THE TRUTH SHALL SET US
FREE, OR THE INTELLECT WILL CONFUSE THE HELL OUT OF US!
The truth will set us free
"Noah's Dove" <noahdove7@lightspeed.ca>
Raymond Ronald Karczewski -- A Living Christ (arkent3@earthlink.net)
24 Apr 2006 22:47:26 -0700
rk: Indeed, Let the Truth set us free!!
nd: > Jesus said that the truth will set us free. (John
8:32) However, He did not say that the truth would necessarily be easy
to accept. It was painful for me to learn the information that I am
about to share with you, but it was also liberating and it led to a
closer relationship with God.
nd: > As a faithful Catholic, and later as a nun, I was
devoted to Mary.
rk: You were "devoted" to an idea, were you not? An idea
which was gained through religious mind conditioning, was it not?
nd: > The prayers and practices were so familiar. They were
taught to me by sincere people.
rk: Sincere people are not necessarily "clear" people, are
they? Is it not the beginning of the "blind leading the blind?"
nd: > I prayed the rosary, including rosary novenas. I wore a
Brown Scapular and a Miraculous Medal. (You can read about these things
in the Glossary, which is Appendix C.) I visited shrines that honor
Mary. I had beautiful statues of Mary. I attended special services
where we prayed to Mary and recited a litany of titles honoring her. I
read books about apparitions of Mary, and dreamed of visiting Lourdes
and Fatima. I participated in processions honoring Mary. A statue of
Mary was put on a platform that was decorated with flowers. There were
poles on the platform, so that men could carry it. The men walked
through the streets, carrying the statue on the platform. We walked
behind the statue, singing songs in Mary's honor.
rk: In other words you fully supported the Religious Industry,
did you not?
nd: > Was this worship? At the time, that question never
occurred to me. Now, looking back on what I did, I believe that it was.
rk: Belief, is the lazy man's(woman's) Truth. Similar in
appearance, but vastly different in substance, is it not? All
belief is Satanic since it enables the blind leaders to lead the blind
believers..
nd: > If modern Catholic teachings and doctrines about
Mary are true, then they will not be contrary to Scripture, the
writings of the Early Fathers, or the decrees of past popes. For a
devout Catholic to question these issues and put them to the test can
be painful. It certainly was for me. However, it would be far more
painful to have God correct us when we face Him on Judgment Day.
rk: Are not the earlier "father's/writers" the scribes, the
Pharisees, the Pope, the CEO of the burgeoning religious organization.
How Satanic of them?!!
nd: > LETTING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SPEAK FOR ITSELF
nd: > I believe in letting people speak for themselves.
Therefore my primary sources about Catholic doctrines and history come
from the Catholic Church.
rk: In other words, you are the conduit of Catholic
Conditioning. Such second hand training pales with direct
apprehension of Divine Truth, does it not. Why settle for the
counterfeit, when the ORIGINAL is available in EVERY MOMENT?
nd: > First and foremost is the official "Catechism of
the Catholic Church"which was written for the purpose of summarizing
the essential and basic teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
rk: All worldly, Satanic ruled organizations have rules to
control and manipulate those who subject themselves to the Satanic rule
through self-doubt. When such rules become glorified, one steps
into the world of BASSACKWARDS, that is ALWAYS STRIVING BUT NEVER
ACHIEVING. Stop the STRIVING and the ACHIEVING, and what is the
state of consciousness being experienced?
nd: > It was approved by Pope John Paul II in 1992 and the
English translation was released in 1994.
rk: The pope is merely another Satanic worldly leader. He
merely uses a different schtick to manipulate those who have
voluntarily subjected themselves to his "authority."
nd: > The latest English edition was printed in 2000. Most of
my other sources are either practicing Catholics or else former
Catholics whose approach is loving and respectful and who have
thoroughly documented their work.
rk: Without such loving hypocrisy, where would religion and the
cults of the world be today?
nd: > The "Catechism of the Catholic Church " comes in
numerous editions and languages. Because it has numbered paragraphs,
statements can be accurately located in spite of the variety of
editions. Therefore, when I cite the "Catechism," I will give paragraph
numbers rather than page numbers. That will enable you to find the
information in any edition of the book. (Note 1)
rk: A mechancal process worthy of any automaton, wouldn't you
say. Wouldn't a CD-ROM be better?
nd: > Scripture quotations are from the King James
Version of the Holy Bible.
rk: Devilish little instrument of division and hypocrisy, was it
not?
nd: > If you really want to understand Catholic teaching
in the light of Scripture and the history of the Catholic church, then
I strongly recommend reading the following two books. The authors are
former Catholics who love and respect Catholics. They are gentle and
respectful in their approach. (See the Bibliography for information
about these books.)
rk: And what is their attitude toward the rest of the
nonbelieving world?
nd: > (1) "The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing
Catholic Tradition and the Word of God," by James G. McCarthy. This
book is easy to read, well documented, objective, and gentle. It is a
comprehensive guide to Catholic beliefs, based on Catholic sources. It
examines Catholic teachings in the light of Scripture.
rk: Hell (the world) is not a gentle place. Religious
doormats only serve their leaders for that which they are trained --
SLAVERY!
nd: > (2) "The Church of Rome at the Bar of History" by
William Webster. This book compares modern Catholic doctrines with the
teachings of the early Church.
rk: All such Satanic comparative nonsense amounts to intellectual
masturbation. It goes nowhere, provides argument, friction and
divisiveness, but sure "feels good" when it energizes the Satanic
Intellect, does it not?
nd: > For a good overview of Catholicism, I recommend
the video "Catholicism: Crisis of Faith". A friend of mine said that in
one hour, this video gave him a better understanding of Catholicism
than he had received from a college course on the subject. This video
is gentle and respectful. An annotated transcript is available on-line.
(Information about videos follows the Bibliography.)
rk: A mild form of entertainment, distraction, fantasy, was it
not?
nd: > WILL THE REAL CATHOLIC CHURCH PLEASE STAND
UP?
nd: > When I was in the convent, our mother superior
told us about Catholics in Mexico who, in their devotion to Mary, were
doing things that we would only do when worshipping God.
rk: Forgive me, but such AUTHORITATIVE dictum can only come from
submission to another's will. You mistake slavery for
spirituality, then seem damned proud of it.
nd: > We were concerned about this. We considered this
practice to be unusual and unbalanced. We thought that the American
practice of Catholicism was the true thing. However, many years later I
realized that if you want to know what something really is, then look
at how it behaves when it is in a position of power. In America,
Catholics are in the minority. To see the true spirit behind
Catholicism, watch what the Catholic Church does in countries where it
is in power.
rk: Ah!! ". . .Where it is in
power" Was not such power gained through
Conquest and Inquisitions? Is not ALL POWER SATANIC IN NATURE?!
nd: > One place where the Catholic Church is strong is
Spain, which is known for the Spanish Inquisition. I always thought
that the Inquisition was ancient history. However, the last official
Spanish execution for heresy occurred in 1826. A schoolmaster was
hanged because he substituted the phrase "Praise be to God" in place of
"Ave Maria" ("Hail Mary") during school prayers. (Note 2)
rk: Isn't that *Speshul?* And you came back for more
eh? Does not bode well, does it?
nd: > I always thought that abuses of power by the
Catholic Church were something that happened long ago. However, look at
the following example from the Philippines, where the Catholic Church
is strong.
nd: > Beginning in 1948 there was a series of
apparitions of Mary in the city of Lipa. These apparitions were
sometimes accompanied by showers of rose petals and other supernatural
phenomena.
rk: "Apparitions" are a dime a dozen. All you need are a
few good "hypnotic subjects" to program (not unlike MK Ultra) and the
rest of the blind believers will follow. Look at the commercial
success of such towns surrounding such apparition sites. It
speaks for itself. No wonder the American People can't get off their
dead butts and send their Satanic war-mongering leadership back to
KINGDOM COME.
nd: > They occurred in a convent. The local bishop personally
experienced a shower of rose petals and thereafter supported the
apparitions.
rk: Such hearsay testimony of personal experience serves as quite
a "marketing device," does it not? Who amongst the blind,
believing, mind-controlled subjects were willing to stand up and
question the bishop?
nd: > The media mocked the supernatural events in Lipa and
street vendors sold phony "holy rose petals." In response to the bad
publicity, the Vatican sent a Papal Administrator to take over the
diocese where the apparitions occurred. He replaced the bishop and the
mother superior.
rk: Is that not what "corporations" do in times of confusion,
doubt, and unrest -- REARRANGE THE FURNITURE?
nd: > The nun who saw the apparitions was forced to leave the
convent. The nuns were ordered to destroy all materials associated with
the apparitions, including a statue. The convent was sealed and the
nuns were not allowed to talk to anyone outside the convent. An
official Commission of Inquiry was convened, which unanimously ruled
that the apparitions were not valid. However, they did not interview
anybody who had personal, first-hand knowledge of the events. Several
of the bishops who were part of the Commission of Inquiry stated on
their deathbeds that the Papal Administrator had forced them to sign
the verdict by threatening to excommunicate them if they did not sign
it. (Note 3 )
rk: Ah, religious "integrity" at work. Satanic, is it not?
nd: > After years of no longer being a Catholic, I attended a
Catholic funeral. When I went into the church something hit me hard. It
had always been there, but I had never noticed it before because I was
used to it. There were statues of Mary and the saints. They looked
solid, real, as if they represented people of power.
rk: Such long, incremental and unrelenting religious mind control
is tough to shake, is it not?
nd: > Jesus only appeared as a helpless baby in Mary's
arms, as a dead man nailed to a cross, and as little wafers of bread
hidden inside a fancy box. Visually and emotionally the message was
very clear -- if you want real power, if you want someone who can do
something for you, then go to Mary and the Saints.
rk: And then one has stepped into Hell from which, for
many, there is no return.
DEVOTION TO MARY
nd: > If you want to see what a person's real priorities are,
then watch what they do when their life, or the life of a loved one, is
in danger. When Pope John Paul II was shot, while the ambulance was
rushing him to the hospital, the Pope was not praying to God or calling
on the name of Jesus. He kept saying, over and over: "Mary, my mother!"
rk: Conditioned "automatons" necessarily follow their mind
control programming, do they not?
nd: > Polish pilgrims placed a picture of Our Lady of
Czestochowa on the throne where the Pope normally sat. People gathered
around the picture. Vatican loudspeakers broadcasted the prayers of the
rosary. When the Pope recovered, he gave Mary all the glory for saving
his life, and he made a pilgrimage to Fatima to publicly thank her.
(Note 4)
rk: Demonstration of remote Satanic Authority exercising mass
hypnosis techniques on unsuspecting believers when focus has been
gained, wouldn't you say?
nd: > Jesus said, "[W]here your treasure is there will your
heart be also." (Luke 12:34) Some statues of Mary have real crowns made
of gold.
rk: Ripped from the hands of Sunday morning Offerings, eh?
nd: > The web sites listed in the Notes show pictures of
statues of Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes wearing crowns.
(Note 5) The statues in the pictures are replicas, and their crowns are
ceramic and painted gold. But the crowns on the original statues at
Fatima and Lourdes are real crowns made of real gold.
nd: > Vast sums of money are spent on jeweled crowns and
lavish clothing for some special statues of Mary. (You can see pictures
of them in the Catholic devotional book, "Miraculous Images of Our
Lady.") In the Philippines, there is a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary
that is nearly 5 feet high. It wears a crown of gold studded with
diamonds, rubies, and other gems.
rk: Wasn't there something in the ten commandments about
worshipping "graven images?" A bit of hypocrisy there, is it
not? You see, when you can make the masses believe in FANTASY,
the reality of their world has been turned upside down and backwards
and THEY ARE LOST to Truth. That, my dear lady, IS MAN'S FALL FROM
GRACE.
nd: > There is a large halo like a sunburst behind its
head, made of gold and diamonds. In Spain, a statue of Our Lady of the
Forsaken has elegant gowns and mantles decorated with gold and jewels.
It has a large collection of jewels, including $50,000 worth of jewels
that are a gift from Queen Isabella II. Our Lady of Guadalupe is best
known for a painting in Mexico, but there is also a statue in Spain
that wears gold and jewels. It has a sunburst headdress with 30,000
jewels. In Germany, a statue of Our Lady of Alotting has a gold crown
covered with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds. It wears a
necklace of pearls and rubies, and a gown that is decorated with gold,
pearls, diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. The statue is in a shrine with
a silver altar and walls that are decorated with silver. In Spain, a
statue of Our Lady of the Pillar wears clothing decorated with gold and
jewels, and a large gold crown covered with jewels. There is a sunburst
(halo) behind the statue with a diameter that is larger than the height
of the statue. A full-color, close-up picture of the crown and sunburst
shows that they are covered with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. (There
are so many jewels that I can't see the gold underneath them.) On the
wall behind the statue are 148 gold stars; 80 of them are set with
jewels. Even paintings of Mary can wear jewels. In Russia, there is a
painting of Our Lady of Kazan that is covered with a rizza (a structure
of gold that covers the entire painting except for the faces of Mary
and baby Jesus). This rizza has more than 1,000 diamonds, rubies,
pearls, and sapphires on it. (Note 6)
rk: Cash in some of that wealth, and the Catholic Church and
Vatican could well make a dent in world hunger. Becha they won't
do it!!
nd: > In Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, preparations are underway
to construct a huge statue of Our Lady of the Rosary. Inside the base
of the statue there will be chapels, conference rooms, apartments, a
food court, and radio and TV stations. There will also be observation
decks. This statue will be part of a 500-acre "Mystical City" complex.
rk: But the real question remains -- ARE THEY USING EMINENT
DOMAIN TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR REAL ESTATE BOONDOGGLE?
nd: > According to an article in "Caribbean Business,"
this statue "will top at 1,500 feet". According to an article by the
Associated Press, the statue will be 305 feet high. (Note 7) The
discrepancy in numbers can be explained by looking at the Statue of
Liberty, which is a 151 foot statue on top of a 154 foot base. Some
sources say that the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet high (which includes
the height of the base) and some say that it is 151 feet high (which is
the height of the actual statue). What we probably have in Sabana
Grande is a 305 foot statue with a 1,200 foot base.
rk: Is all this promotion supposed to give the lowly peasants
something to identify with perceived to be greater than themselves and
could not come about without their enslaved support?.
nd: > I have personally participated in American processions
which honored Mary. We walked through the streets following a statue of
Mary which was carried on a platform, high up where it was clearly
visible. We sang songs in Mary's honor. We prayed rosaries and other
prayers to her. These were small processions. At Fatima, Portugal,
crowds of over a million people gather on the anniversary of the
apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. The celebration includes a procession
of a million people following a statue of Mary and singing her praises.
(Note 8)
rk: A real testimony to the level of consciousness exhibited by
the spiritually blind led by the equally spiritual blind, is it
not?
nd: > One popular prayer in Mary's honor is the "Hail
Holy Queen," which is known in Latin as the "Salve Regina". It is
traditionally included as part of praying the rosary.
rk: Song, dance, entertainment is the tool of the
manipulator. Who better personifies that than Evangelists at
Christian Services? For the Catholics, it is the mystery which
surrounds the pomp and ceremony of mystical superstition.
nd: > For Catholics who are reading this, please try to
overcome your familiarity with this text and really look at the words.
Doesn't this sound like worship?
rk: Sounds like MIND CONTROL to me!!
nd: > "Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our
sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of
Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping, in this
valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of
mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed
fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary."
rk: Sounds like the supplication of a gaggle of "poor me's, poor
me's" made to be Co-dependant upon some remote authority to save them
from themselves. Is this not the SAVIOUR SCHTICK wielded by
religious authorities?
nd: > Alfonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) was a principal
proponent of the Marianist Movement, which glorifies Mary. He wrote a
book entitled "The Glories of Mary" which is famous, influential and
widely read. In this book, de Liguori says that Mary was given
rulership over one half of the kingdom of God; Mary rules over the
kingdom of mercy and Jesus rules over the kingdom of justice. De
Liguori said that people should pray to Mary as a mediator and look to
her as an object of trust for answered prayer. The book even says that
there is no salvation outside of Mary. Some people suggest that these
views are extreme and not representative of Catholic Church teaching.
However, instead of silencing de Liguori as a heretic, the Catholic
Church canonized him as a saint and declared him to be a "doctor of the
Church" (a person whose teachings carry weight and authority).
Furthermore, his book is openly and officially promoted by the Catholic
Church, and his teachings have influenced popes. (Note 9)
rk: Ah! is not such division of purported spiritual power between
Mary and Jesus not unlike the division of the Republicans and
Democrats. When will the world catch on to such obvious mind
control ploys? Look beyond the misdirecting images and you shall
see the Satanic Ones who manufacture, control and manipulate both
images of power. That is when civilized man will awaken from his
Satanic induced slumber and return to his Rightful Christ State of
Awakened Consciousness.
nd: > Pope Benedict XV said of Mary that "[O]ne can justly say
that with Christ, she herself redeemed mankind." (Note 10) Pope Pius IX
said: "Our salvation is based upon the holy Virgin... so that if there
is any hope and spiritual healing for us we receive it solely and
uniquely from her." (Note 11)
rk: We've heard from the Spiritual "Peanut Gallery" but what does
Supreme Intelligence, the Divine Spirit which resides within each of us
say?
nd: > A lay movement called "Vox Populi" ("Voice of the
People") gathers signed petitions to send to the Pope, seeking to have
him officially declare that Mary is Co-Redemptrix.
rk: So the Authority of Mary arises from a political
movement? How Secular is that???
nd: > Over six million signatures have been sent to him,
representing 138 countries and all seven continents. This doctrine is
supported by over 40 cardinals and 600 bishops worldwide. (Note 12)
rk: And all such earthly power does not a single Christ make,
does it?
nd: > The Catholic Church exalts Mary as an idealized,
larger-than-life, perfect mother. However, the Bible shows that at one
point Mary misunderstood Jesus' calling to the point that she thought
He was insane and she tried to prevent Him from doing what God wanted
Him to do. Look at Mark 3:20-34.
rk: The Catholic Church is SATANIC. How do you like
them apples???
nd: > "And the multitude cometh together again, so that they
could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends heard of it, they
went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.'"
(Mark
3:20-21)
nd: > The New International Version says "His family". The New
King James Version says "His own people." The King James Version says
"his friends". According to "Strong's Greek/Hebrew Dictionary," the
Greek word has a variety of meanings, including "kinsmen". However, we
don't have to depend on the exact meaning of the word here because it
will be made clear in verse 31. "Strong's" defines "lay hold on" as "to
use strength, i.e. seize or retain". It defines "beside himself" as
"become astounded, insane".
rk: Welcome to the flaw of language and thought, the realm of
Satan, without which HELL ON EARTH would not be possible.
nd: > Verses 22 through 30 describe a confrontation between
Jesus and the scribes. Then we get back to what is happening with the
people who thought that Jesus was out of His mind and were so concerned
that they were coming to "lay hold on him" (seize him).
nd: > "There came then his brethren and his mother, and,
standing without, sent unto him calling him. And the multitude sat
about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren
without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother,
or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him,
and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the
will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." (Mark
3:31-35)
rk: Such Truth is always simple and direct, is it not?
nd: > CATHOLIC DOCTRINES ABOUT MARY COMPARED WITH WHAT
THE BIBLE SAYS
nd: > My sources for this section are the Bible and the "Catechism
of the Catholic Church," which has numbered paragraphs. For the sake of
simplicity and brevity, I will just say "Catechism" plus the number of
the paragraph(s). For example, "'Catechism' 411, 493" means "'Catechism
of the Catholic Church,' paragraphs numbered 411 and 493".
rk: God, Truth is Self-Evident in the ETERNAL MOMENT HERE AND
NOW. Only Satan operates in the Aftermoment of Intellectual
thought and requires systems of libraries to inundate the mind with
"busy work." Look at God's Law, the Truth, then look at the
SATANIC LEGAL PROFESSIONS with it millions of books incomprehensible to
the average man. Such elitist exclusivity reeks of Satanic Power,
does it not?
nd: > For each doctrinal category, I will indicate the
Catholic doctrine, followed by the appropriate references from the
"Catechism". I will follow this with quotations from the Bible which
relate to the doctrine. The last book in the Bible is called "The Book
of Revelation" in Protestant Bibles and "The Apocalypse" in Catholic
Bibles. I will refer to it as "Revelation".
nd: > IMMACULATE CONCEPTION -- Mary was preserved from all
stain of original sin from the first instant of her conception.
("Catechism" 490-492).
rk: Ah yes, cause another to believe in superstitious myth, and
he is immediatley hypnotically inducted into Satanic Thought
which causes him to god of BASSACKWARDS. You've just demonstrated
Religious mind control, have you not? NOW YOU KNOW WHY THE
WORLD OF CIVILIZED MAN IS NUTZ!!
nd: > In Luke 1:46-47, Mary said: "My soul doth magnify the
Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour". Mary knew that
she needed a savior.
rk: Why? Earlier you stated Mary had equal division
with Jesus over the power to rule men. Now you tell us she's just
a spiritual "gofer" as co-dependant as those she has power over.
Could that be the basis for the adage, "the blind shall lead the blind?"
nd: > The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was first
introduced by a heretic (a man whose teachings were officially declared
to be contrary to Church doctrine). For centuries this doctrine was
unanimously rejected by popes, Fathers and theologians of the Catholic
Church. (Note 13)
rk: Still here though, isn't it? Alive and well in the
hearts of unquestioning blind believers. Hell, isn't it?
nd: ? ALL-HOLY -- Mary, "the All-Holy," lived a perfectly sinless
life. ("Catechism" 411, 493)
rk: Sin, is mere Contradiction. It is the inherent state of
conflict and duality which defines the Satanic realm of Intellectual
Thought. Man is not born into ORIGINAL SIN. HE IS TRAINED INTO IT!
nd: > Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God". Revelation 15:4 says, "Who shall not fear thee, O
Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy". Romans 3:10 says,
"There is none righteous, no, not one".
rk: The problem with such religious pap is that IT TAKES ONE TO
KNOW ONE!!
nd: > Jesus is the only person who is referred to in Scripture
as sinless.
rk: Doesn't that tell you something about the WRITERS OF THE
BIBLE?
nd: > Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we have not an high priest which
cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." 2 Corinthians
5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 1 Peter
2:22 says, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth".
nd: > In contrast, Mary said that God is her Savior. (Luke
1:47) If God was her Savior, then Mary was not sinless. Sinless people
do not need a Savior.
rk: That pretty much scuttles the division of Power over Blind
Believers by Mary and Jesus, eh?
nd: > In the Book of Revelation, when they were searching for
someone who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll, the only
person who was found to be worthy was Jesus. Nobody else in Heaven or
on earth (including Mary) was worthy to open the scroll or even look
inside it. (Revelation 5:1-5)
rk: That mystical faeiry tale, and a buck and a half, will buy
you a cup of coffee in any restuarant in Cave Junction Oregon.
But it does work on IGNORAMUSES, does it not?
nd: > PERPETUAL VIRGINITY -- Mary was a virgin before, during
and after the birth of Christ. ("Catechism" 496-511)
nd: > Matthew 1:24-25 says, "Then Joseph being raised from
sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him
his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn
son: and he called his name JESUS." "Till" (until) means that after
that point, Joseph did "know" (have sexual relations with) Mary. (See
Genesis 4:1 where Adam "knew" Eve and she conceived and had a son.)
rk: That sort of reminds me of the joke about two boxers.
One comes to his corner between rounds, beaten, battered, eyes swollen
shut, and his corner man tells him how wonderful he is doing, The other
guy hasn't layed a gloved on him. The boxer raises his tired head
and mumbles, you better dam well keep your eye on the referree then,
for somebody's beating the Hell out of me.
nd: > Jesus had brothers and sisters. The Bible even tells us
their names.Matthew 13:54-56 says, "
nd: > And when he was come into his own country, he taught
them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said,
Whence hatch this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this
the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren,
James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not
all with us?"
rk: So much for Virginity, eh?
nd: > Other Scripture verses which specifically refer to
Jesus' brothers are: Matthew 12:46; John 2:12; John 7:3; Acts 1:14; and
Galatians 1:19.
nd: > I was always taught that "brothers" and "sisters" were
general terms that really could refer to any kind of kinsman, including
cousins. This is true in the Hebrew language. However, the New
Testament is written in Greek, which is an extremely precise language.
It makes a clear distinction between the words used to describe family
relationships. There is a Greek word which refers to people who are
relatives but not of the immediate family, such as aunts, uncles,
nephews, nieces and cousins. There are other Greek words which refer
specifically to a person's brother or sister within a family. (Note 14)
nd: > MOTHER OF GOD -- Because she is the mother of Jesus, and
Jesus is God, therefore Mary is the Mother of God. ("Catechism"
963, 971, 2677).
rk: Whoops!! What about " In Luke 1:46-47, Mary said:
"My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour". Mary knew that she needed a savior."
nd: > The Incarnation means that Jesus was both fully God and
fully man. Mary was only the mother of Jesus as man, and not the mother
of Jesus as God. According to the Bible, the world was created through
Jesus. This was long before Mary was born. Hebrews 1:1-2 says,
nd: > "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds".
Colossians 1:16-17 says,
nd: > "For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things
[including Mary] were created by him, and for him: And he is before all
things [including Mary] , and by him all things consist".
nd: > John 8:58 says, "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I
say unto you, before Abraham was, I am." Jesus existed before Abraham
was born. That means that He also existed before Mary was born. In John
17:5, Jesus says, "And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own
self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." So
Jesus existed even before the world began. Jesus came first -- not Mary.
nd: > MOTHER OF THE CHURCH -- Mary is the Mother of the
Church. "Catechism" 963, 975).
nd: > Acts 1:13-14 gives a picture of a group of people
praying together. Mary is mentioned as one of them, but nothing
indicates any special prominence.
nd: > "And when they were come in, they went up into an upper
room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Phillip,
and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and
Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with
one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the
mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."
nd: > Mary was probably in the Upper Room when the tongues of
fire fell upon the 120 disciples. However, she is never mentioned again
in the Book of Acts, which is our only historical record of how the
Church was born. She is also not specifically identified in the
epistles. Paul did send greetings to "Mary", but that was a common
name. (In the Gospels and in the Book of Acts, she is referred to as
"Mary the mother of Jesus" to distinguish her from other women named
Mary.)
nd: > It is notable that John, who took Mary into his home
after Jesus was crucified, does not mention her in his epistles, and he
only mentions her on two occasions in his Gospel (the wedding at Cana
and the crucifixion of Jesus). John mentions Mary Magdalene more than he
mentions Jesus' mother.
nd: > ASSUMPTION -- At the end of her life, Mary was taken up
("assumed") body and soul into Heaven. ("Catechism" 966, 974)
rk: Is that before or after the "Camel passed through the eye of
the needle?"
nd: > There is no biblical reference to the assumption of
Mary. The Gospel of John was written around 90 A.D., which is more than
100 years after Mary was born. (Surely Mary was more than ten years old
when Jesus was conceived.) If Mary had been supernaturally assumed into
Heaven, wouldn't John (the disciple that Mary lived with) have
mentioned it? When Enoch and Elijah were taken up to Heaven, the Bible
recorded it. With Elijah it was recorded in some detail. (See Genesis
6:24 and 2 Kings 2:1-18.)
nd: > The Assumption of Mary was officially declared to be a
dogma of the Roman Catholic faith in 1950. This means that every Roman
Catholic is required to believe this doctrine without questioning it.
However, as we will see, the teaching of the Assumption originated with
heretical writings which were officially condemned by the early Church.
rk: Ah Yes. Where would Religous Mind Control be without
"Dogmatic" Faith? Yet MILLIONS and MILLIONS are ruled by such
SATANIC NONSENSE.
nd: > In 495 A.D., Pope Gelasius issued a decree which
rejected this teaching as heresy and its proponents as heretics. In the
sixth century, Pope Hormisdas also condemned as heretics those authors
who taught the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. The early Church
clearly considered the doctrine of the Assumption of Mary to be a
heresy worthy of condemnation. Here we have "infallible" popes
declaring something to be a heresy. Then in 1950, Pope Pius XII,
another "infallible" pope, declared it to be official Roman Catholic
doctrine. (Note 15)
rk: The pope's a petty politician in the scheme of
Spirituality. The peons who follow him blindly make up the cannon
fodder without which wars could not be waged.
nd: > CO-MEDIATOR -- Mary is the Co-Mediator to whom we can entrust
all our cares and petitions. ("Catechism" 968-970, 2677)
nd: > There is only one mediator and that is Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5-6
says, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be
testified in due time." Hebrews 7:25 says,Wherefore he [Jesus] is able
to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them." Ephesians 3:12 says, "In whom
[Jesus} we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of
him."
nd: > If Jesus is constantly interceding for us and He is able to
save us "to the uttermost," (utterly, completely) then He doesn't need
Mary's help. If we can approach God with "boldness" and "confidence"
because of our faith in Jesus, then we don't need Mary's help
either.
nd: > QUEEN OF HEAVEN -- God has exalted Mary in heavenly glory as
Queen of Heaven and earth. ("Catechism" 966) She is to be praised with
special devotion. ("Catechism" 971, 2675)
rk: Mary and Jesus were human beings, not unlike you and I.
Some of us are aware of our Christhood, most others live their lives as
Christs with Amnesia.
nd: > Psalm 148:13 says, "Let them praise the name of the Lord: for
his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven."
This makes it quite clear that only God's name (not Mary's) is to be
exalted. (In Catholic Bibles the numbering of the chapters and verses
of some of the Psalms is slightly different.)
nd: > When people tried to give Mary special honor and pre-eminence
because she was His mother, Jesus corrected them.
nd: > "And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain
woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is
the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he
said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep
it." (Luke 11:27-28)
nd: > In chapters four and five of the Book of Revelation, we are
given a quite detailed picture of Heaven. God is seated on the throne,
surrounded by 24 elders and four living creatures. The Lamb (Jesus) is
standing in the center of the throne. Thousands upon thousands of
angels circle the throne, singing God's praises. And Mary is not in the
picture at all.
nd: > COMPARING CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ABOUT MARY WITH MODERN
GODDESS WORSHIP
nd: > Goddess worship is not ancient history. It is going on
today. It is practiced in Wicca and a variety of modern pagan
religions. (Wicca is a religion based on witchcraft. It
involves goddess worship, rituals and spells.)
rk: Satanistic Worship is the iNTELLECTUAL nature of all WORLD
RELIGIONS which rever idols graven or otherwise.
nd: > The credibility of goddess worship has been increased through
its acceptance by university professors and its incorporation into
textbooks. Wiccan doctrines are being promoted in publicly funded,
accredited colleges and universities. Nursing school textbooks are
overtly promoting goddess worship, including textbooks written by the
National League for Nursing (an accrediting agency for nursing
schools). (Note 16)
rk: All based in SATANISTIC MIND CONTROL, is it not?
nd: > In the following table, I will compare Catholicism's version
of Mary with the goddess who is worshiped by Wiccans and modern pagans.
My reason for doing this is that Wiccans and modern pagans live in
modern America. If I compared Catholic doctrine about Mary with the
goddess worship of ancient civilizations, it would seem remote and far
removed from the real world. It would seem like a legend instead of
real life.
rk: A "Spoonful of sugar" helps the medicine go down, eh?
nd: > As we will see later in this article. Overt goddess
worship has infiltrated a number of main-line Protestant denominations.
There have been some conferences in which Catholics and representatives
of various Protestant groups worshiped the goddess Sophia and openly
said that Jesus Christ is irrelevant. (Later in this article I will
give some detailed information about those conferences, along with
Internet addresses of articles about them.)
rk: See what I mean about Mind Control. Create a gender
shift and POOF, Jesus is KAPUT!!
nd: > All Christian groups need to guard against goddess
worship. According to the Bible, God's people are not supposed to
worship any other deities.
rk: That is, of course, with the exception of THEIR GRAVEN IMAGES.
nd: > The Old Testament prophets often rebuked the people of
Israel for worshiping "foreign gods."
rk: My gods better than your god, do you want to go to war?
Are you folks seeing just how INSANE you are?
nd: > The people who worshiped the goddess Sophia at those
conferences were doing the same kind of thing that the ancient
Israelites did. They claimed to be God's people, but they were
worshiping a "foreign god." (In this case, a goddess rather than a god.)
rk: I recognize the length of this is beyond the scope or
patience of the average reader but will more than likely be examined by
the "serious believer". To you I say read with an open mind and
watch your own reactions to my comments. It shall reveal to you
the level of your own religious conditioning which blinds you to the
very Truth you seek.
rk: HOWEVER, THIS IS WHERE I MUST LEAVE YOU. THE REST OF
THIS IS JUST MORE OF THE SAME LEGACY OF WITCHDOCTOR, TRIBAL TABOO,
SUPERSTITIOUS AND SATANIC CONDITIONED NONSENSE. Perhaps some of
you will see, PERHAPS NOT!!
Raymond Ronald Karczewski© -- A Living Christ
nd: > The following table compares the Mary of Roman Catholic
theology and religious practices with the Biblical portrayal of Mary
and with the goddess who is worshipped by Wiccans. If you do an
Internet search for "Queen of Heaven," you will find two kinds of
websites--Catholic and Wiccan. You can also find websites showing
that Wiccans call themselves the "hidden children" of their
goddess. (Note 17 tells how to find them.)
BIBLICAL MARY
CATHOLIC MARY
nd: > THE GODDESS
Humble and obedient. Calls herself "the handmaid of the Lord." The Pope
officially gave Mary the title "Queen of Heaven" and established a
feast day honoring Mary, Queen of Heaven. Wiccans call their goddess
the "Queen of Heaven".Knew she needed a savior: "And my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my saviour." (Luke 1:47)
nd: > "Immaculate Conception" (Mary was conceived sinless, without
original sin) and "All-Holy" (Mary lived a sinless life). Goddesses
don't need salvation. They make the rules.
nd: > Normal wife and mother who had other children. "Perpetual
Virginity" (Jesus' brothers and sisters are considered to be cousins).
Goddesses don't have human children. No biblical evidence that Mary
didn't die like a normal person. "Glorious Assumption" (Mary was bodily
taken up into Heaven). Goddesses don't die. Jesus told John to take
Mary into his home and take care of her as if she was his own mother.
Catholics are the adopted children of Mary. "Woman behold your son"
(John 19:26) is taken to apply literally to every Catholic.
nd: > Witches are the adopted, "hidden children" of the Queen of
Heaven. Normal woman. Sometimes pictured standing on a crescent moon,
wearing a crown or with a circle of stars around her head. Moon goddess.
Normal woman.
nd: > Supernatural (apparitions accompanied by miracles and
healings). Supernatural. Points people to Jesus. Mary said, "Whatsoever
he saith unto you, do it." (John 2:5)
nd: > Can make Jesus do things. A full page newspaper ad showing
Mary and Jesus says, "He hasn't denied her anything in 2,000 years.
What would you have her ask Him?" This is not official Catholic
doctrine but it is a widespread attitude which is encouraged by pious
literature. Points to herself. Wants to be worshipped. Knew that she
needed a savior. (Luke 1:47)
nd: > Apparitions of "Mary" have promised that if people wear
certain objects (such as a Scapular or Miraculous Medal) or say certain
prayers then they are guaranteed to go to Heaven. The Catholic Church
has not officially approved of these practices, but it has also not
discouraged them. Invoked to make supernatural things happen through
witchcraft (the use of special objects and special verbal formulas).
Goddesses don't need a savior.
nd: > Goddess worship has infiltrated main-line Christian
denominations. In November 1993, a Re-Imagining Conference was held in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Most of the 2,000 participants were women. This
ecumenical church conference was sponsored by and attended by members
of over a dozen denominations, including Presbyterians, Episcopalians,
Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists. They prayed to Sophia, the goddess
of Wisdom, calling her their Creator. They did rituals for this
goddess, including a communion service where bread and wine were
replaced by milk and honey. They openly rejected the doctrines of the
incarnation and the atonement. This conference was repeated in 1996,
1998 and 2000. (Note 18).
nd: > There are Wiccan web sites with web pages devoted to
individual goddesses. The Virgin Mary is included among the goddesses
of the following web sites: The Spiral Goddess Grove, The White Moon,
and Goddess 2000. They consider Mary to be the "Divine Feminine" and
say that for centuries, many people have "blended" their ancient
goddesses with Mary. (Note 19)
nd: > HOW DID WE GET HERE?
nd: > How did modern Catholic doctrine about Mary wander so far away
from the teachings of the Bible and the Early Fathers? Two reasons are
the importance given to Church tradition and the doctrine of papal
infallibility.
nd: > The Catholic Church officially states that Church tradition is
equal in authority to the Bible. ("Catechism" 80, 84, 86, 97) The
problem is that Catholic tradition consists of various expressions of
worship and belief of the Catholic people. ("Catechism" 78, 98, 113,
2650, 2661) It is nebulous. It keeps changing. You cannot find it
written in one place. You can't really put your hands on exactly what
it is.
nd: > The Early Fathers used Scripture as the standard against which
they tested Church tradition. The modern Catholic doctrine that Church
tradition is equal in authority with the Bible is contrary to the
writings of the Early Fathers. (Note 20)
nd: > According to Jesus, Scripture is the plumb line for measuring
everything else. He judged religious traditions by comparing them to
Scripture. When religious traditions contradicted Scripture, he
condemned them. This shows clearly that nothing is equal in authority
to Scripture. The Bible stands alone as the standard by which all other
things are to be judged.
rk: That is, according to the Scripture writers, for Jesus
committed nothing to writing.
nd: > "Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the
scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his
disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands,
they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash
their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when
they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many
other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing
of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees
and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the
tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered
and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as
it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their
heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of
God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and
many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye
reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For
Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and Whoso curseth father
or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his
father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever
thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no
more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God
of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and
many such like things do ye." (Mark 7:1-13)
nd: > According to the official teaching of the Catholic Church,
Catholic men and women are not allowed to believe what they read in the
Bible without checking it out with the Catholic Church. They are
required to find out how the bishops of the Church interpret a passage
and they are to accept what the bishops teach as if it came from Jesus
Christ Himself. They are not allowed to use their own judgment or
follow their own conscience. They are required to believe whatever the
bishops teach without questioning it. ("Catechism" 85, 87, 100, 862,
891, 939, 2034, 2037, 2041, 2050)
nd: > The Catholic Church teaches that when the bishops officially
teach doctrine relating to faith and morals, then God supernaturally
prevents them from making any errors. This is called "infallibility".
It applies to official councils, such as the Second Vatican Council. It
also applies to other teachings, as long as the bishops and the Pope
are in agreement about them. ("Catechism" 890, 891, 939, 2033, 2034,
2049)
nd: > The Pope is said to be infallible whenever he makes an
official decree on matters of faith and morals. According to Catholic
doctrine, it is impossible for the Pope to teach false doctrine.
Catholics are expected to obey the Pope without question even when he
is not making an "infallible" statement about doctrine. They are
expected to submit their wills and minds to the Pope without question.
("Catechism" 892, 2037, 2050)
nd: > The Early Fathers, and the theologians and canon lawyers of
the Middle Ages, never taught that the bishops or the Pope were
infallible. This is demonstrated by the fact that in 680 A.D. the Sixth
Ecumenical Council condemned a pope as a heretic. It was not until the
fourteenth century that the theory of infallibility began to emerge.
With the development of this theory came a change in the interpretation
of some biblical passages. (Note 21)
nd: > The history of the early Church shows that the Bishop of Rome
was considered to be just another bishop. For example, Pope Gregory
(590-604 A.D.) explicitly stated that all of the bishops were equal. He
specifically repudiated the idea that any one bishop could be the
supreme ruler of the Church. (Note 22)
nd: > The claim for papal infallibility does not stand up to the
test of history. For example, Pope Zosimus (417-418 A.D.) reversed the
pronouncement of a previous pope. He also retracted a doctrinal
pronouncement that he himself had previously made. Pope Honorious was
condemned as a heretic by the Sixth Ecumenical Council (680-681 A.D.).
He was also condemned as a heretic by Pope Leo II, as well as by every
other pope until the eleventh century. So here we have "infallible"
popes condemning another "infallible" pope as a heretic. In 1870, the
First Vatican Council abolished "infallible" papal decrees and the
decrees of two "infallible" councils. (Note 23)
nd: > In the seventeenth century, the Catholic church officially
condemned Galileo as a heretic because he taught that the earth
revolves around the sun. This did not conflict with the Bible or with
the teachings of the Early Fathers. However, it was contrary to
seventeenth century Catholic theology. The Greek philosopher Aristotle
taught that the sun revolves around the earth. Aristotle influenced
Thomas Aquinas, a thirteenth century theologian and "doctor of the
Church" whose theology had a major impact on the Catholic Church. Some
modern astronomers believe that Galileo was right. Others believe that
Einstein's theory of relativity makes the question irrelevant. (Note
24) Either way, Galileo was not a heretic for disagreeing with
Aristotle. The "infallible" pronouncement of the Catholic Church
regarding Galileo's teaching was wrong.
nd: > Have you ever wondered what an "infallible" papal declaration
is really like? Here is an example of one.
nd: > On December 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the dogma of the
Immaculate Conception of Mary. After defining the dogma, the Pope said
that if any person dares to "think otherwise than as has been defined
by us" they thereby shipwreck their faith, are cut off from the Church,
and stand condemned because of it. The Pope went on to say that if any
person says, or writes, or in any other way outwardly expresses "the
errors he thinks in his heart," then they thereby "subject themselves
to the penalties established by law". (Note 25 gives a link to this
papal bull. You can read it for yourself.)
nd: > The Pope's reference to legal penalties is significant because
a man had been executed for heresy 28 years before this papal bull was
issued. In 1826, a Spanish schoolmaster was hanged because he
substituted the phrase "Praise be to God" in place of "Ave Maria"
("Hail Mary") during school prayers. (Note 26)
MARIAN APPARITIONS
nd: > On May 13, 1981, a man shot Pope John Paul II. As the
ambulance carried him to the hospital, the Pope kept praying, "Mary, my
mother! Mary, my mother!" One year later, the Pope made a pilgrimage to
Fatima to thank Our Lady of Fatima for saving his life and to
consecrate the entire human race to her. (Note 27) The video
"Catholicism: Crisis of Faith" shows the Pope kissing the feet of a
statue of Mary. (Note 28)
nd: > Millions of pilgrims go to shrines which honor apparitions of
Mary. Every year fifteen to twenty million pilgrims go to Guadalupe in
Mexico, five and a half million go to Lourdes in France, five million
go to Czestochowa (Jasna Gora) in Poland, and four and a half million
go to Fatima in Portugal. Special dates draw huge crowds. On August 15,
half a million pilgrims go to Czestochowa. On October 13, a million
people go to Fatima. On December 12, 1999, five million pilgrims went
to Mexico to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. (Note 29)
nd: > Are these pilgrims worshipping Mary? You can observe them and
see for yourself, thanks to a video entitled "Messages from Heaven".
(Information about this video is given following the Bibliography.)
nd: > If you watch the video, you will see the Pope bow in front of
a painting of Mary and cover the area with incense. You will see a
million pilgrims walking in a procession, following a statue of Our
Lady of Fatima and singing songs in her honor. You will see several
million people in a procession following a painting of Our Lady of
Guadalupe. You will see people weeping and raising their arms towards
Mary. You will see the largest assembly of bishops and cardinals since
the Second Vatican Council, gathered together to join Pope John Paul II
in solemnly consecrating the entire world to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary. (You can watch this video online.) (Note 30)
KINDS OF WORSHIP
nd: > There are many traditional ways of expressing devotion to
Mary. You can read about some of them online and decide for yourself
whether or not these constitute worship. (Note 31)
nd: > Catholic theologians speak of three degrees of homage, which
have Latin words. "Latria" is the kind of worship which is due to God
alone."Dulia" is appropriate for honoring the saints. "Hyperdulia" is
appropriate for honoring Mary. It is higher than "dulia" but not
"latria". Therefore, Catholic theologians say that Catholics do not
worship Mary.
nd: > However, in the practical, down-to-earth, real world,
these theological distinctions don't work. Most Catholics have never
heard of these words. Of those who have, how many know how to apply
them in practical ways? Catholics are not told how to engage in
"hyperdulia" without crossing a line that results in actually
practicing "latria" towards Mary without realizing it.
nd: > When asked about praying to Mary and the saints, I
always used to say that actually I was just asking them to pray for me,
like I would ask a friend. Well, that is not really accurate, because
when I talk to my friends I am not talking to people who have died.
Also, I just ask them directly for what I want. I would never begin
talking to my friends by saying something like: "Hail holy Queen,
mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we
cry, poor banished children of Eve."
nd: > I personally participated in many kinds of Marian
devotions. ("Marian" means something relating to the Virgin Mary.) I
prayed the Rosary, which uses beads to keep track of the prayers. There
are ten "Hail Mary's" for every "Our Father" (the Lord's Prayer). The
words of the Hail Mary are: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with
thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at
the hour of our death."
nd: > I wore the Brown Scapular (two pieces of cloth attached
with strings, worn in honor of Mary). I also wore the Miraculous Medal.
Both the Brown Scapular and the Miraculous Medal resulted from
apparitions of Mary. There are special prayers associated with them.
The apparitions of Mary promised to help people who were faithful to
these devotions. I went to special services where we recited litanies
(a series of titles honoring her), prayed to her, and sang songs in her
honor, or else recited the words of the songs. I participated in a
procession where people carried a statue of Mary, and we all followed
it, singing songs in her honor. I visited several Marian shrines. I
read books aboutapparitions of Mary, and dreamed of some day going to
Lourdes.
nd: > I did not realize that what I was doing was actually a
form of worship. I thought that it was pleasing to God. I thought that
Jesus wanted us to honor His mother in this way.
CONCLUSION
nd: > Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto
a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Our minds can be
deceived and so can the minds of bishops and popes. Only the Bible is
totally trustworthy. When religious traditions conflict with the plain
meaning of Scripture then we need to discard those traditions. We
cannot afford to do otherwise, because our eternal destiny is at stake.
nd: > The Apostles told the religious leaders of their day, "We
ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29b) As an old hymn says,
"On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand."
nd: > If you are not persuaded that Catholicism encourages and even
requires a level of "devotion" to Mary that really is a form of
worship, then I challenge you to ask God what He thinks about it. If
you are sincere in your prayer and open to letting God show you the
truth, then He will.
CONTACTS
I welcome correspondence, but I don't do debating. My email address is:
MaryAnnCollins@juno.com
I have a website with an online book and over 50 articles. It is:
www.CatholicConcerns.com
Go to Bibliography, Resources, and End Notes
USE OF THIS ARTICLE
I encourage you to link to this article. You have permission to quote
from this article, as long as you do it fairly and accurately. You have
permission to make copies of this article for friends and for use in
classes.
The information in this article is the result of many years of personal
struggle and search for truth. I want to make it as easy as possible
for people to get this information and to pass it on to anyone who
might be helped by it.
May the Lord bless, guide, and reveal His truth to everyone who reads
this article.
Mary Ann Collins
July 1, 2001
e-Mail: MaryAnnCollins@Juno.Com
