“My theology is straight from the Book. The RCs have mixed the traditions of men (such as revering Mary and praying to her, like this guy did) and claiming all of this is somehow Christianity. Piffle (I love that word).”
“Mary has been idolized so much by the Catholics that, rather than “favored”, she now conducts operations on the earth, works in men’s hearts, and performs spiritual duties like the Spirit of God. Sounds blasphemous.”
Holy Mary has not just been honored by Catholics - you should read your early reformers had to say about her.
So, we have mixed up traditions? I suggest you read your early church leaders...Luther, Zwingli, Wesley, nor Bullinger et al, changed the “traditions” of the Blessed Mother of God. So who did?
Martin Luther, the founder of the reform said this:
“St. Paul says ‘God sent his Son born of a woman, These words which I hold for true, really sustain quite firmly that Mary is the Mother of God.” (Martin Luther, Martin Luther’s Works, vol 7, pg 592)
This doesn’t mean that Mary’s title “Mother of God” infers that she existed before God. Jesus is present from the beginning of time. “In the Beginning was the Word” (Jn 1.1). In the Old Testament, Jesus was the “rock in the dessert” (Exo 17:6, 1 Cor 10:4).
The believers in Christ don’t revere any man, including Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, et al. They all, like you and I, have made ridiculous statements at some time in their lives. Only the RC group thinks their piffle doesn’t stink, though. The rest of us know better.
But, yes, the RC certainly have stained the world with a large collection of utterly worthless tradition manufactured for their own pleasure. Junk, blasphemous, waste of time and unholy. They should cry for repentence, if God might grant it, “leading to a knowledge of the truth and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil having been held captive to do his will. II Tim. 2:25, 26.
Some people have gone overboard in their Marian devotion, but even they know that Mary is not a substitute for Jesus, although she does turn us toward Him.
Catholics do revere Mary, as her Son taught us to do. I have no idea what you mean about 'conducting operations on the earth'. As one of Jesus's disciples, we can pray for miracles through her, in His name, in the same manner as he directed his other disciples, and as some Saints in heaven do. Of course, these miracles are works of God, and we all know that, but there's nothing wrong with enlisting the help of our favorite Saints when we're asking for God's help. Isn't that what we do here on earth when we ask others to pray for us? Again, we're only doing what Jesus directed us to do.
Part of me DESPERATELY wants to hit reply to some of these posts - but the better part now understands the futility of it.
Where faith is involved, reason MUST take a back seat. And since these issues have been argued for a few thousand years, internet postings will not resolve them.
Still, it IS tempting...I just have to ask, who is DOING the tempting!