u/twinPrimesAreEz

Hello friends, I am a non-demominational believer and have been looking at different websites of various denominations.

I found this prayer for an end to the Russia-Ukraine War on a Vatican website and have many questions about the use of 'Mary' or 'Mother' where 'God' is what I'm used to seeing in prayers, but I'll just ask about the opening

> O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you.  As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence!

most particularly

> no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. 

and

> how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence

So, my question is twofold -- why is this prayer to Mary instead of God, and what scriptural basis is there for asserting Mary can examine people's hearts like God?

In my understanding of Catholicism let alone the Bible I dont see where she is considered part of the trinity with the power to examine our hearts and care for us like God.

On a side note, I think the prayer itself is beautifully worded; I just don't understand why there is so much glorification in it to Mary, or why it's addressed to her in general.

Thanks in advance!

Edit: I know this is a debate sub, so I suppose I'm prepared to debate why I think parts of it don't make sense and would like to hear from those to whom it does make sense.

I've noticed something regarding discernment against false teaching, perhaps this will help others:

False teaching and false practices are typically based on a handful of verses in the Bible or less, and never enhance or glorify the power of God. They can always be shown false by scripture, and the understanding that comes from the Spirit will make these false teachings known.

We are taught to test every spirit in 1 John 4:1

> Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

every teaching in Thessolonians 5

> but test everything; hold fast what is good.

And we have plenty of examples of this in action in the bible. When Satan tempted Jesus twice with earthly things in Matthew 4:

> 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

and

> 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus replied to both in a way that glorified God

> Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"

and

> Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’"

When Satan tempted Jesus to show God's power:

> Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

> “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

Jesus showed him there is no need to question God's power, there is a need to follow God's commands

> Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’"

We see this again in Matthew 6:

> One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

In accusing Jesus of breaking the letter of God's law, Jesus showed them the spirit of the God's law is greater than the letter of the law.

> Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

There are many more examples of this with Jesus, so in the interest of brevity, let's take a look at what noble believers of the Word do, in Acts 17:11:

> Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

They did so through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who brings understanding.

So my friends, I encourage everyone to test your church doctrines and pastors/priests/teachers at all times. Not just by reading the verses they reference but by doing like the Bereans and studying the scriptures they do not reference, in order to test their message. And seek the Holy Spirit to bring the understanding of what is right.

Satan's attacks are against those he doesn't have and not those of his own house, so don't open the door to him by trusting false doctrine, false teaching, and false practices.

To my fellow believers, recent discussions here got me thinking -- we usually talk about what we believe, but what Christian beliefs do you have that you hope you are WRONG about?

I'll start: universalism (the idea that ALL will see the kingdom of God and be saved, regardless of what they did or believed here on earth). This is a Christian belief that some but not all believers of Christ (myself included) hold.

I don't believe in universalism based off my reading and understanding of the Bible, but I would LOVE to be wrong about that, and that God will sanctify all and renew everyone's spirit in the afterlife, and even the worst people on earth will be made new, with a pure soul.

Anyone else have Christianity-related beliefs that you hope you're wrong about?

Obviously this is an unpopular opinion as the vast majority of Christians I know do in fact vote...but as someone who has heard and believes in the Word of God, caring about politics and voting never made sense to me based on the Bible:

1. Jesus made it clear his Kingdom is not of this world and rejected any attempt to make him an earthly ruler.

2. If Jesus wouldn't accept being made an earthly ruler, it doesn't make sense for a follower of Jesus to seek earthly power or support those that seek earthly power.

3. Jesus brought righteousness and salvation through him rather than through following specific laws like in the old testament. Trying to have any kind of laws based on Jesus is like putting new wine into old wineskins as his parable said.

4. Jesus said "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness," not "Blessed are those who stop the persecution of the righteous." Those are basically opposite things but the latter is what a Christian-based government is doing.

5. Kinda following along from 4, but Paul also rejoiced in his persecution as a Christian from the government, he didn't vote against it, fight it, or try to find a way out of it. He counseled us to do the same.

I'm curious to hear other thoughts on it because it seems to be pretty common for Christians to vote and have political opinions and I just don't see why a follow of Jesus should do either of those things.