I was born raised Catholic. But lately I have been questioning my faith (not with God or Jesus) with the Church. Several of my good friends have recently "found Jesus" and all I am getting from them is this anti-catholic drama.

I have been able to swift through much of the crap but a lot of it remains. I want to have faith in the church but I just can't seem to find it anywhere. I am familiar with the bible. I just recently read it from front to back. I don't believe in "sola scriptura" but my questions are mainly where things, ideas and beliefs came from. I know a lot of secular history and religious. I spent so much time studying where pagan religions stemmed from I didn't realize I didn't know where my own came from.

I keep hearing about Maryolitry. I always thought that the Catholic church's stance on Mary was that she was not God and shouldn't be worshipped as God. But there are Catholics out there that do worship her more than even Jesus.

Is it just a couple fanatics in the Church or is this what the Catholic church stands for?

I believe Mary is special. More than you or I, but I don't think she is higher than Jesus.

Please give me some insight.

-- Ries Oracle (RiesOracle@hotmail.com), January 20, 2003

Answers

Why don't you take the new catholic catechism and read it? Even less difficult than to read the Bible from front to back. You get there answers to you questions on much a higher level than this forum can give you!

-- (marios85ten@hotmail.com), January 20, 2003.

I know the feeling! One of the many things that got me back into my Catholic faith stronger than ever was the bashing of it on a constant basis by my Protestant friends! The sheer vehemence should tell you something. Pick up your bible and look carefully at ALL references to Mary..your friends are missing big chunks of scripture.."ALL generations shall call me blessed." "Son, behold your mother"..look at how many times Mary is mentioned..everywhere in Jesus's ministry, from beginning to end. If she is not important to God after the birth of Jesus, what is she THERE for? Filler? There's our Lord on the CROSS and He takes the time to mention Mary..hmmm..and why did He make such a big deal of saying to John that she was now his mother..it's not just conversation..the scriptures are NEVER just conversation, but full of meaning and instruction. Did Jesus ever say anything "just because"??? For Protestants, that's the one quote of Jesus that they say was meaningless and just a HUMAN son, asking another guy to "take care of his mother"...really! ALL other statements attributed to Jesus in the scriptures have significance except that one???? ...continued

-- lesley (martchas@hotmail.com), January 20, 2003.

Great idea to read your own church catechism...and also, I cannot talk enough about EWTN, and the program "The Journey Home"..it is fantastic IMHO..Monday evenings. My husband, the kind-hearted, lovable, wonderful anti-Catholic Fundamentalist has actually had his mind swayed by hearing the experiences of the guests on that program.The problem with most anti-Catholic rhetoric is that it is based upon half-truths..the people telling it to you are 100% convinced that they are correct. They never check their facts historically..but YOU can. Also, go to the EWTN website and look around..great place for some quick answers. No, we DON'T worship Mary. No, she is NOT above Jesus.

-- lesley (martchas@hotmail.com), January 20, 2003.

thanks guys

-- Ries Oracle (RiesOracle@hotmail.com), January 20, 2003.

Dear Ries, Mary would be the first one to agree with you that she's not higher than Jesus! She devoted her life -- and devotes her eternity -- to Him, constantly calling to us, "Do whatever He tells you!"

Like every proud and loving mother, she holds up her Child and asks us to adore Him with her! :-)

-- Christine L. :-) (christine_lehman@hotmail.com), January 20, 2003.

Dear Ries, I don't doubt your freinds 'found Jesus', but now, unfortunately, they are surrounded with those who only have half- truths, as was already spoken. I, too, 'found Jesus', or rather, He found me. And it was good, it caused me to come to real terms with my being a Catholic. I was very fortunate to be surrounded with Catholics who also were very close to Jesus in a personal way, and I was able to soak up His presence and at the same time be instructed correctly about the Catholic church.

Now I see so clearly how we have the fullness of Jesus Himself within the Catholic Church. I urge you to find those Catholics who you can relate your questions to and stay close to them. I struggled at first with those Catholics who didn't understand their own faith, who didn't know Jesus, who only paid lip service. We'll always see others anywhere we go like that, it has nothing to do with the truth.

As the others so wonderfully on this forum encouraged, read the catechism, it beautifully explains what the Church is, and helps us form proper attitudes. I have found our Mother, Mary, to be a wonderful constant light, she only points to Jesus, and models for us a perfect love for Him, and a perfect attitude of servanthood. sincerely, Theresa

-- Theresa Huether (Rodntee4Jesus@aol.com), January 20, 2003.

I'm happy that your friends have "found Jesus". It's wonderful that they have decided to make His will more important in their lives than their will...

But now's the time for them to listen to His voice: Jesus founded an authoritative, teaching Church led by apostles to whom (alone) he gave the mission of making disciples of all nations - promising this group of authoritative apostles and followers (the Church) that He would remain with them until the end of time!

He didn't write a book, have it published and then have everyone read it and make up their own minds about things.

But as euphoric and exciting as life can be initially for those who "Have found Jesus" if you want to persevere in this faith and love of Jesus, you need to go to where His apostles are and become part of the People of God - the Church.

I think the whole Marian issue is a tangental issue - something to throw us off the core dilemma: was Jesus serious or not? He commanded us to obey all his commands, to listen to those He sent and to whom he gave the power to forgive sins, and heal, and lead... so most Christians throughout the ages have realized that there is no such thing as a difference between following Christ and being members of His body, the Church.

And there's absolutely no reason: pastoral, theological, or philosophical why a parish can't be as exciting and fun and integrated as the best of the so called "mega-churches" (which typically have less families than the average Catholic parish).

What is required is simply active and integrated and united lay people who take responsibility for things.

Peace

-- Joe Stong (Joestong@yahoo.com), January 23, 2003.

Dear Ries, Nowhere else on this earth will we ever "find" Jesus Christ TRULY Present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity than in the Most Blessed Sacrament. In each of the four Gospels, His institution of the Eucharist is described at the Last Supper. In John 6:51-60, He tells his disciples that if we do not eat His Flesh and drink His Blood, we do not deserve to spend eternity with Him! Yet, at this teaching, many of His disciples left Him, as this teaching was just too difficult to swallow. Sound familiar? How can supposedly "Bible" Christians reject His Word so handily? Yet the Eucharist has remained "The Source, Summit, and Center" of the Catholic Faith for over 2000 years. In other Scripture passages, Jesus establishes His One True Church, "You are Peter," (Cephas: Large Rock Formation) he says to Simon bar Jonah, "And upon this rock, I will build My Church." From that time on, you see the apostles treating Peter as their leader...Our first pope. I have more to tell you about True Devotion to Mary, but the server won't let me send it all at one time. Until next time, Pax Christi <>< Anna R

-- Anna R (FloweroftheHour@hotmail.com), January 23, 2003.

And, as Paul Harvey would say, "for the other half of the story..." As for Scriptural references to Mary, they begin not in the Gospels, but in the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis 3:15. The Ark of the Covenant is said to be an Old Testament prefigure of Mary, bearing God among the people along the same route she trod to visit St. Elizabeth! She is a creature, and has no divine nature. Therefore, Mary is not to be worshipped. But as God's most perfect creature, preserved in Grace, we admire her as we would admire a great masterpiece. And the artist, (Creator) is not offended, but rather magnified, in our admiration and honoring of his masterpiece. St. Louis deMontfort summed up True Devotion to Mary so simply, yet profoundly, when he said that Jesus chose to come to us THROUGH Mary, so too, He is pleased when we imitate Him, when we come to Him THROUGH His Mother. This is why we offer our prayers To Jesus, Through Mary...The intercessor who had the closest relationship to Jesus any human on earth will ever enjoy. Yet, Jesus himself told us, it isn't because of the womb that bore Him, nor the breasts that nursed Him which makes her so special. It is because she always perfectly conformed her will to that of the Heavenly Father. This was a gift of Divine Grace bestowed upon her, as she was an important part of the Divine Plan of Salvation from the very beginning. Keep the Faith! Pax Christi <>< Anna

-- Anna R (FloweroftheHour@hotmail.com), January 23, 2003.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Jesus Christ. Notice, mediator. Not mediators, as in the case of more than one. One mediator between GOD-{HO THEOS, LORD, YHVH, JEHOVAH.} and men, a man, the lord Jesus Christ. No saints, no women, no Mary, no mediatrix. That part is simple, isn't it?

-- (BGERHARDT@juno.com), August 08, 2003.

Simple? Apparently too complex for you to understand correctly, Sir or Madam. Read the Catechism on this topic, please.

-- Art (ars@gratia.artis), August 09, 2003.

Hi Ries, hope you're still hanging in there. I was a Protestant for 20 years in evangelical, fundamental circles, but have finally come home to the Catholic Church. Most of the garbage you hear is PURE SLANDER!! I know because I researched, and researched and researched some more. The Catholic Church IS the Ancient Church of our forefathers. She stands like a rock. She doesn't change her doctrines with the changing winds of our times. She is rich with the faith and rich with traditions based on scripture.

Read the Early Church Fathers at http://www.ccel.org/fathers2 It helped me a lot when I started reading the early architects of the church and found they were Catholic from the beginning!!

Gail

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net), August 09, 2003.