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September 19, 2010
R obert E. Ritchie
AMERICA NEEDS FATIMA
R obert E. Ritchie
AMERICA NEEDS FATIMA
P.O. Box 341
Hanover, PA 17331-0341
Dear Bob:
This is not a matter of what I believe but rather one of knowledge and observation. It is from knowing what is written in the Holy Bible and observing the conduct of Catholics or anyone else.
Not all Catholics of course are idolaters.
Last millennia Pat Robinson had a Priest on the “700 Club” who was in charge of, as I remember, the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. Pat asked him what he thought of the veneration of Mary. The Priest answered, “It is idolatry.”
A Catholic friend of mine was getting married and during the marriage ceremony he and his bride knelt before a statue of Mary. Later I told him that what he had done is idolatry.
Consider what Holy Scripture says.
Exodus 20:1-5
“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; “
We see from this passage that we are not to make any graven image of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the sea. We are not to bow down before them or to serve them. Is not a statue a graven image? Worship means to bend the knees. Kneeling before a statue is worshiping it. God clearly says not to do it. We are also told not to serve the statue. This is all idolatry.
Jeremiah 2:26-27
“As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.”
A figure is crafted from a piece of wood but it is still a stock of wood. Then people speak to it as if it were alive. A rock is carved into a statue but it is still a stone. People speak to it as if it could hear and respond. This is idolatry. Isn’t asking for a baby from “Our Lady of Fatima” the same thing?
Jeremiah 1:16
“And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”
Worshiping the works of our own hands: Isn’t “Our Lady of Fatima” the work of our own hands? God says; this is idolatry.
The fact that you cannot see this indicates that you are lost and in need of salvation.
Isaiah 44:6
“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
Notice here “the LORD” and “the LORD.” The first LORD is the King of Israel Who is God the Father. The second LORD is the First LORD’s redeemer, and also the LORD of hosts. This is God the Son. Jesus Christ before taking on flesh by being conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit.
Notice the “I,” which is singular yet it denotes the Father and the Son as the only God. They are two persons yet one. The Holy Spirit is also God (Acts 5:3, 4), but not mentioned so He must be included with the Father and the Son for He proceeds from the Father (Isa. 48:16) and the Son (Rom. 8:9). Thus, there are three persons yet one God. Mary is not included.
Notice the “me” which is singular claiming there is no other God.
Isaiah 44:9-13
“They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.”
Isaiah 44:14-17
“He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my God.”
Isaiah 44:18-20
“They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
I was listening to the Vatican Radio FM 89.7 out of Lima the other day. And the speaker said that one of the worst sins for a person to obtain release from is abortion but the blood of Jesus will wash away this sin also and give a person release from it. I was impressed. That is correct. You and your friends can be released from idolatry by the blood of Jesus. You can repent of your sins and invite Jesus into your heart.
A sample prayer is: “Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me of my sins and come into my heart.”
.
Dear Bob:
This is not a matter of what I believe but rather one of knowledge and observation. It is from knowing what is written in the Holy Bible and observing the conduct of Catholics or anyone else.
Not all Catholics of course are idolaters.
Last millennia Pat Robinson had a Priest on the “700 Club” who was in charge of, as I remember, the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville, Ohio. Pat asked him what he thought of the veneration of Mary. The Priest answered, “It is idolatry.”
A Catholic friend of mine was getting married and during the marriage ceremony he and his bride knelt before a statue of Mary. Later I told him that what he had done is idolatry.
Consider what Holy Scripture says.
Exodus 20:1-5
“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; “
We see from this passage that we are not to make any graven image of anything in heaven, on earth, or in the sea. We are not to bow down before them or to serve them. Is not a statue a graven image? Worship means to bend the knees. Kneeling before a statue is worshiping it. God clearly says not to do it. We are also told not to serve the statue. This is all idolatry.
Jeremiah 2:26-27
“As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets, Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.”
A figure is crafted from a piece of wood but it is still a stock of wood. Then people speak to it as if it were alive. A rock is carved into a statue but it is still a stone. People speak to it as if it could hear and respond. This is idolatry. Isn’t asking for a baby from “Our Lady of Fatima” the same thing?
Jeremiah 1:16
“And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.”
Worshiping the works of our own hands: Isn’t “Our Lady of Fatima” the work of our own hands? God says; this is idolatry.
The fact that you cannot see this indicates that you are lost and in need of salvation.
Isaiah 44:6
“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”
Notice here “the LORD” and “the LORD.” The first LORD is the King of Israel Who is God the Father. The second LORD is the First LORD’s redeemer, and also the LORD of hosts. This is God the Son. Jesus Christ before taking on flesh by being conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit.
Notice the “I,” which is singular yet it denotes the Father and the Son as the only God. They are two persons yet one. The Holy Spirit is also God (Acts 5:3, 4), but not mentioned so He must be included with the Father and the Son for He proceeds from the Father (Isa. 48:16) and the Son (Rom. 8:9). Thus, there are three persons yet one God. Mary is not included.
Notice the “me” which is singular claiming there is no other God.
Isaiah 44:9-13
“They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.”
Isaiah 44:14-17
“He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my God.”
Isaiah 44:18-20
“They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
I was listening to the Vatican Radio FM 89.7 out of Lima the other day. And the speaker said that one of the worst sins for a person to obtain release from is abortion but the blood of Jesus will wash away this sin also and give a person release from it. I was impressed. That is correct. You and your friends can be released from idolatry by the blood of Jesus. You can repent of your sins and invite Jesus into your heart.
A sample prayer is: “Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me of my sins and come into my heart.”
.
Sincerely,
Sam
Sam
Dear Sam,
ReplyDeleteAlthough the response you posted is long, it crumbles at its base because it rests upon two faulty premises:
1) Your definition of idolatry is incorrect; and,
2) You attribute this incorrect notion of idoltray to Catholics.
Please have the kindness to take note of an essential difference that exists between idolatry and the veneration of images practiced in the Catholic Church, viz., that while the idolater credits the image he reverences with Divinity or Divine powers, the Catholic knows "that in images there is no divinity or virtue on account of which they are to be worshipped, that no petitions can be addressed to them, and that no trust is to be placed in them. We Catholics know that the honour which is given to them is referred to the objects (prototypa) which they represent, so that through the images which we kiss, and before which we uncover our heads and kneel, we adore Christ and venerate the Saints whose likenesses they are" (Conc. Trid., Sess. XXV, "de invocatione Sanctorum," New Advent).
Furthermore, the fact that a Catholic priest said on radio that Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is idolatry does not make it so.
The fact is, the Catholic veneration of the Mother of God is exactly that -- veneration, and nothing more.
Now, once we have clarified the false premises of your post, for those of good faith, let's shed clarity to what idolatry truly is:
Idolatry etymologically denotes Divine worship given to an image, but its signification has been extended to all Divine worship given to anyone or anything but the true God.
St. Thomas (Summa Theol., II-II, q. xciv) treats of it as a species of the genus superstition, which is a vice opposed to the virtue of religion and consists in giving Divine honour (cultus) to things that are not God, or to God Himself in a wrong way.
The specific note of idolatry is its direct opposition to the primary object of Divine worship; it bestows on a creature the reverence due to God alone.
It does so in several ways. The creature is often represented by an image, an idol.
I sincerely hope that this clarification will be helpful to you to undo the false notions that many hold in regard to Catholics being idolaters.
May the holy Mother of God, who all generations will call blessed, intercede for you and obtain your conversion to the One True Faith of the One True God, the Roman Catholic Church.
Sincerely,
Robert Ritchie
Even if you are not worshiping Mary, it is still a sin to try to communicate with her, being dead.
ReplyDelete"There shall not be found among you ...a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD..."
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (KJV)