American Catholic Idol
I have recently received some comments regarding my post about RRA Syndrome. Some of the commenters have suggested that despite what I am posting, they have found internet evidence that Catholics do indeed worship idols and Mary worship is implied by select quotes from papal encyclicals. With no ill will, they request honest clarification of this conundrum.
My frequent commenter, Theo, suggested that I put a call out to all Catholics who worship somebody or something other than the God of the universe, the blessed Trinity.
"Tiber, I suggest you might lovingly and openly invite any and all practicing Catholics who worship anything or anyone other than the one and only holy trinity: God the Father, God, The Son and God, The Holy Spirit to post here and explain who or what it is that they worship, and from where they got the notion to do so."
Well, Theo, You put me up to this! Here goes:
Calling All Idol Worshiping Catholics:
Don't be shy!
Don't be shy!
Tell us who you worship and why?
Let the Voting Begin (Remember, Just Catholics!)
Surveys - Take Our Poll
(I just hope my internet provider's bandwidth can withstand the deluge of posts I am expecting from this call. I usually get between 80-120 hits a day on my blog (unless Dr. James White posts about me, then I can get anywhere from 400-745 a day) so surely after 17,000 or more site views in the past year, I will have an ample sampling of idolatrous Catholics to draw from.)
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 4:55 PM
8 Comments:
In the event Dr. White does post about you, be sure to thank him for the traffic.
--Theo
By the way, I voted for the Eucharist--trick question indeed! :-)
Sweet, How do you get James White to blog about you?
I also voted for the Eucharist. It is worth noting the difference between adoration and veneration. We venerate all the the other things in your poll, but we adore/worship the Eucharist because it is Jesus Christ Himself.
BTW, I've started a series to answer your question about how, why, and under what circumstances I became a Calvinist.
Thanks Kacy
Look forward to reading!
Boy, If we worship Mary, we had better mention her more than just one passing reference in the Apostle's Creed, or find any opening at all to include her in the Mass. Protestants with high levels of SSRIs should look at the text of the Mass. It'll be like a game: "Where's Mary?"
If they cannot take a Catholic's word for it, they're definitely in denial.
"You catholics worship Mary."
"No, we don't. We worship God and His Son, Jesus Christ."
"You still worship Mary."
"Now, if I really worshipped Mary, don't you think I would say so?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. What if you're ashamed to say so?"
"If I'm ashamed to say so, then I don't really worship her, now do I?"
"Umm, but it says right here in this Chick tract.."
"Yeah, I thought so."
Yes if Catholics did worship Mary as we are accused of, why in the world would would be hiding it? Then, by definition we would be denying her!
St. Jimbob, that reminds me of my first Mass I attended in over 30 years. My anti-Catholic radar was turned way up and I was expecting Mariolatry all over the place.(Based on much scholarly research over the years, from JTC School of All Things True)
I searched all over the altar in front of the Church for a statue of Mary (didn't find one, until leaving, there was a statue at the back of the Church but didn't see any one worshiping it )
I listened intently during the Mass and only one small mention of Mary in the confietor at the beginning of Mass when we confess our sins in preparation to receiving the blessed sacrament:
"I confess to almighty God,
and to you,
my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary,
ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you,
my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord our God."
No words of worship praise or even veneration which I certainly think she is worthy of.
What did impress me was the fact that there was not one "wasted" or superfluous, gesture or word throughout. After 30 years of seeing pastors "wing it" in the Spirit and never knowing what would happen next, I was strangely comforted by the simple beauty of the liturgy and the profound reverence I observed towards the Eucharist . I never went back to a protestant church after that first Mass in April 2004.
Tiber wrote in part...
"St. Jimbob, that reminds me of my first Mass I attended in over 30 years..."
Aha!
You forget my dear Tiber-jumping friend, that you *did* attend one Mass with me a little over a decade ago. Apparently it was so traumatic that you supressed the memory! :-)
--Thos
I was just sitting here with my friend, Sarah, and we noticed on my computer desk some various idols I've acquired over my life time. These include, not just 'religious' items,like my holy cards and bust of Mary in olive wood. I DO WORSHIP many idols it seems and not just God and the Trinity. UH OH..here goes:
1. Coke bottles
2. dead flowers
3. MP3 player
4. The Beatles (Early years)
5. Boston speakers
6. Paper cutter
7. Pens and pencils
8. A lamp with - OH MY...STAINED GLASS!
9. c.d.'s
and NUMBER 10..... My COMPUTER!
It's alway ON and keeps luring me back in here to waste time instead of going to my old place of worship that had absolutely NOTHING to inspire me to greater heights and toward God and the Trinity. In fact, at my old fellowship, they worship FLAGS of all nations that hung from the ceiling!! I kid you not!!! Oh and a BIG SCREEN that had videos on it of various people or words to songs. Beware of going there! You might find yourself worshiping flags and lots of cassette tapes of sermons preached by a great guy, but remember, they are "physical" and not "spiritual and invisible" therefore they are bad. I have a WEE sarcastic streak....I'll do penance tomorrow....cuz the Son'll come out tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow it's only a day away! Obviously, I also worship show tunes that are in movies that I also worship on TCM.
b'bye
Susie:
I hear you loud and clear. You point out the paradox that folks just can't see. Only by grace did we finally see it. So we press on...And yes worshiping the computer screen, for sure I'm guilty of that!!
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