First off I want to state that I am not an English major, some of you put together beautiful thought that take an enormous amount of time. I am very grateful for that, but I have to put my 2 cents in.

About Mary:
I was brought up in a Catholic Home (i'm still only 18), and I went to a Catholic School for 5 years. I was taught that you can pray to Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, she gave herself up for God. This is such an amazing gift that she can give.

While praying, I like to think I have a personal relationship with God, I find it comforting that I can pray to someone I can relate to, or look up to. There is a difference between praying and worshipping.

I had a friend go on a mission trip to Peru. He was one of those people that you could see God in him everyday, no matter how bad his day was going, he was smiling. So he went to Peru and got a cut on his foot. He came back to America, where he found out it got infected. The doctors could not figure out what it was, and he died 2 months later. I pray to him for strength quite often. Thinking of what he did for God, it gives me strength praying to him.

If you want more information about my friends story, you can pm me to ask for the website.

Originally Posted by Landon

First off I want to state that I am not an English major, some of you put together beautiful thought that take an enormous amount of time. I am very grateful for that, but I have to put my 2 cents in.

About Mary:
I was brought up in a Catholic Home (i'm still only 18), and I went to a Catholic School for 5 years. I was taught that you can pray to Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, she gave herself up for God. This is such an amazing gift that she can give.

Since when is what your taught automatically correct? Show me Scripture that says Mary had this gift. Its very evident you did not bother reading the 5 pages of this thread or else you would have viewed otherwise. You joined 10 minutes ago and shot to this thread without even introducing yourself in the new member forum. You clearly ignored everything said in this thread, 5 pages worth.

Originally Posted by Landon

While praying, I like to think I have a personal relationship with God, I find it comforting that I can pray to someone I can relate to, or look up to. There is a difference between praying and worshipping.

Is that so? What wrong with praying to Jesus? Why is it you cannot relate to Him? Did His death on the cross after 33 years of living a fully human life not enough to relate to? What exactly is the difference between praying and worshiping? Can you explain?

Originally Posted by Landon

I had a friend go on a mission trip to Peru. He was one of those people that you could see God in him everyday, no matter how bad his day was going, he was smiling. So he went to Peru and got a cut on his foot. He came back to America, where he found out it got infected. The doctors could not figure out what it was, and he died 2 months later. I pray to him for strength quite often. Thinking of what he did for God, it gives me strength praying to him.

If you want more information about my friends story, you can pm me to ask for the website.

So you pray to a dead man? Does he respond to you? (Sarcasm unavoidable, its a honest question). Jesus responds to my prayers. But I know a dead man cannot hear, so therefore he cannot speak.

Jesus is the only mediator, we can't pray to dead people.

1 Timothy 2:5
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" KJV

Originally Posted by Chad

Since when is what your taught automatically correct? Show me Scripture that says Mary had this gift. Its very evident you did not bother reading the 5 pages of this thread or else you would have viewed otherwise. You joined 10 minutes ago and shot to this thread without even introducing yourself in the new member forum. You clearly ignored everything said in this thread, 5 pages worth.

The gift to give birth? Unless Catholicism is way different than Christianity, Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ. Could you explain a little bit more about what you mean by "this gift". The gift to give birth?

Originally Posted by Chad

Is that so? What wrong with praying to Jesus? Why is it you cannot relate to Him? Did His death on the cross after 33 years of living a fully human life not enough to relate to? What exactly is the difference between praying and worshiping? Can you explain?

I never said I did not pray to Jesus or God. And I never said I cannot relate to him. I am saying that I feel that I can pray to other people than Jesus and God.

Praying and worshipping I feel there is a difference. Church, you go to Worship and Praise Jesus and God. When I'm in my room and I start praying. I ask for guidance, I ask for strength and help. This is not worshipping, I am asking for help.

Originally Posted by Chad

So you pray to a dead man? Does he respond to you? (Sarcasm unavoidable, its a honest question). Jesus responds to my prayers. But I know a dead man cannot hear, so therefore he cannot speak.

Yes, I pray (not worship) to a dead man, I pray to Saints, and Mary. And it's just like at a funeral, you see the casket, mumble some words in your mind. (Save me a spot up there buddy, and keep a close eye over me), for instance is what I said in my mind at one funeral. And yes, everytime I pray to my friend, a Saint, Mary, Jesus, God, I feel strength, I see signs. And a dead man cannot hear, but someone in heaven can.


I didn't mean to get off on the wrong foot.

How is giving birth to a baby a gift on the mother's part? That's the gift from GOD, not the mother. So if Mary has a gift to "give birth", automatically every mother has this gift too, and suddenly you can pray to them?

I asked you to provide me Scripture that says you can pray to Mary but you did not. Mary is the mother of Jesus on the human side, not the divine side. Remember, Jesus is both human and GOD in the same sense, flesh and divine. GOD is made of 3 persons: the Father, the Son [Jesus], and the Holy Spirit. Where's Mary?

Why did you not read the 5 pages instead of shooting to your post? You claimed that others wrote beautiful pieces, yet you read these all 5 pages that after after making your first post 10 minutes after registering? Let's be honest and sincere, and NOT preach anything unbiblical. This is a fair warning, brother.

Show me Scripture where you can pray to a dead man. Brother Cody showed you that you cannot and should not. Let me show you something else also.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15

13For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

As you see, these things you see and hear when praying to dead people are the devil's tricks. This is not uncommon. I've heard the same garbage from my own family members and it is WRONG!

Instead of swaying around my questions, answer them honestly or else do not preach about praying to dead people and Mary. That goes against what Scripture teaches.

Landon,

Where we differ with you Catholics is that we do not accept church tradition as having equal weight with Scripture. We don't say that you can't have your beliefs, but we do say that if a teaching does not jibe with Scripture, it will not be spread on this site. If you believe in Catholic doctrine and want to spread it, go to one of the Catholic message boards and promote it to those who visit that site. Only doctrine that is verified by Scripture will be promoted here.

Also, your comment about there being a difference between prayer and worship is interesting.

I used to keep prayer and worship separate, while usually feeling that my prayers were hitting the wall and sliding ineffectively to the floor; that none of them (or precious few of them) were "sticking", as it were. Eventually, I learned that a) many of my prayers were selfish prayers, and b) my prayers lacked power because I hadn't first entered God's presence through genuine worship. I cannot connect with God in prayer without first becoming fully aware of Who He is and What He is. And I can only become fully aware of Who He is and What He is through spending time in worship.

SLE

Landon

You said:

When I'm in my room and I start praying. I ask for guidance, I ask for strength and help. This is not worshipping, I am asking for help.

This is directly contrary to Scripture. I will post one of my own small studies on prayer in this thread right after this comment. You may profit from, so please consider. I leave you with this:

Hbr 4:14 ¶ Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Hbr 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hbr 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

His name is Jesus, Landon.

Hisalone

When the disciples asked Jesus this question, "teach us to pray" This is what he said:-

Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

More on prayer:

Mat 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Jesus also said we can ask in his name:

Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Thank you all for the comments. I got myself into too deep, without scriptual support/knowledge.

I am thinking more deeply about praying to Angels, I hope as I read The Bible I will more fully understand, and make my own decision, with your help. When I did pray to my friend, angels, saints, I felt no wrong. But there is a scripture verse that Cody shared with me, that went somewhere along the lines of "The heart is impure, only the word of Jesus will lead a man to salvation" . I am not very sure how close to the actual quote that is, but I think it is more important that I understood the concept, even though it "feels" right, it might not be right.

Again, I thank you guys all very much for the comments, and I take no offense to any comments, I see you took your thoughts directly from The Bible. I think/hope that you all do this out of love for people to find the truth. So do not be afraid to correct me/comment me (I don't think anyone is).

Our Heart

Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" KJV

God's Word

John 17:17
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." KJV

1 Peter 1:23
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." KJV

1 Thessalonians 2:13
"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." KJV

Proverbs 30:5
"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him." KJV

I love you in Christ, brother. God Bless you