Dear Brother
@amadeus2
Your attempt in trying to say that one condition automatically follows the other is....how should I say this tactfully
does not follow at all. :whistle Why not Joseph? Why's he left out in the cold? Hey, let's not forget David, Enoch, how about a prophet, can you give me twelve apostles? The emphasis is not there. Why?
Oh, I quite agree. My point is simply that given the right attitude communicating with Mary would not in itself be a wrong thing any more than it would be wrong to communicate with Stephen who it would seem to me is with the Lord. Your point is of course why talk to one of them when we can talk with Jesus directly. There are may be legitimate for a person talking to Mary rather than the Master (Jesus) for some people. Not knowing the hearts of those people I would be very hesitant to point an accusing finger at them. I talk to Jesus myself.
The level of attention given to Mary is greater than one prayer. If you were to delve into the Mariology Philosophy you will find that more is given to a living Mary then a living Jesus and I'm not talking about the one still on the Cross! It goes way beyond, just one prayer that says please pray for me because I have this going on in my life that needs fixin. Check out the link if you haven't already that I provided in a post to king1. Of which he of cause disagrees with. You'll see what I mean.
You are generalizing, of course. I grew up as Roman Catholic although I have away from the RCC for 40 years. I know from personal experience that sometimes people do do more than they should in honoring a person. I have done it myself. Believe me, there are Catholics who love God sincerely. I remembering when serving faithfully as a Catholic altar boy, praying that God would help me move closer to Him. He answered my prayer abundantly. As a Catholic I was blessed and increased and at that time I thought that was it. I was certainly I was called to the Catholic priesthood. I was wrong, but that is another story.
My biggest blessings came to me long after I had backslid from the RCC and had lived a life in sin for some years, but never did I do so an active professing Catholic. When God recalled me, the blessings I had as a Catholic were properly put in the background, but they have always remained a part of my walk toward God.
To condemn them all because of some issues we see in the teachings of practices of their organized group would be an error. I am certain you see that as well.
I believe that all people who drink to excess should come out that place, but since most or all of them do still have hope for something better, I will not say they are all going to hell. I know you are not saying that about Catholics, but there is at least, I believe, a grain of that conclusion in your position. As a Catholic, I always loved God and I knew some other Catholics who, I believe, also did. How much of Truth did the thief on the cross know when he was promised to be in Paradise with Jesus? All of us are not given even the same amount of time to grow.
"much is given...much is required" Luke 12:48
All of us do have to continue to grow... or we will stagnate and die finally and completely. This does not pertain only to Catholics.
As far as proving to a person that he is wrong and that I am right or that you are right or his church is wrong and "mine" is right, consider who gives the increase. It is not you or me or his church or mine.
"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." I Cor 3:6-7
With great love for you brother!
YBIC
C4E
<><
Any love that we have for each other must be from God or it is not worth much. Any real love that anyone has is from God, I believe, even if the person does not know God. Standing on that love, that perhaps the worst of sinners have, will not help much or at all in the end of the matter, will it?
May God richly bless you will more of His Love as you walk with Him!
