for the 1,017,183,731 time in this community, Catholics DO NOT worship Mary. there are threads maybe about a month ago or so that have a lot of useful information regarding the Catholic teaching on Mary and transubstantiation.
as for the question, about those with difference in doctrine than myself, i say as long as they hold to the basic understandings of Christianity (Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed) they are Christians-- the rest is immaterial to me.
i'm realizing now that my comment sounds a little exasperated, so i apologize to the OP (or anyone else reading) for that, but i've just gotten so tired of false claims being made about catholicism and implying that catholics are not christians, without any real understanding of catholic teachings.
There are a lot of Catholics on this list, and people who understand that Catholic way of thinking, so I'm sure they will step up and answer as well. I am also Catholic
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While reverence for Mary within the Roman Catholic Church is a prominent feature, I understand that Catholics do not say that they worship Mary. I am, however, confused by how one can say that they do not worship Mary, but also refer to her as Co-Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix, essentially making her co-equal with Jesus, and therefore, God.
How does this get reconciled? Am I misunderstanding the terms?
You are misunderstanding the terms. Rather than try and put it in my own words, I'll link an article. However, if you google the terms there are many many explanations.
It is important to note that the prefix "co" in the title Coredemptrix does not mean "equal to" but rather "with", coming from the Latin word cum. The Marian title Coredemptrix never places Mary on a level of equality with her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Rather it refers to Mary's unique human participation which is completely secondary and subordinate to the redeeming role of Jesus, who alone is true God and true Man.
maybe add... 3. stop and count the ways in which Christians agree with each other, appreciating that these items usually cover the most important things anyway.
i believe that exactly one doctrine saves us: Romans 10:9 sums it up very well: if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and (B)believe in your heart that (C)God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved
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I have a similar oddity about Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. On the one hand it was an atoning sacrifice, on the other hand God writes in the bible that He is against sin offerings, it would be like idolatry.
can you explain more what you meant here? when jesus died on the cross, it was God dying. he was sacrificing himself. in the old testament law, jews were required to sacrifice animals to atone for their sins (or so i understand it). jesus was the last of those sacrifices. the Once For All - the end. it was the culmination of the law, and set people free from having to constantly sacrifice and atone.
that passage refers to sacrifices to idols, and sacrifices by those who have turned their hearts from god. the sacrifices aren't useful to him because they aren't FOR him.
the only reason we can have a relationship with God is because of the sacrifice of God.
No, I don't believe it's about sacrifices to idols, else the following part of the passage would be redundant:
"and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol."
Yes, God made a sacrifice for us in Christ. But the sacrifice consists of what Christ did, not what his executioners did to him. Christ making anything new, and forgiving us, all under enormous pressure.
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as for the question, about those with difference in doctrine than myself, i say as long as they hold to the basic understandings of Christianity (Nicene Creed, Apostles Creed) they are Christians-- the rest is immaterial to me.
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i'm realizing now that my comment sounds a little exasperated, so i apologize to the OP (or anyone else reading) for that, but i've just gotten so tired of false claims being made about catholicism and implying that catholics are not christians, without any real understanding of catholic teachings.
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How does this get reconciled? Am I misunderstanding the terms?
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Here is the article (or compilation, really):
http://www.catholicsource.net/articles/coredemptrix.html
Here is the most relevant text:
It is important to note that the prefix "co" in the title Coredemptrix does not mean "equal to" but rather "with", coming from the Latin word cum. The Marian title Coredemptrix never places Mary on a level of equality with her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Rather it refers to Mary's unique human participation which is completely secondary and subordinate to the redeeming role of Jesus, who alone is true God and true Man.
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1. Asking people to explain what they believe and trying to understand where they're coming from.
2. Understand that, regardless of whether you agree with them, different people have different opinions, and that's just part of living in the world.
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maybe add... 3. stop and count the ways in which Christians agree with each other, appreciating that these items usually cover the most important things anyway.
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can you explain more what you meant here? when jesus died on the cross, it was God dying. he was sacrificing himself. in the old testament law, jews were required to sacrifice animals to atone for their sins (or so i understand it). jesus was the last of those sacrifices. the Once For All - the end. it was the culmination of the law, and set people free from having to constantly sacrifice and atone.
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the only reason we can have a relationship with God is because of the sacrifice of God.
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"and whoever burns memorial incense,
like one who worships an idol."
Yes, God made a sacrifice for us in Christ. But the sacrifice consists of what Christ did, not what his executioners did to him. Christ making anything new, and forgiving us, all under enormous pressure.
That's how I understand it.
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