Catholic Faith Crisis

Catholics are often quick to point out these verses to say that Mary had indeed become the mother of the Church: John 19  25 Standing close to Jesus' cross were His mother, His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there; so He said to his mother, “He is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “She is your mother.” From that time the disciple took her to live in his home. (GNT) Did Mary really become the mother of the Church with that act of compassion Jesus gave to His earthly mother and follower of His? We need to take the context of what truly happened. Catholics say that if Jesus had brothers and sisters then why to leave Mary in the care of John. Psalm 69:8 has the prophecy of becoming a stranger to the children of one's mother. Later, Jesus' maternal half-siblings in John 7:5 said the sad truth that neither did Jesus' own family believe in Him. Other Catholic-approved transl...

As I was reading the Bible today - I decided that a good post to further elaborate here would be on the subject of the Queen of Heaven. Okay, I could agree with Catholics who say that the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 7 and 44 is not Mary. Yes, it's not Mary the beloved earthly mother of Jesus and a great sister in Christ I hope to meet someday. However, the situation of Marian devotees is really not much different from the people in Jeremiah 44 who insisted on their worship of the pagan goddess, the Queen of Heaven. Jeremiah 44:17-19 (GNT) - 17 We will do everything that we said we would. We will offer sacrifices to our goddess, the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out wine offerings to her, just as we and our ancestors, our king and our leaders, used to do in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem . Then we had plenty of food, we were prosperous, and had no troubles. 18 But ever since we stopped sacrificing to the Queen of Heaven and stopped pouring out wine offerings ...

It's only normal that Catholics are quick to respond that they're not praying to the pagan Queen of Heaven (such as Ashtoreth or Ishtar) or that Jeremiah 7 and 44 doesn't condemn praying to Mary at all. I could agree with Catholics that Mary isn't Ishtar or Ashtoreth. Far from it, the earthly mother of Jesus was an exemplary example of godliness that every mother should follow. However, Catholics have unknowingly elevated her to the position of a pagan goddess. They could argue all they want with some doctrines like Mary was ascended bodily into Heaven and was crowned the Queen of Heaven. The doctrine is not found in the Bible nor even historically there. It was a later doctrine that Pius XII declared in 1950. Since Catholics believe that the Pope is granted special immunity from doctrinal error by the power of the Holy Spirit - they have to believe it because the Pope said it.  A better study of the Bible in the New Testament will point that Mary never invited people ...

The message of Christmas is the fulfillment of the birth of Jesus. This would be the birth of the one who is called the Son of David. Legally and biologically, Jesus in His humanity was a son of David. Yet, He is referred to as the Son of David because He is that fulfillment that Matthew and Luke document the genealogy. Matthew records the legal lineage from Solomon down to Joseph, the legal father of Jesus. Luke's genealogy as Heli as the supposed father of Joseph but this was actually Mary's lineage. Mary's lineage and Joseph's lineage are both just as important. Jesus in His humanity is the Son of David both legally and biologically. Mary herself was a descendant of David from David's other son Nathan.  How is Mary's unique relationship with Jesus? She is the mother of Jesus in His humanity . Reading Luke 1 would tell you that Mary couldn't even understand how things are possible until the angel Gabriel told her what she needed to know. Mary had her lapse...

Here is the Magnificat of Mary taken from the Good News Translation of the Bible from Luke 1:47-55: “My heart praises the Lord; 47 my soul is glad because of God my Savior, 48 for he has remembered me, his lowly servant ! From now on all people will call me happy, 49 because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me. His name is holy; 50 from one generation to another he shows mercy to those who honor him. 51 He has stretched out his mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans. 52 He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away with empty hands. 54 He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors, and has come to the help of his servant Israel. 55 He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and to all his descendants forever!” I'm amazed at how Catholics tend to use Luke 1:47 to say that Mary is immaculate. It's an obvious misread because the verse says that Ma...

It's really something to consider how Roman Catholics may knowingly or unknowingly exalt Mary beyond what she deserves. Worse, some of them have already gone as far as to accuse Baptists and Protestants of hating Mary when they don't. After I got saved, I soon started feeling that praying to Mary or having a devotion to her must be wrong. One verse I found that always made think of the following: John 8:58 - I am telling you the truth,” Jesus replied. “Before Abraham was born, ‘I Am’. (GNT) What we read here is that Jesus Christ already declared that before Abraham was born, He was. Reading through the Old Testament will make you realize that the Holy Trinity was already there. Genesis 1 already had God saying, "Let Us make man in Our image." Just who is God the Father talking to? Angels or the Son and the Spirit? Obviously, God the Father was talking to the Son and the Spirit . Jesus before His incarnation already appeared before Abraham at Mamre, as the special Ange...

October is not just the Reformation Month, not just Halloween month, but also the Rosary month. As a child, I used to look forward to Halloween and Rosary Month. Ever since I got saved - both of them become empty. The big question is, "Is the Rosary, biblical?" Roman Catholics can be quick to answer to say, "The Rosary is not in the Bible but the Bible is in the Rosary." Aleteia's Katrina Fernandez even writes an article called " Yes, the Rosary is completely biblical ". The writer herself was a rather polite reply, but I feel like writing this one for her sake.  It's always said that when the "Hail Mary" is prayed - it's not a prayer to Mary but asking Mary to pray for the Christian, like we ask others to pray for us. However, this is not biblical. Nowhere in the Bible are we even asked to pray the "Hail Mary". True, a majority of the portion of the "Hail Mary" is taken from Angel Gabriel's message but it'...

It's really  wrong teaching to say that Mary was sinless. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All people include Mary the mother of Jesus - no exceptions. Mary herself even admitted in Luke 1:47 declares that her soul rejoices in God her Savior. Then the dilemma comes in that for Mary to be sinless then she must have sinless ancestors. Roman Catholics, in due fairness, actually don't teach that Mary needed sinless ancestors. Roman Catholics even have this in their defense to say why Mary was born without sin even if her parents were sinners: The blessed Virgin Mary to have been, from the first instant of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God , in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior of Mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin” (Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, December 1854). Roman Catholics teach that Mary was granted the special privilege to be conceived without sin by the grace and privil...

Above is a meme by some Roman Catholics daring born again Christians to tell Jesus that His mom isn't important. The truth is born again Christians respect Mary or consider her to be one of the greatest woman in the Bible. Some may even preach of Mary as a mother to model even if they reject Roman Catholic doctrines about Mary not found in the Bible. I believe Mary is important in many ways such as her being of the lineage of David (from David's other son Nathan), that she would become the virgin that will bear the Savior in His humanity and she definitely said, "Behold the handmaid of the LORD, let it be done according to Your Word." (Luke 1:38) to the angel. Mary is a great example of obedience. She's praiseworthy of how she brought a pair of turtledoves to be offered as sin sacrifices. Mary knew that she was a sinner in need of grace. Otherwise, why would she declare in Luke 1:47 that God is her Savior? Mary is an important role model and beloved sister-in-Chri...

I find it so ironic that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his book An Invitation to Faith would say that Mary's greatness consists of the fact that she wants to magnify God over herself. However, Roman Catholics unknowingly exalt Mary above God. Although their doctrine doesn't describe Mary as such or that they reject the "Mary is God heresy" - they do still end up exalting Mary above God. This is a serious issue as devotion to Mary itself is a very subtle deception. How do Roman Catholics end up unknowingly lifting or exalting Mary above God? From Litany of the Blessed Virgin  and Litany of Loretto - we read the following names are attributed to Mary: Mother of God Conceived without sin (please check on 2 Corinthians 5:21) Our intercessor (please check on 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 7:21-25) The ark of the covenant Gate of Heaven (please check John 10:1) Our life, our hope, our salvation (Romans 8:24-30) Queen of Heaven (please check Jeremiah 44) Glory of Israel (please chec...

Having been a former Roman Catholic always leads me back to my devotion to Mary - a broken devotion that will never be restored. I remembered how I was soon chastised so severely in my crisis of faith when I broke the glass shrine that enshrined an image of "Mama Mary". I did it because I prayed and I prayed and none of the promises came true. I was so disgusted that my "mother" wouldn't do anything. I just thought that my crisis of faith in Roman Catholicism was shattered - even more shattered than the glass shrine that enshrined the idol. I was so mad at God that I stopped going to Mass, hated the Bible, and wonder what was right or wrong. I wanted to make peace with God yet I thought of ever going to Buddhism, Islam, or even nearly went to atheism. I was told that I have insulted the "Mother of God". Mother of God? God doesn't have a mother! Genesis 1 already tells us that the Blessed Trinity was already there. When God said, "Let us...