Originally posted by @tom-wolsey
Catholics believe Mary lived a completely sinless life - Protestants disagree
Catholics believe Mary is part of the Godhead - Protestants disagree
Catholics believe Christ's work on the cross was insufficient and further efforts on our part are necessary for salvation - Protestants disagree
Catholics believe we should pray to Mary and the Saints - Pro ...[text shortened]... ork of Satan and the Roman Catholic Church is the "whore of Babylon" spoken about in Revelation.
(1) Correct; Catholics do believe that Mary lived a sinless life and was even conceived without sin (the Immaculate Conception). Orthodox & Protestants disagree.
(2) I do not think it has gone that far. I have heard it said that the relationship between Mary and Christ is so strong that supplications to the Theotokos (Mary) is "just as good" as supplications to Christ... But I think that this would not indicate, in the least, that one should necessarily pray to Mary in some conventional sense or use her to function in place of Christ.
(3) This is taking advantage of the wording -- Catholics believe that Christ's work on the cross was entirely sufficient, and merely that as Christians we have to make efforts in our life. A truly repentant person takes actions in his repentance and does not simply practice some "inward only" repentance and avoid going to Church or performing deeds.
This is not entirely accurate.
(4) This is also wrong -- Priests do not have the _power_ to forgive sin, only God has the power to forgive sin, and the Priest acts only "In persona Christi," which means, in the place of Christ in the presence of that person, as an instrument of Christ's work, and not as Christ Himself.
That is to say: they are standing in.
Just as how a Protestant Minister performs a Baptism or a wedding, a Catholic Priest performs confession... That is to say, just as how the Protestant Minister simply is an agent baptizing in the name of Christ, the Catholic Priest is merely just facilitating in the place of Christ.
One of the interesting aspects of this that you have to consider is the heresy of
Donatism.[/b]
In Catholicism & Orthodoxy, we believe that [i]a wicked Priest can actually fully execute the sacraments because God can use anyone as a tool to fulfill their will, and this is actually a very important doctrine in the sense that it
diminishes the role of the Priest.
So... In a very real sense... You have to be charitable to the Catholic view of this.
I understand you are exaggerating and being brief but like... you have to state these tings and look at them from a Catholic perspective. Even if you disagree with them, you should work hard to accurately describe their beliefs so that you can, at least, accurately attack it.