by Vince Wall
At this time of the year numbers of Catholics will display cribs depicting the manger scene in their homes – with Mary of course being prominently displayed along with Joseph. In many manger scenes Mary is often depicted as a white woman dressed somewhat similar to a Catholic Nun.
The statues and traditions of Mary in the Catholic Church give many Catholics a false view of the true Mary as seen in the gospels.
Growing up in the Catholic Church I readily adopted wrong doctrines of Mary, until I became a Christian.
As a Catholic I prayed to Mary and honored her as the mother of Christ who could meet my needs. To myself and many other Catholics, Mary had the heart of a sympathetic mother whom we could call upon at anytime.
The Popes, the priests, and nuns of Roman Catholicism further elevate Mary by praying to her. In some cases they even worship her. Roman Catholic theology distorts the true character of Mary and paints a picture of her that is not Biblical.
Supposed apparitions of Mary have happened in many parts of the world causing people to flock to shrines where people worship her. Wherever she has “appeared” you will find people praying to her – they have given over to idolatry.
Mary is called The Queen of Heaven in Catholic Church doctrine. Yet the New Testament never refers to her as such. The only reference to the Queen of Heaven in the bible is found in the book of Jeremiah.
At that time, Israel had provoked the Lord to anger. Entire families were involved in the evils of idolatry:
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger (Jeremiah 7:18).
God used Jeremiah to warn the people against their idolatry. But they would not listen:
As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil (Jeremiah 44:16-17).
The Israelites payed a heavy price for their idolatry, and so will everyone that is involved with the worship of idols today.
And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the Lord, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil (Jeremiah 44:29):
God’s word makes it very clear that we are not to put other gods, graven images, or idols, before Him. (Exodus 20:2-5)
As a Roman Catholic I believed that Mary was the Queen of Heaven and that she could answer prayers. I was taught a number of prayers such as The Hail Mary, that were specifically directed to her and I knelt down and prayed before the images of her.
Thank the Lord that after my conversion to Christ my eyes were opened to the idolatry of Rome and to my own ignorance of praying to Mary and other Roman Catholic saints.
When you study the Bible in relation to prayer you will find that all prayers are to be directed to God – not Mary, or any other saint. Jesus never ever gave a hint that His mother was capable of miracles or answering prayers. When anyone seeks to pray to a person living or dead then you are raising that person to the level of God Himself. Contacting the dead is forbidden in scripture. (Deuteronomy 18:9-12, Isaiah 8:19)
Out of hundreds of passages in Scripture on prayer there is not one passage that prescribes that we pray to anyone but God. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6, it was to God the Father, who was in Heaven.
The Scriptures also make it clear that we have one mediator between God and man, and that mediator is never Mary.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)
Jesus is our High priest who ever lives to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25)
Mary, The Queen of Heaven in Roman Catholicism is not the humble handmaid of the Lord described in the pages of the New Testament.
An incorrect view of Mary at Christmas is a tragedy for many Catholics whom are yet to discover that salvation is in Christ alone. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Tradition or Truth - which are you following?
The Catholic Church has strayed far from biblical truth.
All Christians must be prepared, no matter how high the cost, to confront false teachings wherever they find it, so that many who have a zeal for God can discover the true righteousness available in Jesus Christ.
This book is prepared with the prayer that Catholics will see the errors of the Church of Rome and turn to Jesus Christ alone. Also that Protestants will be made aware of the dangers of the ecumenical movement that is seeking to bring all churches together in a last-days world church.