October 3, 2003

RC Beliefs
chris

Foxy-

In answer to your questions...


First, yes, we do pray to Mary but probably not in the way you think. We don't pray to Mary the way we pray to God. WE pray to Mary because she is the "Queen of Heaven" and we ask for her INTERCESSION to God on our behalf for a son (Christ) would never refuse his mother. This isn't to say Christ would not provide what we ask for if we asked him but, he would. But the intercession adds that much mor weight to our prayers...just as a prayer group adds more weight to a prayer because there are more people praying...You need to understand we dont worship Mary but she is holy because it says in the Bible "she was born without original sin" which makes her holier than any person who is born with original sin, which we all have. This does not make her anywhere near the status of God, obviously, because she is still human.

Secondly, to be a Christian you believe all one has to do is accept Jesus as the savior. RC's believe this too but, as Catholics, we believe in more. (ex. Christ's true precsence in the eucharist, papal authority, Mary's divinity, the sacraments etc.) This sets RC apart from protestantism because protestants believe all they have to do is believe in Christ which is at the heart of RC but we also believe in more things, to put it simply.

Hopes this clears up some of these questions