Mary Worship Part 1

Introduction

Those that been following my blog diligently and have completed the two studies on the book of Revelation and “There will be Enmity,” will find that there is a certain amount of repetition of previous material on the topic of Mary worship covered within this blog. It has been necessary to give evidence in those previous studies to expose the Roman Catholic Church’s connection to pagan beliefs. This two-part study gives an in-depth revelation of Mary worship revealing important facts that have not been covered in previous blogs.

Semiramis

_{An idol of the mother goddess Semiramis}

The origins of Mary worship has its roots in the queen of Babylon, Semiramis. It is believed that the name Semiramis is a Hellenized form of “Sammur-amat”, a Sumerian name which means “gift of the sea.” Babylonian mythology has Semiramis floating to the shores of Mesopotamia as an egg which is then hatched by doves. Hence the egg is one of the symbols of Semiramis, and it is why Astarte an alter ego of Semiramis – referred to as Ashtoreth by the Jews – is associated with the egg, which is today referred to as an Easter egg. In Hebrew, the initial element of “Sammur-amat” is “Sammur,” which is translated as “Shinar.” So, in Hebrew Semiramis’ name is also Shinar, so when scripture writes of the land of Shinar, it is indicating Nimrod’s empire which was taken over and ruled by Semiramis upon his death.

The two main Roman Catholic holy days, Christmas and Easter are celebrations of Nimrod and Semiramis.

When Nimrod died, according to tradition, his body was cut up and sent to various areas; similar practices are mentioned in the Bible (Judges 19:29; 1 Samuel 11:7). Following (Nimrod’s) death, which was greatly mourned by the people of Babylon, His wife Semiramis claimed he was the sun god. Later, when she gave birth to a son, she claimed her son, Tammuz by name, was the hero Nimrod reborn. Semiramis, the beautiful wife of Nimrod, was also a strong character and leader, who was able to stay in power after her husband’s death through cunning and manipulation. She weaved a story to maintain control of the kingdom, and her claim that Tammuz was supernaturally conceived indicates she had an understanding of the promise of Genesis 3:15, that the “seed” of a woman would be a saviour. This enabled Semiramis to keep control over the kingdom as mother of the young god-king. The worship of the child god is always done in association with the mother, with the young god always depicted in his mother’s arms. Ultimately, the mother is worshipped along with the child. As the mother of god, she must also be god. So, the worship of mother and child has its origins in Semiramis and Tammuz.

God dealt with the Tower of Babel rebellion by bringing into existence multiple languages and confusing the population; the result was that the people of Babylon were scattered to all parts of the earth taking with them the worship of mother and child. So, all the people of the earth still worshipped Nimrod, Semiramis and Tamuz as gods, but the confusion of multiple languages meant the gods were given different names. Examples of mother and child worship are found in China with the mother goddess being given the title of “holy mother” or Shingnoo. Ralph Woodrow, in his book Babylon Mystery Religion, names other mother goddesses:

Hertha – Ancient Germans	Disa – Scandinavians	Nutria – Etruscans	Cebel – Asia
Aphrodite or Ceres – Greeks	Nana – Sumerians	Venus – Rome	Indrani – India

Bach, in his book Strange Sects and Curious Cults, sums up the multi goddess confusion by saying, “but regardless of her name or place she was the wife of Baal (lord), the virgin queen of heaven, who bore fruit although she never conceived.” As you travel through history, the title “Queen of heaven” is given to the alter egos of Semiramis; as more focus is given to the mother than the child, eventually she is worshipped individually as the queen of heaven.

The Babylonian name for Semiramis, “queen of heaven,” became Ishtar; Alexander Hislop in his book The Two Babylons revealed that Ishtar is the same as the Egyptian Isis, who is the same as the Greek Athena, Syrian Astarte, Roman Cybele, Canaan Ashtoreth, and Ephesian Diana. All these goddesses from different cultures have their origin in Semiramis. After the people were scattered by God “over the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:9),” the worship of the queen of heaven became extremely diverse, with many cultures having links to a mother goddess who is the queen of heaven.

The Great Whore of Revelation 17 is depicted as sitting on many waters, and the explanation of this is given in verse 15. The “waters” on which the harlot sits are the “peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” This scripture shows how widespread the worship of the Whore of Revelation has become, covering multitudes of people groups, and nations. Peter Wagner, in his book Confronting the Queen of Heaven, writes how he was directed by the Lord to do spiritual warfare in unreached countries of the 10/40 Window (the unreached nations of the world between the latitudes 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north). Of his experience on completing the mission he writes “It didn’t take us long to recognise that one discernible pattern from continent to continent was the frequent reference to the ‘queen of heaven.'” The worship of the queen of heaven is worldwide and is a thread that passes through all cultures.

Jeremiah 7:18-20 warns the Jews that the worship of the queen of heaven provokes God to anger, and will invoke the full wrath of God upon all who worship her. The name by which the Jews worshipped her was Ashtoreth, and she is mentioned by that name a number of times in Old Testament scripture. 2 Kings 23:13 uses the term “abomination (KJV)” to describe her. God is disgusted when He sees mankind worshipping the mother of all false religions, and he will hold those people who bow to her accountable.

So, when the two Hebrew kingdoms rebel against God and return to Idolatry and worship of foreign gods, God uses the armies of Assyria and Babylon as tools for His judgement, both powers whose origins were from the area of Mesopotamia, and symbolizes the return of Israel and Judah to the sins of the past. The area of Mesopotamia is referred to as both “the land of Nimrod” and “Shinar” in scripture.

_{A household idol of Astarte, the Hellenized form of the Middle Eastern goddess Ashtoreth, a form of Ishtar}

“You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make. And you shall not set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates” (Deut. 16:21-22).

There are a number of references in Scripture to Asherah poles, which were idol representations of the goddess Ashtoreth or Astarte, the mother goddess referred to in Scripture as the “queen of heaven.” Ruth Hestrin explains that from the Biblical references, it appears that Asherah is referred to in three manifestations:

As an image, probably a statue or figurine representing the goddess herself.
As a tree.
As a tree trunk.

The latter two are, in effect, symbols of the goddess (1). Indeed, the phrase ‘under every green tree’ (Deut. 12:2; 2Chron. 28:4), is used a number of times in Scripture to denote a pagan sacred place – that is, not just trees but evergreen trees.

Asherah was a Canaanite fertility goddess and wooden poles, or trees were the symbol that represented her. Several passages in the Bible refer to both the planting of a tree as a symbol of Asherah, and the setting up of a wooden object as an Asherah — the Hebrew words for “tree” and “wood” are the same, and both were used as symbols of her worship.

God hated the practice so much He would not even tolerate the planting trees (which was associated with Asherah worship) in the temple courtyard (Deut. 16:21-22), as this would inappropriately mix the imagery of the God of Israel with the false goddess Asherah.

_{(1) Ruth Hestrin, ‘Understanding Asherah: Exploring Semitic Iconography,’ Biblical Archaeology Review, Sept.-Oct. 1991, p. 50.}

_{Examples of an Asherah grove}

_{The carved tree stump is an example of an Asherah pole}

Cult Stand

This four-tiered cult stand found at Tanaach is thought to represent Yahweh and Asherah, with each deity being depicted on alternating tiers. One of the tiers dedicated to Asherah has a carving of a living tree, a method used by the cult to symbolise her. The Cult Stand is an example of syncretism in Biblical times, in this carving Ashtaroth is depicted as the bride of Yahweh.

So, Asherah or Asherim refers to more than just the person of the deity. These terms are often, especially in the Biblical texts, used for consecrated poles. The common place of worship for Ashtaroth would be amongst a grove of evergreen trees with an Asherah pole in the midst. The poles were either carved to look like trees or to resemble the goddess (this could also be reflected in the numerous pillar figurines found throughout Israel [Deut. 16:21-22]). Remains of these poles are determined by postholes and rotted timber, which resulted in differently-hued soil.

Semiramis concluded

_{The Roman mother goddess Cybele with a turret crown}

A further important point is that Semiramis was believed to be responsible for the building of the impressive walls and towers surrounding Babylon. For that reason, statues dedicated to the queen of heaven in different cultures have a fortress tower as a crown on her head. So, another alter-ego of Semiramis was the goddess of fortifications. The Greek Artemis, the Ephesian Diana, and the Roman Cybele are examples of this, which further illustrate their link to Semiramis.

Semiramis and Jezebel

Now that a study of Semiramis has been completed, it is worthwhile to make a comparison between Semiramis and Queen Jezebel, the Sidonian wife of King Ahab of Israel. The two women are remarkably similar, reinforcing the ideology that the spirit that was driving the rebellious heart of Semiramis was the same spirit that was in Jezebel.

Below is a table that clearly shows the close link between the two women Semiramis and Jezebel:

Table Comparing Semiramis and Jezebel

SEMIRAMIS	JEZEBEL
She allowed herself to become an instrument of Satan in establishing the pagan Babylonian religion.	She allowed herself to become an instrument of Satan by enforcing the pagan Babylonian worship of Baal (an alter ego of Nimrod) in Israel.
Lived a life in rebellion to, and opposition of Yahweh.	Lived a life in rebellion to, and opposition of Yahweh.
A flawed character being immoral, decadent, depraved, dishonest, and egocentric, showing a lack of conscience and using her status to violate social laws.	A flawed character being immoral, decadent, depraved, dishonest, egocentric, showing a lack of conscience, using her status to violate social laws, and prone to victimizing with no empathy shown to others.
She was seductive using her charm and beauty to manipulate others to do her will.	She was seductive using her charm and beauty to manipulate others to do her will.
She had political power and influence which she used to the maximum.	She had political power and influence which she used to the maximum.
Responsible for the establishment of the worship of man as god and idolatry and was instrumental in the spiritual, and moral degradation of mankind.	Aggressively encouraged the worship of Baal and idolatry in Israel, and was instrumental in the spiritual and moral degradation of the people living in the Northern Kingdom.
Introduced the false doctrine that man could be god, idolatry and polytheism.	Encouraged false doctrine and idolatry in rebellion against God.
Was totally unrepentant in her rebellion and sin.	Was totally unrepentant in her rebellion and sin.
Was completely domineering, manipulative and controlling of others.	Obsessive passion for domineering, manipulative and controlling others.
She had a focused determination, to ensure that she always had her way, no matter what the consequences and who may be hurt in the process. Manipulating and deceiving to ensure she stayed in power.	Her manipulation of the judicial system in her plot to murder Naboth for his vineyard (1 Kings 21), revealed that she had a focused determination to ensure that she always had her way, no matter what the consequences and who may be hurt in the process.[LP1]

Which is the real Mary?

Mary Worship

With the Catholic Mary receiving the title “queen of heaven” in their veneration of her, a logical question to ask would be: Is Semiramis, the original queen of heaven and the mother of all false religions, linked to the Roman Catholic Mary? This is a serious question with extreme consequences. An affirmative answer to the question would place the Roman Catholic Mary as the modern revelation of the pagan worship of the mother goddess, a worship that God detested. To link the Roman Catholic Mary with Semiramis would be to link the Roman Church to the powerful demonic force which was behind the religious rebellion against God at the Tower of Babel and would also identify her as the end-time false religion, the Mother of Prostitutes of Revelation 17.

It is extremely important to clarify that there is a clear distinction between the Roman Catholic Mary and the Mary of scripture. The Mary of scripture must be recognised as a very special person who, through her godly nature, her faith, and humility, was chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah, Jesus. The Mary of scripture would be appalled at the fact that her name is associated with the pagan worship of a mother deity. The archangel Gabriel declared her to be “blessed… among woman,” not above woman. Mary was more blessed in accepting the faith of Christ, than by conceiving His humanity. Mary makes it very clear that she considered herself to be the same in nature as the rest of mankind when Mary said “my spirit rejoices in God my saviour (Luke 1:47; emphasis added).” Mary knew that she had inherited the nature of fallen man and was born in sin; she fully understood that she required God’s forgiveness. So, if Mary needed a saviour, she cannot be a saviour herself. Jesus kept His divine nature, humbling Himself in obedience to the Father and serving mankind, He did not need a divine mother.

The Roman Catholic Church’s elevation of Mary to become “Queen of Heaven” is an excellent example of how the traditions of men (man’s wisdom) have come to be pre-eminent to the Word of God (God’s wisdom). The elevation of Mary to the high status she holds within the Catholic Church today, attaining equal status with Jesus, was not immediate but evolved over time. A study of the history of the Roman Catholic Church reveals how the veneration of Mary gained momentum over time, to eventually become the central focus of Catholicism:

Step 1: Mother of God

The error of Mary worship has its genesis within the Roman Church when Mary was given the title of Theotokos “Mother of God” at the council of Ephesus in AD 431. This was a grave theological error, as Mary gave birth to the Son of David, Jesus the Son of God has always existed – Mary could give birth to the Man, she could not give birth to His deity. Also, the Roman Catholics wrongly give Mary – who is the instrument – the glory, not God, who is the creator. The Holy Spirit is responsible for the conception and birth of Jesus, Mary is merely the conduit chosen by God. Giving Mary the glory for the birth of Jesus and the title of “Mother of God” elevates her within Roman Catholicism. It draws attention away from Jesus, much the same as the Babylonian religion, where Semiramis came to be the centre of worship above her son Tammuz.

This critical theological error of giving Mary the title of Theotokos would have a domino effect, seeing Mary continually moving up in prominence within the Roman Church, to her modern status where she is considered the queen of heaven and co-redeemer by many Roman Catholics. There can be no coincidence that this grave spiritual error took place at Ephesus the spiritual home of the demonic queen of heaven. The centre of demonic power that had been Diana worship, was now the place that ordained Mary as “Mother of God.”

_{The multi-breasted idol of Diana of Ephesus with a turret crown.}

Step 2: Perpetual Virginity

The progression of Mary having the title “Mother of God” is that, being the mother of Jesus, she must have been without sin. The thought that Mary could have a desire for her husband and have more children did not match with the concept of the “Mother of God.” Just as nuns and priests were required to be celibate, because matters of the flesh were sinful in the Roman Church (Platonic dualism), Mary too was therefore required to be celibate. The doctrine of “perpetual virginity” was introduced in AD 451 at the council of Chalcedon. This doctrine does not match with scripture as Matthew wrote that Joseph “had no union with her until she gave birth [to Jesus]” (Matthew 1:25; emphasis added). The same scripture calls Jesus, Mary’s “firstborn” son, not the only son. The implication is that Mary did have union with Joseph after the birth of Jesus and that Mary did have other children. This fact is made clear in Matthew 13:55-56, where four brothers of Jesus are named and the scripture also reveals that He had sisters.

However, the Roman Catholic Church will blindly insist that those scriptures are merely referring to the followers of Jesus as brothers and sisters. This cannot be the case as John, in his gospel, records an incident where the brothers of Jesus were encouraging Him to leave the Galilee region and travel with His disciples to Judea. Here there is a clear distinction between brethren (the disciples) and the biological brothers of Jesus (John 7:2-5). John then gives the reason why His brothers wanted Him to leave the region, “for even his own brothers did not believe in him (John 7:5).” This scripture clearly reveals that Jesus had biological brothers who, as yet, had not recognised him as the Messiah.

Step 3: Mediator

With Mary as “Mother of God” and being in a state of perpetual virginity, she began to gain a higher and higher status within the Roman Church, to the extent that people started praying to her. This led to perpetual virginity being an accepted devotional formula, ultimately leading to the use of the rosary which came into prominence in about AD 1050. On being the focus of the Catholics’ prayers, Mary takes prominence in the hearts of Catholics. Also, on praying to Mary, the faithful Roman Catholic expects that she hears their prayers and ensures that the prayers are answered. This, then, elevates Mary to the position of deity.

The Catholic Church teaches that Mary is the mediator between mankind and Jesus; therefore, prayers must be directed to the mother, not the Son. The idea is that a son cannot refuse his mother’s request, so prayers said to the mother will be answered. As evidence of this, the Catholics will use 1 Kings 2:19-20 where Bathsheba comes before King Solomon, her son, saying “I have one small request to make of you… do not refuse me.” Solomon’s response to his mother is “make it, my mother; I will not refuse you (1 Kings 2: 20).” The Roman Catholic belief then is that Jesus, like Solomon, will not refuse the requests of His mother. An analysis of the full scripture, however, reveals that the result of this request is that Solomon, instead of allowing his brother Adonijah to marry as his mother requested, has Adonijah put to death (1 Kings 2:23). Hardly an appropriate example of a son not being able to refuse a mother’s request!

Another scripture the Catholics use often as evidence that prayers should be offered to Mary, is the marriage feast at Cana (John 2:1-11). At the wedding Mary informs Jesus that there is no more wine left for the wedding guests. The Catholics believe that Jesus fulfils his mother’s request by turning water into wine, and is therefore clear evidence that Jesus will honour His mother’s appeals on behalf of others. However, this is not the case. In this one recorded incident where Mary took the role of a mediator, Jesus in a gentle, loving, but firm manner responds “woman what have I to do with thee (John 2:4 [KJV]).” Through this reply, Jesus was letting Mary know that He was withdrawing the submission which previously He had been willing to give to her. Mary immediately withdraws from taking care of the situation, leaving Jesus to resolve the problem in His own way.

There is no reference in scripture to people seeking Mary out for requests of forgiveness, or healing, or that Mary is approached by people asking her to mediate on their behalf. Of all the New Testament letters written by the Apostles to guide and instruct the fledgling Church, Mary, who holds such a pivotal role in Roman Catholic prayers, is not mentioned in one of them. Clearly, the belief that praying to Mary is more effective than prayers offered to Jesus is a diabolical deception, directing heartfelt prayers away from Jesus to the queen of heaven. Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:5 clearly states “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.” To teach that prayers are to be said to Mary is to damage the unique relationship that a believer has with Jesus as their mediator (1 John 2:1).

The Catholic news agency Medjugorje Today, which reports via their website on the Virgin Mary’s apparitions in Medjugorje Croatia, stated in March 2012 that the Virgin Mary had made repeated calls to be the sole Mediatrix for mankind’s prayers. According to the website “the first time the Virgin Mary used the word ‘Mediatrix’ in Medjugorje was on July 17, 1986. By then the Virgin did not only express her wish of taking on the role of mediatrix for people. She noted that she is (sic) the Mediatrix: ‘Dear children, today I am calling you to reflect upon why I am with you this long. I am the Mediatrix between you and God. Therefore, dear children, I desire to call you to live always out of love all that which God desires of you. For that reason, dear children, in your own humility live all the messages which I am giving you. Thank you for having responded to my call.'”

Millions of pilgrims are travelling to Medjugorje because of the reports of miraculous events and spontaneous healings taking place there, even one of the world’s best football players, Lionel Messi, has visited Medjugorje (Medjugorje Today, July 23, 2012). The Medjugorje apparitions of Mary have done wonders for the virgin cult.

The powerful deception of the apparitions of Mary is a double-edged sword. Because Mary is the one who hears the Roman Catholic’s prayers, it is then logical to the Catholic that it is Mary who will also be responsible for the communication between heaven and mankind. Therefore, the demonic powers behind the growing number of apparitions of Mary worldwide have free reign to lead Roman Catholics – who place tradition over scripture – in whatever direction they desire.

It is also important to remember that Astarte (Canaanite Ashtaroth) the pagan goddess was known as the “wrath subduer” – the mediator!

According to the Roman Catholic Church, Mary is the mediator of “all grace”, which is the unmerited favour provided by God. Scripture, on the other hand, explains that the believer in Jesus attains grace because of His shed blood (Ephesians 1:7). Through the blood of Jesus, the believer is restored to a relationship with God, and becomes a recipient of God’s unmerited favour.

Step 4: The Immaculate Heart

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is an ancient custom, tied to a passage from the Gospel of Luke: “and a sword will pierce through your own soul too” (Luke 2:35). This Scripture has been changed to represent Mary’s heart being pierced in the minds of Catholics, and is used to show Mary’s equal suffering with Jesus on the cross.

By the 17th century the devotion became more widespread and at about the same time images of Mary with her Immaculate Heart rose in popularity. The image appears to be simple, but the symbolism behind it is complex:

Mary’s heart is visible outside of her body, this points to her undying love for all people, her love is such that she cannot contain it within. Some artists choose to depict the Blessed Virgin carrying her heart in her hand, or simply pointing her index finger to her heart. The gesture suggests that Mary wants to give her heart to the one who is viewing the image.
Mary’s heart is typically on fire, which emphasizes the intensity of her love for God and for humanity.
There are white roses that encircle her heart. These symbolize her purity, brought about by her Immaculate Conception, creating within her the purest heart. In some cases, her heart is also shown with a lily coming out of the top, also symbolizing her purity.
A single sword is sometimes added going through her heart, referring to the passage of Luke (“a sword shall pierce…”) which brings to mind the sorrows she endured during her lifetime, especially during the crucifixion.
The heart is typically surrounded by rays of light. This brings to mind Revelation 12:1, where the Scripture describes the Blessed Virgin Mary as “a woman clothed with the sun.” The error is that in Revelation 12 the woman is the nation of Israel, not Mary.

The symbolism is extremely dramatic and has no basis in scripture – man’s wisdom being imposed on God’s humble servant Mary.

Step 5: Immaculate Conception

The next step Taken by the Roman Church was that Mary was without sin. This belief was popular for centuries in the Roman Church but was not defined as dogma by the papacy until 1854. Luke 1:28 records the angel Gabriel speaking to Mary and saying “Greetings you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” The Catholics translate this greeting to be “Hail Mary full of grace” (as in the rosary). So, if Mary is full of Grace, she must therefore be transformed by Grace, so then Mary must be without sin. The Apostle Paul uses the same terminology as Luke 1:28 when he says “In Him we have redemption through the blood, the forgiveness of sin, in accordance with the riches of God’s Grace that He lavished on us…” (Ephesians 1:7). Paul clearly reveals that God’s Grace is bestowed on believers, so if we follow the Roman Catholic Church’s logic, all believers are bestowed with this grace and are without sin, not just Mary!

An interesting fact that most Roman Catholics do not know, is that most of their Popes and their two most important theologians Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430) and Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274), denied the reality of the Immaculate Conception. However, the momentum in the deification of Mary continued with the belief in Roman Catholicism that if Mary is without sin she could not have been born with the fallen nature of man. So, in 1854 Pope Pius IX instituted the doctrine of the “immaculate conception” of Mary, which means in the first instant of her conception Mary was exempt from sin. Mary is then elevated above all mankind, which is made clear in the Rosary chant of “Hail Mary.”

Jesus clearly shows that Mary was not regarded by Him as being above mankind. In a response to a woman who said to Him “blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you,” His reply was “blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it (Luke 11:27-28).”

Step 6: The Assumption

There was great concern by Roman Catholics in 1950 as to what happened to Mary. The Bible says “the wages of sin is death,” so, if Mary was without sin, how could she have died?

Notice Mary is depicted with rays of light emanating from her head – a pagan symbol – and that she is standing on a crescent moon, the pagan symbol for the queen of heaven. Her deity is confirmed by the fact that she is worshipped by the angels.

This mystery was conveniently solved when Pope Pius XII in 1951, who proclaimed that Mary’s body saw no corruption, but was taken up to heaven. According to Pope Pius XII, Mary fell into a deep sleep, and in this dormant state there was no corruption of the flesh. The Dormition Church on Mount Zion in Jerusalem was built to commemorate this event. Mary then, according to Pope Pius XII, was eventually raised by angels into heaven where she took her place of authority next to Jesus. Scripture, however, makes no mention of this, but clearly states that Jesus is standing on the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55).

_{The Dormition Church on Mount Zion}

Step 7: Co-Redemptrix

An August 1997 Newsweek magazine article recorded that Pope John Paul II had received 4 340 429 petitions imploring him to make Mary co-redeemer with Jesus. The title of Co-Redemptrix given to Mary by the Roman Catholics refers to the belief that she had a role in the redemption process. Wikipedia defines co-redemptrix as “an indirect or unequal but important participation by Mary in the redemption process. She gave free consent to give life to the redeemer, to share his life, to suffer with him under the cross, and to sacrifice him for the sake of the redemption of mankind.” The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Mary suffered as much as Jesus did on the cross, her heart being pierced by the grief she was experiencing, and her affliction being so great that she participated with Jesus in the redemption of mankind. Through the indoctrination of this belief by the Roman Church, the Roman Catholic Mary, who has already stolen the title of mediator from Jesus, is now in the process of claiming the position of saviour.

For a person to be called a Christian, that person needs to accept Jesus as their Lord and saviour, believing that He died on the cross and shed His blood to redeem mankind’s sin (1 John 5:13; Romans 10:9-10). As the Catholic Church is now placing Mary as their saviour, it follows that they should not be considered a Christian faith. Some would class Catholicism as a cult with the likes of Jehovah’s Witness or Mormons, but as the Mother of Harlots she is far more dangerous than that. For those who feel the point is being exaggerated and is far too harsh and critical, the following quotes from recent Popes should clarify the issue of who the saviour is in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church:

Quotes from recent Popes:

Pius IX, Ubi Primum, (1836-1878), “For God has committed to Mary the treasury of all good things, in order that everyone may know that through her are obtained every hope, every grace, and all salvation. For this is his will, that we obtain everything through Mary.”
Paul VI, (1963-1978) “The Church… has been accustomed to have recourse to that most ready intercessor, her Mother Mary… For as St. Irenaeus says, ‘she has become the cause of salvation for the whole human race.'”
John Paul II (1978-2005), Misericodia, 1980, quoting Lumen Gentium, “In fact, by being assumed into heaven she has not laid aside the office of salvation but by the manifold intercession she continues to obtain for us the grace of eternal salvation.”
Pope John Paul II again said, “Membership in Militia means complete dedication to the Kingdom of God and to the salvation of souls through Mary Immaculate.”

Mother Teresa had this to say, “No Mary, no Jesus,” meaning that everything Jesus brought into the world, came through His mother and by way of her co-operation with God, Luke 1:38 refutes this: “And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” Further Roman Catholicism believes that Jesus received His characteristic traits from His mother, not His Father.

The Belief that Mary is co-redeemer with Jesus is strongly influenced by the doctrine of the immaculate heart. This, as was seen earlier, comes from the book of Luke where Simeon says to Mary, “And a sword will pierce through your own soul (Luke 2:35).” The Roman Catholic Church has changed “soul’ to “heart,” to emphasise their doctrine that Mary suffered along with Jesus while He was on the cross. The term “immaculate heart” for Mary is used to underline this belief.

Jesus Refused to Exalt Mary

As pointed out in Step 5: Immaculate Conception, the book of Luke records a very important narrative, which counters the exaltation of Mary by the Roman Catholic Church. A woman attempted to have Jesus exalt Mary saying: “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” (Luke 11:27-28). Jesus does not fall for this trap to elevate Mary, which is the essence of Babylon Religion, but responds by saying; “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Every attempt Satan made to contaminate and corrupt the work of Jesus is foiled by Him.