Christianity ruins families.

[giblets]

Mary isn't omniscient nor is she supernatural,at least not in the sense you understand her as here.

She is with Christ in heaven, as are all the other saints.

Does she hear your prayers or does God hear them and then relay them to her?

[Ben Kenobi]

Since when was sending a message to some supernatural, omniscient entity not a prayer?

Mary isn't omniscient nor is she supernatural,at least not in the sense you understand her as here.

She is with Christ in heaven, as are all the other saints.

[Ben Kenobi]

So does God require multiple prayers to believe a cause worthy of his intervention? Why? Is this a democratic God?

No. As I said it is *our* responsibility to pray for each other. God hears all prayers. Whether he chooses to answer them is his prerogative.

And what about determinism? What does prayer do if God has already determined the course of events?

Who says the universe is deterministic? It's not. One answer is that God sees all possible futures. Think of it like a "Choose your own adventure". Our choices determine our own path, but God can see everything that can result from our choices.

[giblets]

Part of our job as Christians is to intercede for other people. To pray for them. Mary does the same for us. She can pray for anyone if you ask her.

This also answers Albert's question.

Since when was sending a message to some supernatural, omniscient entity not a prayer?

[Al B. Sure!]

Part of our job as Christians is to intercede for other people. To pray for them. Mary does the same for us. She can pray for anyone if you ask her.

This also answers Albert's question.

So does God require multiple prayers to believe a cause worthy of his intervention? Why? Is this a democratic God?

And what about determinism? What does prayer do if God has already determined the course of events?

(obviously, I'm not just talking about prayer as part of worship; but prayer for assistance)

[Al B. Sure!]

Well, considering that Muslims consider Christians to be "people of the Book" and therefore saved (though Islam requires good works as well), if the Muslim God is the actual deity, I'm pretty safe .
.

Wouldn't this lend credence to Islam being a better religion than Christianity? Not as good for placing a Pascal's Wager but more in keeping with a more reasonable and tolerant conception of God?

[monolith94]

Being a Christian doesn't mean necessarily taking all of the Bible literally, or at all. The Bible was a construct of the council of Nicea, long after Jesus had departed. All that really is required to be a Christian is to accept him and follow his teachings. Revelations, for example; you don't have to accept it to be a Christian, although certainly most do.

[Ben Kenobi]

2. Yeah you guys do pray to Mary. What else are prayers that are addressed to Mary?

Part of our job as Christians is to intercede for other people. To pray for them. Mary does the same for us. She can pray for anyone if you ask her.

This also answers Albert's question.

[Al B. Sure!]

How am I insulting Imran's beliefs? He's not a Muslim.

Your guess, by the way is wrong. I think it's personally funny that you are trying to compare Catholicism with Islam. How are we praying to Mary when we ask her to pray for us? "Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death."

What is the purpose of praying to Mary if all prayers can be received by God?

[giblets]

How am I insulting Imran's beliefs? He's not a Muslim.

Your guess, by the way is wrong. I think it's personally funny that you are trying to compare Catholicism with Islam.

1. I never said anything about Imran
2. Yeah you guys do pray to Mary. What else are prayers that are addressed to Mary?

[Ben Kenobi]

The kiswah (the black and gold curtain over the stone, with Quaranic text inscribed on it) seems to be almost exactly like angels on top of a tree. Thanks Ben

You are welcome. We also don't do pilgrimages to christmas trees, and at least in my family we don't pray to Christmas trees.

[Ben Kenobi]

They only pray to a rock. You're just being a narrow-minded bigot, and what's really sad is you're willing to contradict your own beliefs (by insisting that praying to something is worshiping it like a god, I guess Mary is a goddess in Catholicism) in order to insult other people's beliefs.

How am I insulting Imran's beliefs? He's not a Muslim.

Your guess, by the way is wrong. I think it's personally funny that you are trying to compare Catholicism with Islam. How are we praying to Mary when we ask her to pray for us? "Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death."

[Imran Siddiqui]

The kiswah (the black and gold curtain over the stone, with Quaranic text inscribed on it) seems to be almost exactly like angels on top of a tree. Thanks Ben .

[giblets]

Nothing. Just if you argue that Islam has always worshipped a rock, then you can see why I'd call them rock worshippers.

They only pray to a rock. You're just being a narrow-minded bigot, and what's really sad is you're willing to contradict your own beliefs (by insisting that praying to something is worshiping it like a god, I guess Mary is a goddess in Catholicism) in order to insult other people's beliefs.

[Ben Kenobi]

They rededicated a pagan idol, similar to Christians taking over the Christmas Tree (of course some denominations are appauled at the ursurpation of pagan rituals, aka syncretism, and reject the Christmas Tree symbolism).

Why then do we put Angels at the top of the tree?

Do you put Muhammed on top of the Kaaba? Or would that defile the temple?