"Cult of Mary"

Quote: FrGamble

I would like you to think of a more appropriate analogy than politics. .

There really isn't one. A buffer is always
put between the riff raff and those in
power. You don't have direct access to
the pope, do you. If you did, it would
diminish his stature. That's why Jesus
has so many buffers. Ask a saint to ask
Mary to ask Jesus. It puts him at an even
loftier station in peoples minds, which
is the point. The Church is the same
way, you must go thru channels to get
to the top.

You don't get it. There is no buffer between us and Jesus. We can choose for our own reasons to implore the intercession of the saints, but you don't have to at all! Everyone can go and should go directly to Jesus Christ.

Quote: FrGamble

Everyone can go and should go directly to Jesus Christ.

I just wasted 15min Googling 'why do Catholics
pray thru Mary or saints.' After reading and reading,
I still have no idea why. They all say you can pray
directly to Jesus. Or go thru Mary or the saints.
But none of them say why you should do that. They
don't know the reason, is my guess. It's probably
another tradition that has no meaning that started
a thousand years ago. If you can pray directly to
Jesus, why would you want a saint to intercede
for you? Nobody explains this. It all sounds like
religious gobblygook to me, it's shrouded in
mystery, wrapped in an enigma. Yuck..

Life is full of mystery it is not a bad thing. However, in this case I don't think it needs to be mired in some religious gobblygook. Have you ever asked your mother to intercede on your behalf to your father? Have you ever felt more comfortable talking to someone who has been exactly in your shoes?

Quote: FrGamble

Have you ever asked your mother to intercede on your behalf to your father?

Only if I was afraid of what my father
would say. Why else would I do that.

So you're saying Catholics are so afraid
of Jesus and god, they have Mary and
the saints plead their case? Why are
you so terrified?

I doubt that was the only reason you asked your mom to speak to your father. However, if you were in trouble or did something you regretted wasn't it nice to know that mom was with you when you had to face dad? It's not that anyone is scared or afraid because you know Jesus is loving and merciful, but it still is a good, natural, and healthy thing to ask others for their support and prayers. I don't see why this is such a problem for you?

Quote: FrGamble

It's not that anyone is scared or afraid because you know Jesus is loving and merciful, but it still is a good, natural, and healthy thing to ask others for their support

Actually, if you have to go crawling to
a sympathetic parent to put in a word
for you to the other parent, you view
that as 'healthy'? It's the opposite of
healthy, it means you have a parent
you're afraid to deal directly with.

How this dynamic would apply to
spirituality is worrisome. God and
Jesus are so fearsome, you must go
to intermediators to get their attention.
No wonder the Catholic sites don't
want to get into why they do this.
I've never seen so much dancing
around a question before, some just
refused to answer outright.

Finally, an answer that makes sense. Mary
has some kind of hold over Jesus, apparently.
He will do whatever she asks of him. She's
a way in the back door, to get around the
cranky Jesus, who can never say no to his
mom. Just like in politics, you want a
favor from the mayor, butter up the mayors
mom and have her make the appeal for
you. The way we do everything on earth
is the way they do everything in heaven.
If such a place existed.

"If we then realize that Mary's father is God the Father; her son, is God the Son; and her spouse is God the Holy Spirit, what would the Most Holy Trinity deny Mary? Absolutely nothing! Whatever She will ask of that uncreated and Awesome Creator, She will obtain. Even when God may not be inclined to do so, He Will do it - just for Her."

Wow Bob you really want to try and make something out of this huh? It is a normal, healthy, and beneficial to desire to have others as our friends and supporters, especially those we have a special connection to. It is also fine and dandy to go right to Jesus, there is nothing to fear or worry about in the loving relationship we have with our Savior.

Quote: FrGamble

Wow Bob you really want to try and make something out of this huh? .

I just seems odd to me. There is something
that smacks of the royal court here. The
king is always too busy, so you have 'friends
in high places' who can make your appeal
for you. That's how all royalty worked for
eons, and still does. Why wouldn't the Church
fashion the same system for their 'king'.
People knew it and respected it. You have
the ear of the kings mother, or one of the
dukes (saints), have them present your case.

Heaven is always based on earthly practices,
in every religion.