I think I might know you. Is your name Ev?
If it is, I may have attended your church.
And thank you for the very warm welcome.

You're making me laugh. I'm pretty sure I've had to forgive a little sin here and there :-), but you are right... Jesus is the only one who died for us and Mary is not part of the Godhead. That's us.... who is my mother and brother and sister?, etc. Oooh, I'm gonna catch it for that one! :-) But you made a nice expression of how Jesus is fully God and fully man. Thanks.
moon

While I understand that rejecting Marian apparitions goes without saying to any non-catholics, there is an important distinction that needs to be made here. No one ever claimed Mary to be a member of the Holy Trinity. Mary has played a special part in our salvation, the grace and love she had to accept the role God had planned for her. She is an example to us all for that reason.

The distinction that needs to be made is the difference between intercession and miricles. We dont pray to Mary as God, or as a supreme being. We ask her for her prayers, as I would ask any one of you for your prayers. It is not an essential part of being a Catholic either. No one ever HAS to pray for the saints intercession, but they are like a prayer army, waiting to be called into action. Their concern is the salvation of everyone on earth. Mary is no exception and is not worshiped as the trinity is.

With regard to the mysterious third secret, I do not believe that it would be a revalation about the exact time or place of the end of times. I would be cautious and slow to accept that. It is my understanding that no one, not Mary or any saint, not any prophet or seer of old can tell us when or where that day will come. We should always look to the future as if it were to happen tomorrow, and be prepared.

And in response to God not being a religion. AMEN. But no one said God was a religion. Christianity is a religion though.

Religion is not a series any one thing action or person. It is a path, a way of living. Christianity is our attempt to walk in the footsteps of Christ, which is no easy task. It is our surrender to God's will, thankful that we should be so loved as to be saved by Jesus Christ. You cannot claim to follow Jesus and not have a religion. The protestant reformation was about making your own way, and deciding what is intended for your life by yourself.

While not openly denying a structured religion, this opened the door to all sorts of perversions of faith. My favorite example is the Church of England. Formed by a man who couldn't accept the laws given to him by Christ. How can people follow this religion today knowing it was created by someone currupted with power and driven by lust and selfish desire? I am in no way comparing all denominations to this, but it is a concern of mine.

I assure you, everything I say is out of the deepest compassion and a desire to seek and help others find Truth. History has alot to teach us about where our religions came from. I may be wrong, and I am reading anything I can get my hands on regarding theology.

Dont mistake religion for idolotry