Anonymous
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Danny Hickman
Why single out Mary? I have family members who were raised in the same kind of churches I was raised in, who pray to our ancestors. They make meals on certain days of certain months and set them out for the ancestors. At the end of this ridiculous exercise the meals are eventually thrown out (I guess, I don't know, I don't participate in these silly services. What else could they do with food that no one eats?)
Why single out Mary? People will adopt all kinds of religious "beliefs."
Think about it. Where did catholics get the idea that Mary could /would answer prayer? If she was deity she could have shown it while alive! In John 2, when the wedding party had drank all the wine, and the party was still in full blast, why did she go to Jesus when she learned of the wine shortage? Why didn't she use her powers to answer the needs of the people to fix the problem? Did her powers kick in after she died?
Maybe they think she relays their requests to her Son Jesus now the same as she did in John 2. Like I said, why single them out about Mary?
I suspect my family members got the idea to pray to our dead ancestors from the Marvel movie, "Black Panther." Praying to dead ancestors is a major part of the story. It's probably Satan's influence for the production.
But Satan can't steal whom God plans to save for everlasting life. And neither I, or anyone else can preach or pray anyone into the kingdom of God whom God doesn't choose. They will die in their sin. Case closed!!
Danny Hickman
Yes! I said 'Case Closed!!'
Someone will ask, 'How can Danny Hickman be so callous about his family members dying in their sin?' I'm not! I hope they will live the everlasting life. I don't know the status of anyone except myself.
I know that they know the gospel message, that Jesus is the Son of God who was born into the world to die for the sins of the world. They know that He was crucified and buried in a tomb, and is reputed to have been resurrected after three days in the tomb. They know the record has it that He later ascended to His Father, and is to return someday. They know the story they were taught. Did /Do they believe it?
There is no way to know what's in a person's heart.
Listen to Naaman when Elisha wouldn't let him pay for being healed of his leprosy: "If [you won't accept anything], please let me have two mule-loads of dirt [to take home], for I will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. Yet, when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship, and he leans on my hand, when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon me in this thing." (2 Kings 5:17,18)
What was he planning to do with that dirt? Not one mule-load, but two!!
We don't know what others truly believe, we know what we see them do. Besides, I know that God gives everlasting life to whomever He chooses, and all other souls are cast into a fiery grave and destroyed (the 2nd death Rev 21:8). A horrible end, but not eternal torture.