"Cult of Mary"

I'm sorry to say this but I think you are lying. If you asked them if Mary is God and they said yes then I would be flabbergasted. I'll ask about 100 today and if a single person thinks Mary is equality to God then I will eat my hat, or anything else you would like me to do.

Quote: FrGamble

Everyone knows Mary is not divine so no one prays to her per se, but if you mean, 'do many Catholics feel comfortable asking for the intercession of Mary?' then yes they do. When you desire something from your father, who might you turn to for help first?

What can Mary do to help?

Quote: Dalex64

What can Mary do to help?

I suppose as Jehovah's/Jesus' mother, she's in a unique position to terrify them into compliance with her wishes ;)

Quote: FrGamble

I'm sorry to say this but I think you are lying. .

I asked them if Mary and Jesus were divine, not
if they were god. Please don't accuse anyone
of lying because of your opinion. It degrades
you as a religious authority.

"consider the moral necessity of the intercession of Mary for priests; and secondly, the confidence which they ought to have in the prayers of this divine Mother."

She is referred to as the 'divine mother'
everywhere. Do you think this could be
a tad bit confusing to people who don't
pay much attention?

Yes a tad confusing, but it seems as if you orchestrated the question in a way to lead one to the answer you want. So while you were not lying (sorry for the accusation) you may have been more than a tad confusing yourself.

We are all divine in some ways, we have spiritual souls and are made in the image and likeness of God. So maybe you should just simply ask them, "Is Mary God?" Nothing confusing about that. So far I've asked 15 people and all have said No without a hesitation.

Quote: Evenbob

Me? You're the one who believes whole heartedly
in demons and exorcism. That makes saying bless
you after you sneeze nothing. And you can't tell
me young catholic guys don't have the same
sexual problems as the kids I knew. Or has the
Church made masturbation a non sin now.

Roman Catholic beliefs about masturbation:
Part 2: Church Catechism.

"Is masturbation a mortal sin or a venial sin?
Being a "grave moral disorder" and "an intrinsically and gravely disordered action" the Church teaches that even a single act of masturbation can theoretically send a person to Hell for all eternity."

edited

Quote: FrGamble

So maybe you should just simply ask them, "Is Mary God?" .

That's not the POINT! You tell them they
can't pray TO Mary because she isn't
divine, then you call her the 'divine
mother' in every other sentence. You
think this is an accident? The Church is
full of this kind of double talk, meant
to confuse the rabble. Like telling them
the wine is real blood. No it's not, it's a
metaphor.

Mary is not at the same level as God. Every Catholic knows this, and every thinking person. That is the point. She is the most awesome human being, who is not also God, ever. She gave birth to Jesus Christ the savior and can rightly be called the Mother of God or divine mother. This doesn't make her God. We all are divine in many ways and she is the best of us. I really don't know why you think this is so hard to understand. If you think the phrase "divine mother" throws people off why not ask them, "Is the divine (or much more common is the phrase blessed) mother God?" I think you know the answer you will get from everyone.

Oh, by the way the consecrated wine is not a metaphor at all. It is the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. Something we call the real presence.

Quote: FrGamble

Mary is not at the same level as God..

Yeah, we all know this. But that's not what you
say. You say Jesus is divine, he's constantly
referred to that way. And then you call Mary
the divine mother. Yet she's not divine. Gosh,
what a slip up.

It's like Col Sanders. He wasn't a real military
Col at all. Or guys who are called 'doctor'
who have a doctorate in economics, or whatever.
People assume they are medical doctors and
I've never heard one correct it. They like people
thinking that.

Mary isn't divine, but she kinda sorta is or they
wouldn't call her divine mother.

(when called Divine Mother)"Catholics surely do not specifically claim that Mary is deity, you will see that they have indeed elevated her to a position that is second only to God, and at times materially indistinguishable from God."

Quote: Evenbob

Yeah, we all know this.

What are we arguing about again?

Quote:

Mary isn't divine, but she kinda sorta is ...

This is a good description of all of us.

Quote:

(when called Divine Mother)"Catholics surely do not specifically claim that Mary is deity, you will see that they have indeed elevated her to a position that is second only to God, and at times materially indistinguishable from God."

If you are tired of me pointing out that you are wrong ALL the time about your Catholic theology I would be happy to point out that it is the source you are using that is actually wrong and misleading you if you care to cite it.