Many Catholics pray for the help of the Virgin Mary but Mary is dead, buried in the ground and turned to dust, so why would Catholics pray to an idol of her much less any idol. As has been clearly established in the Bible that God is a jealous God and that one should not pray to any other save him and also do not encumber any images of anything in heaven or on earth. Jesus came to intercede on our behalf, so why would any Christian go to Mary or another saint. Jesus clearly said that no one comes to the Father except by him and he is our intercessor on our behalf. Christians can only pray to and worship the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not Mary or statues of 'saints'.
Despite what many Catholics believe, there is much more idolatry in the Roman Catholic Church than one would imagine. It is possible that in some cases this may not be apparent in some Catholic Church but it does exist in a huge way is especially obvious in South America and in Rome. For example, the early church did not have any statues or idols, but as paganism was brought into the Catholic Church the pagan statues they were used to had to be given Christian names to allow them come in, the Statue of St Peter in St Peters Cathedral was originally the statue of the pagan god Jupiter. The Roman Goddess Venus became St. Venera, and Aphrodite became St. Aphrodite. The Roman God Mars was originally a God who guarded wheat fields. He became St. Martin, the major festival for him in Christian times now usually falls in February, called Mardi Gras 'Great Mars'. The Roman God Quirinus became St. Cyrinus, Lares became St. Lawrence. Not all Pagan saints are even based on Pagan Gods. Some are based on Pagan holidays. For example the Roman festival of Caro Patri ('Dear Parents' a festival to remember one's ancestors) in the Roman Pagan calendar of Philocalus became the festival of St. Peter's Chair in the Roman Catholic Martyrology or saints' calendar.
In the Catholic church there are said to be over 10,000 'saints' who have been created. Part of the reason is that many of these saints were created to provide a Christian focus for a local pagan god or religious tradition. Without a saint in place, the local customs would have continued in their original pagan guise and the local gods would have retained their pagan identity. The reason so many saints were created was to prevent this.
Now some claim that the statute of the saints are not being worshipped but if you look at the statue of Statue of St Peter in St Peters Cathedral, it has had its foot kissed away and replaced because of the multitude of Catholics that have bowed down to this statue and kissed its foot. There can be no other name for this other than idolatry, especially when this was originally a pagan god. There are many more such examples that could be given of where the Catholic Church is involved in worshiping other gods in forms other than statues. Many people don't realize that the biggest sun dial in the world is the eight-rayed sun wheel, which was symbolic of the god Ishtar and is located in St Peters Square in the Vatican.
Some try to dispute that Catholic Church incorporated pagan images into their worship and even religious practices which came all the way from Babylon but even Catholic historians admit it.
"The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church. ( An Essay on The Development of the Christian Doctrine John Henry; Cardinal Newman p.373.)
'It has often been charged' that Catholicism is overlaid with many pagan incrustations. Catholicism is ready to accept that accusation and even to make it her boast 'the great god Pan is not really dead, he is baptized'. ( The Story of Catholicism p 37.)
"It is interesting to note how often our Church has availed herself of practices which were in common use among pagans. Thus it is true, in a certain sense, that some Catholic rites and ceremonies are a reproduction of those of pagan creeds. (The Externals of the Catholic Church, Her Government, Ceremonies, Festivals, Sacramentals and Devotions, by John F. Sullivan, p 156, published by P.J. Kennedy, NY, 1942).
The College of Pontiffs (Collegium Pontificum) came from the religion of the original Council of Pontiffs at Babylon. Cardinal Newman in his Development of Christian Doctrine, says that they incorporated many pagan religious practices into the Church. He claims that the Church sanctified them and that made it safe to bring these practices into the Church. The Catholic Council of Trent also declared that: 'It is lawful to have images in the Church and to give honour and worship to them ... Images are put in Churches that they may be worshipped.'
That doesn't seem to leave much wiggle room to deny the true purpose of the idols.
Despite what many Catholics believe, there is much more idolatry in the Roman Catholic Church than one would imagine. It is possible that in some cases this may not be apparent in some Catholic Church but it does exist in a huge way is especially obvious in South America and in Rome. For example, the early church did not have any statues or idols, but as paganism was brought into the Catholic Church the pagan statues they were used to had to be given Christian names to allow them come in, the Statue of St Peter in St Peters Cathedral was originally the statue of the pagan god Jupiter. The Roman Goddess Venus became St. Venera, and Aphrodite became St. Aphrodite. The Roman God Mars was originally a God who guarded wheat fields. He became St. Martin, the major festival for him in Christian times now usually falls in February, called Mardi Gras 'Great Mars'. The Roman God Quirinus became St. Cyrinus, Lares became St. Lawrence. Not all Pagan saints are even based on Pagan Gods. Some are based on Pagan holidays. For example the Roman festival of Caro Patri ('Dear Parents' a festival to remember one's ancestors) in the Roman Pagan calendar of Philocalus became the festival of St. Peter's Chair in the Roman Catholic Martyrology or saints' calendar.
In the Catholic church there are said to be over 10,000 'saints' who have been created. Part of the reason is that many of these saints were created to provide a Christian focus for a local pagan god or religious tradition. Without a saint in place, the local customs would have continued in their original pagan guise and the local gods would have retained their pagan identity. The reason so many saints were created was to prevent this.
Now some claim that the statute of the saints are not being worshipped but if you look at the statue of Statue of St Peter in St Peters Cathedral, it has had its foot kissed away and replaced because of the multitude of Catholics that have bowed down to this statue and kissed its foot. There can be no other name for this other than idolatry, especially when this was originally a pagan god. There are many more such examples that could be given of where the Catholic Church is involved in worshiping other gods in forms other than statues. Many people don't realize that the biggest sun dial in the world is the eight-rayed sun wheel, which was symbolic of the god Ishtar and is located in St Peters Square in the Vatican.
Some try to dispute that Catholic Church incorporated pagan images into their worship and even religious practices which came all the way from Babylon but even Catholic historians admit it.
"The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church. ( An Essay on The Development of the Christian Doctrine John Henry; Cardinal Newman p.373.)
'It has often been charged' that Catholicism is overlaid with many pagan incrustations. Catholicism is ready to accept that accusation and even to make it her boast 'the great god Pan is not really dead, he is baptized'. ( The Story of Catholicism p 37.)
"It is interesting to note how often our Church has availed herself of practices which were in common use among pagans. Thus it is true, in a certain sense, that some Catholic rites and ceremonies are a reproduction of those of pagan creeds. (The Externals of the Catholic Church, Her Government, Ceremonies, Festivals, Sacramentals and Devotions, by John F. Sullivan, p 156, published by P.J. Kennedy, NY, 1942).
The College of Pontiffs (Collegium Pontificum) came from the religion of the original Council of Pontiffs at Babylon. Cardinal Newman in his Development of Christian Doctrine, says that they incorporated many pagan religious practices into the Church. He claims that the Church sanctified them and that made it safe to bring these practices into the Church. The Catholic Council of Trent also declared that: 'It is lawful to have images in the Church and to give honour and worship to them ... Images are put in Churches that they may be worshipped.'
That doesn't seem to leave much wiggle room to deny the true purpose of the idols.
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