[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

Veneration and worship are completely different. Veneration is just admiring or looking up to, while worship takes that to a much higher level. Mary could not live without God, she had no part in creating the universe. God CREATED Mary, and her life depends on Him. If one of us is wrong, God will forgive us when our death comes

Yes dear, I know the distinction. I was a very faithful Catholic myself, remember? We just talked about that. I soaked up any participation in the faith I could. The Rosary was a veritable Mountain Top experience for me, spiritually anyway, so many times I couldn't wait to pray it again. I believed I felt a genuine and reciprocal relationship with Mary, but when I explored that seriously, not looking to confirm my desires but looking to find the truth, I had no choice but to realize this "relationship" was really one way. It was me, thinking hard, wishing hard, using my imagination to speak for Mary. You know when you're in the shower and you have imaginary conversations with people in your life, and you direct the conversation to go the way you want it to? That's what my interactions with Mary were. Each and every time. Even the really emotional times that left me in tears were nothing but my imagination, powerful, coupled with strong emotions, conditioned by years of RCC practices.

I'm nut surprised you feel the way you do. We're taught this by the RCC, and our family and friends who are Catholic simply support these beliefs without interjecting any opposing facts or idea. We surround ourselves in a "safe" community where our questions will be answered with assurances rather than facts. I know you feel like you venerate, not worship Mary, but I'm telling you the Roman Catholic Church has usurped the love and devotion to ancient goddesses, changed her image a bit, changed her name and function, and taught successive generations this person was really the Mary from the Bible.

Don't take my word for it, dear. Look into it yourself.

[Redeemed Papist]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

I ever heard of Purgatory or the First Judgement?

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[Didymus Much]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

I'm serious, you all are just coming up with dumb excuses to prove me wrong!...

Call them "dumb excuses" all you want, the True Christians™ and I will continue to refer to it as "Scripture". You know, stuff from the Bible? That your faith is supposedly based on? Go ahead, ignore it, Jesus will be more than happy to welcome you no matter what you think or do. Oh, wait...

Matthew 7:21 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

And what's our only evidence of that? The Bible. Seriously, read it and find out just how many lies the Catholic Church has sold you.

...ever heard of Purgatory...

Yeah, from Catholics (nothing about it in the Bible, tho). Just crap someone added in order to make themselves feel better, and then the Church realized what windfalls could come from making people pay for masses for the dead, and indulgences, and and and... we've got enormous, glorious cathedrals all over the world, paid for by the deprivation and suffering of billions of people the Roman church has swindled.

[Comatoserocker]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

I'm serious, you all are just coming up with dumb excuses to prove me wrong! It's not going to work, though. Ever read Genesis? Adam and Eve clearly fell into sin and created original sin, that's why we have suffering and sin. Original sin and actual sin are completely different matters, so go educate yourself. You'd never believe a word I say. Jesus knows we aren't perfect, and that's why He died on the cross. To make up for all of are sins. We have all sinned numerous times, and that's why we rely on God (not Mary, like some of you say we worship) to forgive us. And you who said we don't have a second chance after death, ever heard of Purgatory or the First Judgement? Purgatory is where, by defenition, our sins are purged away from us and we become purified, then God sends us to heaven after a time of suffering. The First Judgement is pretty self-explanatory. And anyways, even if my religion was false, I still believe in God and worship only Him. God is kind and merciful, and He will forgive me. You all better not reply and say I'm wrong, because that would be saying the Word of God is wrong. I pray to Him before I reply to anyone regarding this topic, and hopefully He has spoken to you through it.

[Des]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

Well, everyone commits sins. Not only Catholics do that, so does every other religion. Nobody is perfect.

Your own words prove you to be a whore worshiping non-Christian. All True Christians™ read the Bible and know that we are without sin.


1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinnethnot; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked onetoucheth him not.


That same True Christian™ would also know that True Christians are perfect.




1 Peter 5:10 But the Godof all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, afterthat ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen,settle you.

[Didymus Much]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

...Nobody is perfect.

The Bible says many, many times that you're quite wrong. Read this thread for Biblical proof that all true believers (like the True Christians™ here) are made perfect by their faith.

...If one of us is wrong, God will forgive us when our death comes

Just what the heck do you base that on, to counter James 2:10?

James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

If you're not perfect, Jesus does not want.

[Comatoserocker]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

I meant differently by "bowing down" First, read the other replies I sent. Also, by bowing down, i literally meant getting down on your hands and knees praising Mary like a pagan would do to a statue or idol. We venerate and honor her in prayer & song. Some people mistake that for worship, but it isn't. The Mass, or as you would call a service, is our worship, and we worship God alone. In Luke's gospel, it specifically stated "BLESSED are you amongst women" Not worshipped, but blessed. The reason we pray to Mary: all good mothers pray for their children. Mary, especially, prays for us because Jesus made her the mother of us all while He was dying on the cross. I really hope that answers your question, and I REALLY hope you can't find no way to argue around that ��

[Comatoserocker]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

The Mary the Catholics worship (or, "venerate" as they like to say), is in reality the evolution of the goddess of cultures the Romans had conquered.
Veneration and worship are completely different. Veneration is just admiring or looking up to, while worship takes that to a much higher level. Mary could not live without God, she had no part in creating the universe. God CREATED Mary, and her life depends on Him. If one of us is wrong, God will forgive us when our death comes

[Comatoserocker]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

Well, everyone commits sins. Not only Catholics do that, so does every other religion. Nobody is perfect.

[Mary Etheldreda]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

I'll have you know, Catholics ARE Christian, and the one true religion. The reason I joined this website is to help all of you, I'm trying to help you become Catholic and go to heaven. Many of the topics on this website are insanely stupid, especially the one that says us Catholics worship Mary. We venerate her, being the mother of God and without original sin. We worship God alone, Mary is only one of His helpers.

Calm down, dear. I see you're a devout Catholic and have a great respect for your faith and the characters in her play. I once shared the same affection for whom I thought was the Mother of God. But here's the thing, and please listen carefully and don't make any judgments until you have more information. The Mary the Catholics worship (or, "venerate" as they like to say), is in reality the evolution of the goddess of cultures the Romans had conquered. You can read more about that here. [Attention Catholics! Here is your proof that Mary is really a compilation of many pagan goddesses!]

I too believed, most sincerely and with the utmost trust and assurance, that what I had learned from my Catholic faith was accurate information. I believed this until the first time I learned a fact that had been ignored and covered up. That moment of discovery felt a bit awkward. After all, I sincerely believed my priest and those who came before him were sharing the Truth, supported by facts. When I spent just a bit of time searching for information myself, I found deception. Perhaps my priest didn't personally lie to us (although, studies show most priests preach and advise contrary to what they themselves believe to be true, not only because they don't want to let down those who come to them for help, but because they know all their time and efforts have been sunk into a secure career they cannot easily leave), but the information available to the theologians and scholars don't trickle down to the local parish church. This information includes the path of the development of the Catholic Mary through history.

I know it's hard to consider you've been misled. Knowing it's not on purpose doesn't make it better. Knowing that you really believe things to be True that aren't really True, they just seem that way because of your own experiences and perspective can feel like the wind getting knocked out of your lungs. Sometimes for months or years. I began to realize how many times I had come across claims that I *knew* to be inaccurate, but my desire for faith overrode that curiosity. I reminded myself the value of faith. I convinced myself that like the father of the child, I would declare my faith even as I prayed for it to sustain me. "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24) How many times I had lied to myself in order to maintain this belief, I cannot say. Eventually however, I could no longer ignore or excuse the discrepancy between what my faith told me, and what I learned to be true. But I promise finding out the True Truth™ will be worth the struggle. Knowing how to interpret your experiences realistically, with accuracy and reliability, is more precious than the fleeting hope through prayer to an imaginary mother-figure, comforting and loving as she may seem in your mind. Knowing how you can be in control is a far more secure reality than trusting someone else to be in control, even when that one you trust is someone you genuinely like.

It all comes down to this one question - Does it matter that what you believe is True?

[Basilissa]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

For the last time, I do not worship Mary! It's sort of like a photograph of a relative; you would not treat a photograph like it was actually a loved one.

Yeah, except that I do not kneel before photographs, and I do not pray to the people represented on these photographs.

That's kinda a HUGE difference.

The same goes with Mary and the saints, we do not look at a Mary statue and start to worship it.

Oh, really?



Then why the heck do you kneel, make a sign of the Cross, put your hands together, and pray to Mary while looking at a statue/painting?

All of the saints are chosen by God to help us understand Him more,

I remember that St. Apolonia was a saint of the tooth ache, and St. Anthony was a saint of lost things, and similarly every other saint had a specialization - please do explain to me how is it different from pagan polytheism?

AND do not forget that many saints are "Christianized" pagan gods. St. Brigitte immediately comes to mind, but there are many others as well.

Mary was an amazing person, yet I would NEVER bow down to a statue of her.

Well, apparently, most Catholics did not get that memo. Including your pope:

When we offer prayers to Mary or a saint, they offer those prayers toward God.

Then why don't you pray to Him? Do you think He's busy and cannot hear you (coming back to that omnipotence thing mentioned by Mr. Much)?

All that my church teaches is true, you'll find out in the end.

So, you think that the Bible is wrong?

God spares those of false religions, as long as they don't reject His teachings after death. You still have a chance, and if I'm wrong, then I still have a chance.

That's not what Jesus said:

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

I will be praying for you and for me, because one of us must be wrong. I have no clue which, but Our Lord will spare both of us if we stay faithful.

When you have a chance, please read the Holy Bible. It may help you understand that your false church is a Bible-denying money-making boys-raping operation.

I will pray for you.

[Brother Harold Porter]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

All that my church teaches is true, you'll find out in the end. God spares those of false religions, as long as they don't reject His teachings after death. You still have a chance, and if I'm wrong, then I still have a chance. I will be praying for you and for me, because one of us must be wrong.

Hello friend. I might pray for you, but then I might not. Tell me about your teachings that advocate child rape (the notoriously egregious activity associated with your cult). Can you justify the trip from the confession booth to the bathroom, and the certain sodomy or vaginal rape that ensues with your teachings?


You cracker eaters should be ashamed of yourselves.


In Christ Jesus

[Comatoserocker]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

Then why all of you insist on breaking one of the Ten Commandments (the one about not worshiping graven images)?



Sweetie, instead, why don't you do something productive and read the Holy Bible and learn that 99.9% of what the Catholic Church told you is false?



I have no idea under which circumstances you became Catholic, but have you ever been to a Catholic country? One, all over Latin America what the priests are selling as Mary is in fact a pagan goddess (e.g. Mother Earth in the Andes). Two, if you do not worship Mary, then why the Hell do you have long lists of prayers to her?

BTW, the same goes for your long lists of saints, half of whom are disguised pagan deities as well. Isn't it hard for a Catholic to try to sell the idea that Catholicism is a monotheistic religion while in fact you have a wide pantheon of people treated, venerated, and yes, worshiped as gods?

For the last time, I do not worship Mary! It's sort of like a photograph of a relative; you would not treat a photograph like it was actually a loved one. The same goes with Mary and the saints, we do not look at a Mary statue and start to worship it. All of the saints are chosen by God to help us understand Him more, Mary was an amazing person, yet I would NEVER bow down to a statue of her. Notice how I capitalize the word "him" when I refer to God, but when referring to Mary, the word "her" or "she" is never capitalized. I was born and raised Catholic, and I live in the U.S. When we offer prayers to Mary or a saint, they offer those prayers toward God. All that my church teaches is true, you'll find out in the end. God spares those of false religions, as long as they don't reject His teachings after death. You still have a chance, and if I'm wrong, then I still have a chance. I will be praying for you and for me, because one of us must be wrong. I have no clue which, but Our Lord will spare both of us if we stay faithful.

[Basilissa]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

I worship the same God as you, I'm not pagan nor do I worship anyone other than God. He does not need the help of Mary, but it was part of His divine plan. You pretty much just called God lame, so please go to confession soon, kid.

Just in case you haven't noticed, sweetie, Mr. Much is an atheist. We keep him around because unlike you he actually has read the Holy Bible. Yes, the whole thing.

[Comatoserocker]

Re: Why God Hates New Orleans (and really all of Louisiana)

Well, at least since Mr. Infallible in Rome declared it to be so, in 1850. And the huge profits from Mary trinkets to be fleeced from the gullible had nothing to do with the "revelation", of course.





What a lame God you worship, needing a woman to help Him in His omnipotence. Go look up that word.

I worship the same God as you, I'm not pagan nor do I worship anyone other than God. He does not need the help of Mary, but it was part of His divine plan. You pretty much just called God lame, so please go to confession soon, kid.