly as in the Romish ritual.
The laity in China sometimes wear this at the wrist, perfumed with musk, and give it the name of Heang-choo, or fragrant beads." In Asiatic Greece the rosary was commonly used, as may be seen from the image of the Ephesian Diana. In Pagan Rome the same appears to have been the case. The necklaces which the Roman ladies wore were not merely ornamental bands about the neck, but hung down the breast, just as the modern rosaries do; and the name by which they were called indicates the use to which they were applied. "Monile" the ordinary word for a necklace, can have no other meaning than that of a "Remembrancer."
Now, whatever might be the pretence, in the first instance, for the introduction of such "Rosaries" or "Remembrancers," the very idea of such a thing is thoroughly Pagan. It supposes that a certain number of prayers must be regularly gone over; it overlooks the grand demand which God makes for the heart, and leads those who use them to believe that form and routine are everything, and that "they must be heard for their much speaking."
In the Church of Rome a new kind of devotion has of late been largely introduced, in which the beads play an important part, and which shows what new and additional strides in the direction of the old Babylonian Paganism the Papacy every day is steadily making. I refer to the "Rosary of the Sacred Heart." It is not very long since the worship of the "Sacred Heart" was first introduced; and now, everywhere it is the favourite worship. It was so in ancient Babylon, as is evident from the Babylonian system as it appeared in Egypt. There also a "Sacred Heart" was venerated. The "Heart" was one of the sacred symbols of Osiris when he was born again, and appeared as Harpocrates, or the infant divinity, borne in the arms of his mother Isis. Therefore, the fruit of the Egyptian Perséa was peculiarly sacred to him, from its resemblance to the "HUMAN HEART."
(End of Excerpt)
The Buddhist prayer beads and the Catholic Rosary are a string containing many beads; the devotee then counts off the repetitive prays on the beads until a full circle is complete. Many Catholics repeat this cycle time and time again, believing that the more they do it, the more favors they shall receive from Mary. And besides, God's Word does in fact speak about praying endless repetitive prayers like those involved in "praying the Rosary."
Matt 6:7
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (KJV)
God's Word also speaks against those who would consult with the dead, they are called "necromancers," and it is an abomination unto the Lord. Mother Mary is dead (God bless her soul), Almighty God is alive eternal, pray only to Him! Naturally, Jesus Christ is God in the flesh and He is very much alive!
Deut 18:9-11
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (KJV)
Now we get to crux of the matter. It would be hoped that you are aware that almost each and every tradition, ceremony, and symbol within the Roman Catholic Church is from Pagan Rome. Everything in the Catholic Church, from the items on the alter, the annual celebrations, the Priest's, Nun's, and Pope's garments, the Processions, the symbols and icons - all find their beginnings in Pagan Rome, Pagan Babylon, and the Egyptian Mystery religions. And God all throughout the Bible condemns them. If you are unaware of that then you begin today to discover it.
As to why it would seem remarkable to someone that the Roman Catholic Church adopted Roman worship traditions into her is beyond my comprehension, for the Roman Catholic Church assimilated and succeeded Pagan Rome; Perhaps it is a witness to the far reaching powers of Rome, even reaching into the very minds of Christians. The Catholic Church of today is very powerful indeed!
They will have you believe that it is even blasphemy to speak against the Pope of Rome, much like it was a capitol offence to speak against Caesar in Pagan Rome, surely this author would not be on their list of favorite persons - thank God. Many millions of non-Catholic Christians were "purified" in the Catholic torture chambers of the reformation. Thank God that they no longer have that power, for if they had, they would surely use it.
We cannot blasphemy the Catholic Church because it is not a blasphemy to speak out against a Blasphemy. And please understand, I do not speak of the average lay-Catholic, for they know not what they do and they do it in ignorance as Paul did "...but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly..." [1 Tim 1:13]. It is no sin to be ignorant, but perhaps it is a sin to willing remain ignorant so as to "go with the flow," for then they are no longer ignorant, but rather, they are disobedient to God.
Origins of the
Relationship between the Mother & Son and of Mary Worship:
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OK, all prefaces properly in place, let's examine the origin of the Pope's trinity, the marriage, and the son and mother relationship. This can best be accomplished by inserting an excerpt from the same comprehensive book by Alexander Hislop, written in the 1800's: The Two Babylons
An Excerpt:
"So also is it in those countries of Europe where the Papal system is most completely developed. In Papal Italy, as travellers universally admit (except where the Gospel has recently entered), all appearance of worshipping the King Eternal and Invisible is almost extinct, while the Mother and the Child are the grand objects of worship. Exactly so, in this latter respect, also was it in ancient Babylon. The Babylonians, in their popular religion, supremely worshipped a Goddess Mother and a Son, who was represented in pictures and in images as an infant or child in his mothers arms [Fig. 5 at below right. The statue on the left is from Babylon and the one on the right is from India].
From Babylon, this worship of the Mother and the Child spread to the ends of the earth. In Egypt, the Mother and the Child were worshipped under the names of Isis and Osiris. In India, even to this day, as Isi and Iswara; in Asia, as Cybele and Deoius; in Pagan Rome, as Fortuna and Jupiter-puer, or Jupiter, the boy; in Greece, as Ceres, the Great Mother, with the babe at her breast, or as Irene, the goddess of Peace, with the boy Plutus in her arms; and even in Thibet, in China, and Japan, the Jesuit missionaries were astonished to find the counterpart of Madonna and her child as devoutly worshipped as in Papal Rome itself; Shing Moo, the Holy Mother in China, being represented with a child in her arms, and a glory [Nimbus, Halo] around her, exactly as if a Roman Catholic artist had been employed to set her up.
SUB-SECTION I -- THE CHILD IN ASSYRIA.
The original of that mother, so widely worshipped, there is reason to believe, was Semiramis, already referred to, who, it is well known, was worshipped by the Babylonians, and other eastern nations, and that under the name of Rhea, the great Goddess "Mother."
It was from the son, however, that she derived all her glory and her claims to deification. That son, though represented as a child in his mother's arms, was a person of great stature and immense bodily powers, as well as most fascinating manners. In Scripture he is referred to (Ezek. 8:14) under the name of Tammuz, but he is commonly known among classical writers under the name of Bacchus, that is, "The Lamented one." To the ordinary reader the name of Bacchus suggests nothing more than revelry and drunkenness, but it is now well known, that amid all the abominations that attended his orgies, their grand design was professedly "the purification of souls," and that from the guilt and defilement of sin.
This lamented one, exhibited and adored as a little child in his mother's arms, seems, in point of fact, to have been the husband of Semiramis, whose name, Ninus, by which he is commonly known in classical history, literally signified " The Son." As Semiramis, the wife, was worshipped as Rhea, whose grand distinguishing character was that of the great goddess "Mother," the conjunction with her of her husband, under the name of Ninus, or "The Son," was sufficient to originate the peculiar worship of the " Mother and Son," so extensively diffused among the nations of antiquity; and this, no doubt, is the explanation of the fact which has so much puzzled the inquirers into ancient history, that Ninus is sometimes called the husband, and sometimes the son of Semiramis.
This also accounts for the origin of the very same confusion of relationship between Isis and Osiris, the mother and child of the Egyptians; for as Bunsen shows, Osiris was represented in Egypt as at once the son and husband of his mother; and actually bore, as one of his titles of dignity and honour, the name " Husband of the Mother." This still further casts light on the fact already noticed, that the Indian God Iswara is represented as a babe at the breast of his own wife Isi, or Parvati."
(End of Excerpt)
This should give a whole new meaning to the Pope calling Mary the Mother of the Son of God (which she was) but ALSO THE Bride of the Holy Spirit! (Mother AND Bride - a very Pagan idea). The Pope, in his address at the Shrine of Mary, has also elevated Mary to "Temple of the Most Holy Trinity." But the Bible tells us who the true Temple is:
Rev 21:22
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. (KJV)
Mother Mary was a flesh and blood human being, the Pope elevates her to a position of a virtual goddess - almost as though she is an equal to Deity or a part of the Godhead.
- God is the Father, but the Pope calls Mary the Mother in the same breath.
- Jesus is the Son, but the Pope calls Mary the Daughter.
Pagan religions have worshiped goddess figures for millennia. And as we saw, the Bible speaks against worshiping the "Queen [Ruling Mother] of Heaven."
In the Pope's address at the Shrine of Mary, the Pope just gave an 'anti-Trinity.' It is the exact opposite of the true Holy Trinity.
|
The anti-Trinity of |
The Holy Trinity of God |
|
Mother |
Father |
|
Daughter |
Son |
|
Bride of the Holy Spirit |
The Holy Spirit |
The order of the Popes's trinity is also off. He places the child before the Parent. ie: "Hail, O Daughter...Hail, O Mother...Hail, O Bride...Temple..." Below is the correct order of the Holy Trinity from our Heavenly Father's written Word:
I Jn 5:7
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (KJV)
You will notice the absence of Mary. Be alert Christian! Jesus told us to beware of wolves (like the Pope) in the sheep's clothing (of a man of God): "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits...." [Matt 7:15-16].
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera - we could go on like this for pages after pages after pages - the Roman Catholic Church is fully corrupt! Most every Catholic tradition and practice can be traced directly back to Pagan Rome and Babylon, the Egyptian Mystery Religions, the Babylonian Mystery Schools. They are all Pagan, corrupt, evil, an abomination unto to our Lord, and they are in fact the work of the antichrist - satan. You must stick with God's Word, He wrote it all down for you in His Bible - have you read it?!?
Let's close this depressing portion of our study with the
words of the Angel of the Lord about the corrupt end-time church.
Let's hope this isn't the church that you are attending and
financially supporting at the time of the Second coming of Jesus
Christ: "For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker
of his evil deeds." [2nd Jn 1:11].
Below, in the Scripture, the end-time apostate one-world religion
church is referred to in the feminine (for the church is supposed
to be the bride of Christ). We notice that this end-time religion
has become so corrupt and has adulterated in so many heathen
practices that God refers to it as a whore, a spiritual whore:
Rev 17:1-6
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (KJV)
And as the Lord said, so it shall be done:
Rev 18:1-10
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. (KJV)
Are we saying that the Catholic Church is THE corrupt end-time Church that God said He will destroy? No, but they are going to be a large part of it! The end-time church will be an unholy blend of all the world's religions into one ungodly system. There are two billion Christians world-wide today. Half of them, or one billion, are Catholic. There are now about six billion souls on the earth, that means that the Pope of Rome is over one-sixth of the people on this planet. This religiously powerful man has been fervently trying to consolidate Catholicism with the Jewish religion, with the Protestant faiths, and the Orthodox faiths, and the Islamic religion (Muslims)... This is prophetical, and it is not a good prophecy that he fulfills! The Pope, as well as the other religious leaders, are moving us to that one-world religion that God called a spiritual whore.
Satan as the antichrist (the false christ, the impostor) will come to earth and rule the world through that corrupt religion, shortly thereafter, Jesus Christ shall return at His second Advent and purify the earth. See THE ANTICHRIST. And as God saith: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."[Rev 18:4]
The
supposed
'Our Lady of Fatima':
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Some annalists have supposed that it is through the female figure 'Mary' that many of the world's religions will unite. Every major religion has at some place a strong female figure. The Catholic Church may further accomplish their reuniting with the Christian Orthodox faiths under Mary, for Mother Mary is also a strong figure in the Orthodox Churches that split from the Catholic Church in AD 1054 over disagreement on the Pope's authority. The protestant faiths also split from Catholisism in the 16th century because of the depravity of the Papal system. So you see, this is not something new, it is just that the Catholic Church, for obvious reasons, doesn't tell the Catholic lay-person the history of the Church. We have a comprehensive study titled The History of Christianity, that is an eye-opener, and a must read for every Catholic who cares about the truth!
Pope John Paul II is Also using Mary (as Our Lady of Fatima) to make overtures to the Muslim world, by currently trying to use 'Our lady of Fatima' as common ground between the two religions. In the Muslem faith and tradition there is a female figure named 'Fatima' as well. But in reality the two have nothing in common other than that they are reverenced within their own religious institutions. We could expect that religions like Muslim, who deny Jesus Christ as the Son of God, to elevate dead women to places of reverence within their religion; it is a shame that a Christian religion (Catholic) would do as the Heathen do:
The Muslim's Fatima Lady:
In Muslim history, we see the Fatimid dynasty, pronounced FAT uh mihd, was a line of Muslim caliphs (rulers) who held power from A.D. 909 to 1171. The caliphs claimed descent from Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and her husband, Ali, a cousin of the Prophet. The Fatimids belonged to the Shiite branch of Islam and to a sect called the Seveners. In 909, they gained control over land that had been held by the larger group of rival Sunni Muslims and rose to power in north Africa. At various times, the Fatimid empire included Sicily, Syria, and parts of Arabia and Palestine. Shiites also celebrate the birthday of Fatima, Muhammad's daughter.
The Catholic's Fatima Lady:
The Catholic's reverence a female figure named 'Our Lady of Fatima' (Mother Mary). Fatima, pronounced FAT uh muh, Our Lady of, refers to the Virgin Mary, who reportedly appeared near Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. On May 13 of that year, three children told of seeing a vision of a lady while they were tending sheep. They said that the lady, brighter than the sun and standing on a cloud, told them to come there on the 13th day of each month until the following October, when she would tell them who she was. On October 13, she said that she was Our Lady of the Rosary, and told the children to say the rosary every day. She called for people to reform their lives and asked that a chapel be built in her honor. The Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima stands on the site of the visions. In 1930, the Roman Catholic Church authorized devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. Since then, millions of people have made pilgrimages to Fatima.
We have heard the Catholic Church's lie about what Mother Mary supposedly said. There were three children involved in the Fatima 'visions.' Two of them died within two years after the 'sightings,' and curiously, the third child is a Cloistered (secluded) Catholic Nun (Sister Lucia) and is still alive.
The Vatican has officially recognized the 'Fatima Vision' as being legitimate. There were three 'visions' supposedly given at Fatima to the three children. The Vatican released the first and second vision but has until now always kept the third vision secret. Now we have the Catholic Church telling us that this third secret was a prophecy of the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981. However, when you reveal a prophecy 19 years after it happened, it is not a prophecy, but rather just more falsehood from the Catholic Church. God told us what prophecy and what Prophets to believe in and which ones not to believe in:
Deut 18:20-22
20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (KJV)
The Vatican is trying to shamelessly pass it off as though they had access to 'secret messages from God' by claiming that the secret third Fatima vision was fulfilled in 1981. But they didn't tell the world what the secret prophecy was until 19 years after it was supposedly fulfilled, this is not prophecy, it is lies. below we see the Catholic Church claiming the fulfillment of Mary's warning. Notice the date of the article, and the date of the prophecy, and the date of the fulfillment :
Vatican Discloses Secret of Fatima
By Adam Brown
Associated Press Writer
Saturday, May 13, 2000FATIMA, Portugal - The Vatican disclosed today that the so-called third secret of Fatima foretold the 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II, ending a mystery that some had feared was apocalyptic.
Believers hold that the mother of Christ appeared before three shepherd children in 1917 in Fatima and gave them three prophecies, two of which have been reported: a vision of "hell," interpreted as World War II, and the rise and fall of Soviet Communism.
After years of speculation, the Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano said today that the "third part of the secret of Fatima" speaks of a "bishop clothed in white" who "falls to the ground, apparently dead, under a burst of gunfire."...
When he came to Fatima on May 12 the following year to thank the Virgin, the pope survived another assassination attempt by a fundamentalist Spanish priest who lunged at him with a bayonet, accusing him of betraying the Church...
Like the shrine at Lourdes, France, Fatima draws huge numbers of visitors -- local officials estimate 6 million each year. (End of article)
The 'visions' and 'Mother Mary sightings' which are not outright lies or delusions of disturbed Christians turned to idolatry, are nothing more than evil spirits impersonating and disguised as Mother Mary, much like satan will impersonate the Messiah just prior to the return of the True Jesus Christ at His Second Advent. After the below Scripture we supply the definition of the Greek word 'transformed' from the Greek Dictionary of the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.
2 Cor 11:13-15
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (KJV)Definition from the Strong's Concordance:
Transformed: Greek word #3345 metaschematizo (met-askh-ay-mat-id'-zo); from #3326 and a derivative of #4976; to transfigure or disguise; figuratively, to apply (by accommodation)1 Tim 4:1-3
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. (KJV)
There are many things that the Catholic Church is not disclosing regarding these 'visions' and 'conversations' with the deceased person Mary. For instance, in New Age Bible Versions by Gail Riplinger (pgs 104-5) we have taken an excerpt recounting two such evil 'visions' claiming to be Mary:
Mirjana Dragicevic, one of the six children who reported seeing what now are internationally known 'visions' in Medjugorje Yugoslavia, describes the vision of April 14, 1982. In it, the bible verse, "Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (II Corinthians 11:14) was graphically depicted. He transformed himself before Mirjana. Her naive interpretation follows:
"He was ugly, horribly ugly. You cannot imagine how ugly, he almost killed me with his gaze, I almost fainted. .Then Satan went away and Our Lady came and said to me: ...renew the use of holy water, wear blessed objects and holy objects and put them in your homes."
This transformation of Satan (or another evil principality and power i.e., Zech. 5:9) into 'the Virgin' is not an isolated incident. The Irish press reports from Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ireland:
"[Twenty thousand] 20,000 pilgrims are said to have visited the town since some children claimed they had seen black blood flowing from a statue of Our Lady and an apparition of the devil with horns appear behind the statue."
This 'transformation' from a devil to 'the Virgin' was viewed at seven other Irish cities. (Dunkill, Ballinspittle, Mooncorn, Mountcollins, Cartloe, Monasterevin, and Stradbally). Helen Blavatsky, who was a spiritualist who channeled demons, confirms the identity of 'the One' who changes form:
"[H]e is the mysterious personage about whom legends are rife in the East, especially among Occultists. It is he who changes form, yet remains the same. He is the Nameless One. . .who has so many names. . .He is the Initiator."
She is referring to satan. There is a very good reason for God warning us not to consult with the dead, for it is by that means that satan and evil spirits speak to people. In the Bible, a necromancer is someone who consults with the dead and receives messages. God strictly warns against it, in fact, God puts into the same category as witches, wizards and the occult:
Deut 18:11-12
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. (KJV)In other words, Mary isn't talking to anybody, for the dead do not speak, but it is satan and demons who are communicating with them. Be careful of this type activity!
The Bible tells us that there are good spirits and there are bad spirits. The Bible also to test the spirits whether they be of God.
I Jn 4:1
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (KJV)
A good spirit does not give messages that go against the word of God. But the supposed Mary messages lead us to idiolatry. A couple of messages from the Yugoslavian apparitions are given below showing that the supposed Mary visions are stating things directly against what the Bible says. And understand that we do not blame Mother Mary for this, for it isn't her who is speaking to these superstitious people:
|
The 'imposter Virgin' said: |
The Bible says: |
| "...to be stronger than all our difficulties means to be saved..." | Titus 3:5 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost (KJV) |
| "I have come to bring peace into the world." | Luke 12:51
(Jesus speaking) 51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division (KJV) |
| "Pray to the Mother of Goodness...:'I offer myself to you by means of your goodness, your love, your grace, save me...give me your goodness. Let me gain Heaven by means of it. I accept you as my mother and keep you in my life'" |
Acts
4:10-12 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth...Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (KJV) |
| "...recite the Rosary everyday...four hours a day" |
Matt
6:7 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.(KJV) |
| "Pray our Lady's plan may go
forward" *Editor's note: [The term 'PLAN' is a New Age buzzword for their agenda]. |
Matt
6:9-10 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (KJV) |
Jesus warned us about false prophets and false messengers, and He told us how to know if they are false or not.
Matt 7:15-21
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.(KJV)
Jesus said we would know them by their fruit. These false Mother Mary Apparitions tell us to disobey God and lead us into idolatry, therefor they bear bad fruit and are not of God, but rather they are of satan. And all the while, the Pope is leading us there. Christian beware!
The Lay-Catholic and
current events from the Media:
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But what of the lay-Catholic? Do they worship Mother Mary and the other Roman Pontiff (Pope) appointed 'Saints'? And if they do, can they suppose that God will forgive them because "the Pope said it was OK?"
Beloved, God wrote us a letter, it is called the Bible. In it He gave us instructions that he expects us to follow. it is those things that he shall judge us by. The manner in which Mother Mary is exalted in the Catholic Church is in direct defiance of the First and Second Commandments of God [Ex 20:3-6].
The Catholic Church pays lip service to reverencing Mary only because of her connection to Jesus Christ. However, the tremendous emphasis placed not only upon Mary as the Mother of God (a status that does derive from her relationship to Christ) but also upon Mary as Perpetual Virgin (which derives from qualities intrinsic to Mary herself) suggests that the Roman Catholic Mary is seen as worthy, by her own deeds, to be an independent deity herself. Most certainly the Catholic Church elevates Mary above the status of mere human. But we saved Christians know that we simply are all are sinners saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ - all of us - even Mary! Or else she then be a goddess - God forbid!
We now come to the danger to the individual Catholic lay-person who has been mislead into crossing the line from respect of Jesus Christ' Mother, to worshipping her as a goddess figure. I don't have to convince you, you need just to observe certain Catholics in their behavior towards Mary. Actions truly do speak louder than words.
Just walk into any Catholic Church after services or in the evenings, watch them light candles to Mary, bow down and kneel to a standing image of her, clasp their hands in prayer to her, lay gifts and trinkets before idols and graven images of her, asking her for special favors that she has no power to give, count off their endless repetitive prayers to her with the Rosary beads, ask her to save their their deceased loved ones, make the sign of the cross to her, wear icons of her around their necks.... In the very house of God mind you! It is all an offence to God and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. They worship the creation (Mary & the Catholic appointed Saints) instead of the creator (God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit - The Godhead):
Rom 1:20-25
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (KJV)
Let's reexamine the exact definition of 'Worship' and then look at some examples from the secular media.
DEFINITION; From Webster's Dictionary:
- WORSHIP: n. A term of ironical respect. Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like. The worship of God is an eminent part of religion. Prayer is a chief part of religious worship.
The homage paid to idols or false gods by pagans; as the worship or Isis.- WORSHIP: v.t.
1. To adore; to pay divine honors to; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration.
Thou shalt worship no other God. Exodus 34.
2. To respect; to honor; to treat with civil reverence.
Nor worshiped with a waxen epitaph.
3. To honor with extravagant love and extreme submission; as a lover.
With bended knees I daily worship her.- WORSHIP: v.i.
1. To perform acts of adoration.
2. To perform religious service.- WORSHIPING: ppr. Adoring; paying divine honors to; treating with supreme reverence; treating with extreme submission.
- WORSHIPER: n. One who worships; one who pays divine honors to any being; one who adores.
- WORSHIPED: pp. Adored; treated with divine honors; treated with civil respect.
Excerpted from the Chicago Tribune Newspaper on Aug 4, 1999:
Traveling
statue of Mary
stirs faithful
By Barbara Sherlock; Tribune Staff Writer.
"Remember o most gracious Virgin Mary that never was it known that anyone who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help, and sought Thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence I fly unto Thee, 0 Virgin of Virgins, My Mother! to Thee I Come; before Thee I stand sinful and sorrowful. Oh Mother of the Word, incarnate! despise not my petitions, but, in Thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen."
Quietly reciting the words of the Catholic prayer the Memorae, Rev. Joseph Linster concluded a summer evening highlighted by the arrival and elevation of a special statue of the Virgin Mary outside his St. Charles church. Tucked into the narrow parking lot between the rectory and school of St. Patrick Church, the 33-foot Lady of the New Millennium began almost immediately Monday night to draw murmurs of appreciation and whispers of devotion from many in the gathered crowd.
It is the same reaction witnessed by hundreds each day since Mother's Day at the nine previous parishes, primarily on Chicago's South Side and in the southern suburbs, that have hosted the stainless steel statue.
Their gaze, as they pray or lay petitions at her feet, often lingers on the statue's lifelike face and hands, and their fingers reach out to touch the shimmering mesh of her gracefully draped mantle and simple gown.
This attraction to the statue and Mary, theologians say, is due to a variety of reasons: the nostalgic warmth of her imagery for Catholics, Pope John Paul's II's dedication of his papacy to the Blessed Mother, the hunger in society for traditional family values and an affection for larger-than-life imagery. . . . (End of Article excerpt)
Excerpted from the Chicago Sun Times Newspaper; Nov 15, 1999:
Faithful
pray over relics of St. Therese of Lisieux
BY MOLLY SULLIVAN;
STAFF REPORTER
PICTURE: This woman is
bowing to, kissing, and praying to the 'relics' of St. Therese.
Relics are the partial remains (bones, hair, blood) of a deceased
person elevated to 'sainthood' by a reigning Pope. There is no
Biblical authority for the practice. The word 'saint' means 'set
aside one'. Set aside by God, not by a man in Rome.
Jill (Last name omitted) started praying to St. Therese of Lisieux when she was 6 years old.
So enthralled was she with the French Carmelite nun, who was known for her deep love of God, that as an adult, Jill joined the Carmelite order as a lay member. On Sunday. Jill came as close to St. Therese as one can when The saint's relics -- several of her bones. -- were brought into a small chapel at the Carmelite Monastery in Des Plaines encased in an ornate, gilded coffin. "It was a very moving, very powerful experience," said the Inverness woman after settling into her seat in the sunlit chapel, where the coffin sat surrounded by red and pink roses.
Comment on above article paragraph: A Definition; RELIC: (rel'ik) rel'ic n. [L. reliquiae, from relinquo, to leave; re and linquo.]
- That which remains; that which is left after the loss or decay of the rest; as the relics of a town; the relics of magnificence; the relics of antiquity. The relics of saints, real or pretended, are held in great veneration by the catholics.
- The body of a deceased person; a corpse. [Usually in the plural.]
- (pl.) Remains. In the Roman Catholic Church, an object revered for its association with a holy person, especially a saint - usually all or part of the saint's body, or an article used by him or her.
According to the Catholic Church:
- First Class Relics: Remains of the bodies of saints, for example bones, hair, or blood.
- Second Class Relics: Articles associated with the lives of the saints, such as clothing, books, and anything else associated with the saints.
- Third Class Relics: Items, usually small pieces of cloth, which have come into contact with First or Second Class Relics and which are then treated themselves as relics. Among the first Third Class Relics were small pieces of cloth lowered through holes in the altars of churches built over tombs of martyrs or placed on the stone slabs covering these martyr's tombs.
CC (Catechism) 1674. "Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church's sacramental life, such as the veneration of RELICS, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals,[Cf. Council of Nicaea II: DS 601; 603; Council of Trent: DS 1822.] etc."
DEFINITION; From the Webster's Dictionary:
VENERA'TION: n. [L. veneratio.]
The highest degree of respect and reverence; respect mingled with some degree of awe; a feeling or sentiment excited by the dignity and superiority of a person, or by the sacredness of his character, and with regard to place, by its consecration to sacred services. We find a secret awe and veneration for one who moves above us in a regular and illustrious course of virtue.
IDOL'ATRY: n. [L. idololatria. Gr. idol, and to worship or serve.]
1. The worship of idols, images, or any thing made by hands, or which is not God.
Idolatry is of two kinds; the worship of images, statues, pictures, &c. made by hands; and the worship of the heavenly bodies,the sun, moon and stars, or of demons, angels, men and animals.
2. Excessive attachment or veneration for any thing, or that which borders on adoration.
The article continues: Many of the faithful carried roses -- a symbol of St. Therese, who was nicknamed "Little Flower" because of her practice of scattering rose petals in her path.
One woman was so taken with the experience that she fainted after laying her hands on the relics. She and Jill were among the St. Therese followers who were able to get seats inside the chapel for mass.
Thousands waited outside in the chilly wind for hours until they had the chance to pray before the relics. People started arriving at 8:30 a.m. for the 1 p.m. procession and 2 p.m. mass. The chapel filled quickly, forcing the rest wait outside.
But that didn't matter to the faithful, such as Rose (Last name omitted) of Wheeling. "how often do you have the opportunity to stand in line with people who share your beliefs?" Rose said as another bus-load of people got in line behind her. "It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"
Des Plaines police Sgt. Michael Krueger said the reverend mother from the monastery told him Saturday that she wanted everyone who waited in line to be able to view the relics.
"They don't want to turn anybody away," he said. "We're prepared to stay for a while." The relics will he at area churches all this week.
It was so crowded Sunday that overflow parking was directed into nearby Maryville Academy, where buses brought people to wait outside the chapel. Those in line were not deterred by the long wait or the wind that grew colder as the sun went down.
A somber William (Last name omitted) of Oak Park clutched a framed photo of St. Therese. "She had a very profound effect on my spirituality." said William, who will continue to pray to the saint for help with his decision about entering the priesthood.
While all of St. Therese's followers pray to her to intercede on their behalf, others look to her for the peace and simplicity she brings to their lives.
"She is a model of humility and simplicity," said Charles (Last name omitted), who flew to Chicago from Westerville. Ohio, with his wife Gerry, to pray before the relics. "In our complicated world, Lord knows we need that." (End of excerpt)
Excerpted from the Chicago Tribune Newspaper, Nov 1999:
Faithful
take lost causes to St. Jude
Believers from around the world travel to a church on the Southeast Side to pray at a special shrine.
By Teresa Puente; TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
In an ordinary neighborhood of two-flats and long-shut steel mills on Chicago's Southeast Side is a place that attracts people from around the world, hoping for a miracle. Though it may be largely unknown even to many people in Chicago, it is an intensely special place in the world of Catholicism.
Editor's Comment on picture: In the picture above (center bottom) we see a man kneeling before a statue (standing image) of St. Jude, in direct defiance of Almighty God's command in: Leviticus 26:1 "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God."
It is the National Shrine of St. Jude, the patron saint of difficult or hopeless cases; and recently it drew even more petitioners than usual for one of four annual novenas -- nine days of prayer services -- that included the feast day of the saint Oct. 28. The next novena precedes Lent, in February.
The article goes on to say: The patrons of the shrine arrive - at times by the bus load -- to pray before a life-size statue of the once largely forgotten St. Jude of Thaddeus, depicted in blue and gold robes and carrying a golden image of Jesus. The shrine is in Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 3200 E. 91st St., and was built 70 years ago at the behest of a local priest who wanted to bring hope to an impoverished neighborhood of Mexican and Polish immigrants.
It was the first U.S. shrine to St Jude to be recognized by the Catholic Church, and as the legacy of the saint grows the shrine has attracted thousands from the United Slates and other countries.
Clutching photos of her loved ones, Liz (last name omitted) recently knelt before the image of St. Jude, hoping that her private prayers would be answered.
"He's the saint of inspiration,"
said Liz, 49, an architect who lives in Manhattan. "There's
a lot of positive power in prayer. The vibes travel." She
was among the faithful and the thankful who recently filled the
church, waiting to kiss a
glass-encased
relic of St. Jude, whose
name is associated with generosity, courtesy and kindness. (name
omitted) said that, for several years she suffered from
serious health problems, but after praying to St. Jude
she was healed.
Editor's Comment on picture: This person is touching pictures of her loved ones to a case containing some of the corpse of St. Jude. This woman has been taught by the Catholic Church that in so doing, her family will be blessed by the deceased. No further comment is necessary.
Like (name omitted), those at the shrine each had a story of how their prayers to St. Jude were answered, or how they turned to the saint when they had lost all hope. St. Jude, considered the saint of' last resort, was a "brethren" or cousin of Jesus and also an apostle.
"People come to him when they are down and out," said Rev. Richard (last name omitted) a Claretian priest who is a former pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe and who took part in the novena. "There's such a devotion to him."
There is evidence of devotion to St. Jude In the Middle Ages, but for many centuries, it flagged, possibly because he was confused with Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, scholars say. In recent years, devotion has increased, manifested in modern ways, from numerous St. Jude Web sites to books on the saint. "There are literally thousands of people in the world who believe that St. Jude takes care of them," Rev Richard (last name omitted) said. (End of article excerpt)
In closing, God dislikes when His children participate in idolatry. We are to worship God, not Saints, Angels, Mothers...:
Rom 1:20-25
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (KJV)
God shows us in the prophecies of the Bible that all the Nations of the world shall come together under the false one-world religion of spiritual prostitutes. This religion is referred to in the book of Revelation as "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." [Rev 17:5], and she will be the Church of antichrist (the false christ, who comes to earth first, claiming to be the True Christ, but is not and does lie). The Catholic Church is going to be a large part of that corrupt man made system of worship, yea, God, even God says to "Come out of her":
Rev 18:3-5
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (KJV)(End of study)
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A reader writes: Hi Nick, I go to Interior Design school and last year I took a course called History of Interior Designers. This course took us back to the Middle Ages and beyond. I read your article on Mother Mary Apparitions and I just wanted to share this with you. "The Influence of The Madonna upon Art."
I read this and flipped out. I always wondered how in the world they started to worship Mary. Carolyn. |
Related studies on this site:
- EXPOSING THE EMERGENCE OF THE FIRST BEAST OF REVELATION CHAPTER 13: For a deeper understanding of how the 'first beast' will manifest itself. And how current events are shaping up for the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.
- The History of Christianity The historical formation and progress of Christianity; from the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ on through the origin of the different Christian denominations, up to our modern day Christianity, then on through the prophesied 'Great' Apostasy of the book of Revelation, and into the Second Advent of the Messiah Jesus Christ. Some chapter headings: The events of the life and times of Jesus Christ / The development of Christianity into the different denominations / The Catholic Popes / The Jesuit Priesthood / The reformation / Persecutions / The Rapture 'Doctrine' / A look at Biblical prophecy future yet / Conclusion, what we can each do on an individual level.
- Current events of the One-World Religious System, which is the First Beast written of in Revelation chapter 13: We have arranged to supply an article in it's entirety that was graciously supplied by Gary Kah of The Hope of the World news letter. Gary Kah also authored an excellent book in our library titled: New World Religion. This article is a real eye-opener to those who are aware of, and who follow current Biblical end-time events as they transpire in our present generation, the final generation written of in the Bible.
- MATTHEW CHAPTER 24: This chapter is given as a warning to us regarding the seven signs in the book of Revelation that describe the final times just before the Second Advent of our Messiah Jesus Christ; this is what is inaccurately referred to as 'the end of the world'. In this chapter Jesus warns us of the false christ (the antichrist) that comes first to this earth claiming to be the True Messiah Jesus Christ. Therefore it is obviously a topic of great importance to all of us, especially in our present generation, which is the prophesied final generation.
- THE ANTICHRIST: This Bible study is the culminate of all the In-depth Bible Studies. it answers the who, what, where, when, how, and why's of the coming antichrist. This study is a must read for this end-time generation, for we shall see the prophesied coming of the antichrist!
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Watchmen Bible Study Group
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(End of page)
The complete Address of
Pope John Paul II at Shrine of Mary:
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study
POPE JOHN PAUL II's
Address at Blessing of Marian
Shrine
Poland,
1999
Monday, 7 June 1999
"Hail, O
Daughter of God the Father,
Hail, O Mother of the Son of God,
Hail, O Bride of the Holy Spirit,
Temple of the Most Holy Trinity.
Amen."
Address at Blessing of Marian Shrine
Monday, 7 June 1999
1. ""Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord"" (Lk 1:45). As a pilgrim I come today to the Shrine of Lichen and I greet Mary with the words of Elizabeth: "Blessed is she who believed". From the text of the evangelist Luke we learn that the house of Elizabeth was filled with joy. Thanks to the light shining from on high, Elizabeth understands the greatness of Mary who is "full of grace" and who is therefore "blessed among women" (cf. Lk 1:42), since she carries in her womb Jesus, the Saviour of the world. The scene of the Visitation is particularly near to our hearts here in this place so loved by Mary. Every shrine, in fact, is in some way the house of Elizabeth visited by the Mother of God''s Son, who comes so that she may be close to her beloved people.
2. Brothers and Sisters, I give thanks to Divine Providence that this Shrine figures as part of my pilgrim journey in our homeland. I am thankful for being able to meet you on this beautiful and picturesque hill, amid fields and woods, to bless this new church in honour of the Mother of God. I look with admiration upon this large building, which in its architectural richness is an expression of faith and love for Mary and her Son. Let us give thanks to God for this church! Gratitude is due also to the guardians of this Shrine, the Marian Fathers who for years have taken care of it and have faithfully served the pilgrims. In fact, it is their initiative that led to the building of this church. I thank also those who built it and all who, with their offerings, have supported and continue to support this important undertaking. I cordially greet Bishop Bronislaw, Pastor of the Diocese of Wloclawek, in whose territory this Shrine lies. I greet the Auxiliary Bishop, the Bishop Emeritus, the clergy and the pilgrims who have come from various parts of Poland.
3. Let us turn our gaze to her "who believed". Mary believed that what the Lord had said to her would be fulfilled. She believed, on God''s word, that she -- a virgin -- would conceive and bear a Son. Mary''s act of faith reminds us of the faith of Abraham, who at the beginning of the Old Covenant believed in God. This is the greatness and the perfection of Mary''s faith, in the presence of which Elizabeth uttered words of amazement. Calling Mary ""blessed among women"", Elizabeth shows that Mary was blessed thanks to her faith. Elizabeth''s exclamation, filled with wonder, is for us an exhortation to learn to appreciate what Mary''s presence brings to the life of every believer.
4. Gathered today for this morning prayer at the Shrine of Lichen, at the feet of Our Lady of Sorrows, let all of us -- Bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, lay faithful -- implore her to intercede for us with her Son, seeking to obtain for us:
A living faith that will grow from a mustard
seed to the tree of divine life;
A faith that is nourished everyday by prayer, is strengthened by
the holy sacraments and draws richness from the Gospel of Christ;
A strong faith that shrinks before no difficulty, suffering or
lack of success, because it is sustained by the conviction that
"nothing is impossible for God" (cf. Lk 1:37);
A mature faith without reservation, a faith that cooperates with
the holy Church in the authentic building up of the Mystical Body
of Christ.
We thank you, Mary, because you ceaselessly and unfailingly lead
us to Christ.
Mother of the Divine Son, watch over us, watch over our unshakable fidelity to God, to the Cross, to the Gospel and to the holy Church, as you have done since the first moments of our Christian history. Defend this nation which for a thousand years has walked the path of the Gospel. Grant that we live, grow and persevere in faith until the end.
"Hail, O Daughter of God the Father, Hail, O Mother of the Son of God, Hail, O Bride of the Holy Spirit, Temple of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen." - Pope John Paul II
(End of address)
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