"What Bible Is The Vatican Reading?"

[Starman3000m]

Curious to see if Catholics in this forum are in agreement with what was stated at a Vatican press conference:

(Excerpts from Jerusalem Post Article: November 2010)

This past Saturday, a synod of bishops in Rome tossed the theological equivalent of a hand grenade, threatening to blow up decades of efforts to improve Catholic- Jewish relations.

In a press conference at the Vatican, Monsignor Cyril Salim Bustros, a Greek Melkite archbishop from Boston and president of the Church’s Commission for the Message, launched a blistering attack against the very foundation of Jewish belief.

“The Holy Scriptures,” Bustros declared, “cannot be used to justify the return of Jews to Israel and the displacement of the Palestinians, to justify the occupation by Israel of Palestinian lands.”

Not stopping there, he went on to state that “we Christians cannot speak of the ‘promised land’ as an exclusive right for a privileged Jewish people... There is no longer a chosen people.”

And so, in one fell swoop, a senior Church official sought to deny the unique, covenantal relationship between God and the Jews, rejecting the divine promise to restore the people of Israel to their Land. One cannot help but wonder: What Bible is the Vatican reading? Whichever one it is, it must be missing a few pages, as even a cursory glance at the Scriptures makes clear that the Jewish people’s right to the Land of Israel is indisputably ordained…

Complete story:
Fundamentally Freund: What Bible is the Vatican reading?

 

[onel0126]

Curious to see if Catholics in this forum are in agreement with what was stated at a Vatican press conference:

(Excerpts from Jerusalem Post Article: November 2010)

Once again you are confusing what an individual Bishop says with what the RCC teaches. No, I'm not in agreement.

 

[Zguy28]

Umm...I actually more or less agree with the Monsignor.

Israel is all who believe in the Lord Jesus, otherwise known as the church, body of Christ, or Israel of God.

I know this will spark furious debate no doubt, but I will state up front I have no appetite for it at this time.

If you would like to understand this perspective, please check out these links:

God's Word Stands: Not All Israel Is Israel, Part 1 - Desiring God
God's Word Stands: Not All Israel Is Israel, Part 2 - Desiring God

 

[Starman3000m]

Umm...I actually more or less agree with the Monsignor.

Israel is all who believe in the Lord Jesus, otherwise known as the church, body of Christ, or Israel of God.

I know this will spark furious debate no doubt, but I will state up front I have no appetite for it at this time.

I believe the thought was more about the geographical perimeters that God said would be designated as the "set-aside" Promised Land for the Children of Israel. The controversy is whether God actually gave that land to the Israelis and, if so, do they literally still have a right to claim it as their own.

The Promised Land

(Hebrew: הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ha-Aretz ha-Muvtachat) is another name for the Land of Israel. According to the Bible the land was promised by God as an everlasting possession to the descendants of Hebrew patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:

Abraham "On that day, God made a covenant with Abraham, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river the Euphrates. The land of the Kenites, Kenizites, Kadmonites; the Chitties, Perizites, Refaim; the Emorites, Canaanites, Giga####es and Yevusites." (Genesis 15:18-21)

Isaac "To you and your descendants I give this land." (Genesis 26:3)
Jacob "The ground upon which you are lying I give to you and your descendants." (Genesis 28:13)

Moses "I made a pact with them to give them the land of Canaan.” (Exodus 6:4)
"Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." (Deuteronomy 34:1-4)

Joshua "Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' servant, saying, "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. "From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. "No man will stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them." (Joshua 1:1-6)

Also The land of Canaan was promised to Abraham by God (Genesis 12:7, 13:14, 17:8).

OK - There Is Only One Truth

 

[Bavarian]

Jesus came and established The New Covenant. Believers in Jesus as God are the Chosen People.

 

[Starman3000m]

Jesus came and established The New Covenant. Believers in Jesus as God are the Chosen People.

Regarding the Jesus that you believe in:

Is he assisted in Heaven by Mary where she reigns beside him as the "perpetual virgin," "Advocate," "Helper," Benefactress," "Mediatix," and helps souls get into Heaven? Is that the Jesus you believe in Bavarian?

There Is Only One Truth

 

[thatguy]

Regarding the Jesus that you believe in:

Is he assisted in Heaven by Mary where she reigns beside him as the "perpetual virgin," "Advocate," "Helper," Benefactress," "Mediatix," and helps souls get into Heaven? Is that the Jesus you believe in Bavarian?

There Is Only One Truth

its the same jesus, just like the gods are the same in the other thread. You believing differently about the charecteristics and powers of jesus' mother doesn't change who jesus is.

besides, no part of their beliefs about mary changes the fact that catholics believe in jesus christ and beleive that jesus IS their savior. so again, its the same guy, you just need to let go of your bigotry long enough to see it

 

[Starman3000m]

its the same jesus, just like the gods are the same in the other thread. You believing differently about the charecteristics and powers of jesus' mother doesn't change who jesus is.

besides, no part of their beliefs about mary changes the fact that catholics believe in jesus christ and beleive that jesus IS their savior. so again, its the same guy, you just need to let go of your bigotry long enough to see it

Sorry. A counterfeit dollar bill is still a counterfeit just like a counterfeit Saviour/Deity is still a counterfeit Saviour/Deity!

As similar as it may appear to you, the RCC, like the others, teaches salvation by way of another "Jesus" and another gospel and NOT the New Testament Saviour of mankind.

There Is Only One Truth.

 

[PsyOps]

its the same jesus, just like the gods are the same in the other thread. You believing differently about the charecteristics and powers of jesus' mother doesn't change who jesus is.

Actually, I think it kind of does...

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - john 14:6

It doesn't say “I and Mary are the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through us".

Having Mary carry some of the authority means that Jesus isn't the sole authority for our salvation. That changes who He is.

 

[Bird Dog]

Hey, Mr. False Prophet, aka Starmann, why do you care? According to your rants and false proclomations, all Jews are going to Hell.

 

[libby]

Actually, I think it kind of does...



It doesn't say “I and Mary are the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through us".

Having Mary carry some of the authority means that Jesus isn't the sole authority for our salvation. That changes who He is.

Mary did not save any of us and Catholics know it, in spite of SM's rantings. If Jesus has allowed any of us to assist in bringing another person to Him, that does not diminish that He is the cause.

SM rejects a papacy, but sets himself up as an authoritative interpreter of Scripture. He rejects that Mary "assists" Jesus in bringing souls to salvation, yet he dedicates his own life to bringing the Gospel to others; so he clearly believes that Jesus does expect SM to "assist". But perhaps that's because SM is so much closer to the True Jesus than Jesus' own mother was.
He claims for himself everything he rejects for others.

 

[Starman3000m]

Hey, Mr. False Prophet, aka Starmann, why do you care? According to your rants and false proclomations, all Jews are going to Hell.

Messianic Jews who accepted Jesus' teachings and believed upon Him as their Moshiach (Yeshua HaMashiach) were the very first to obtain Eternal Salvation through His Atoning Blood. The Holy Bible proclaims that there were several thousand people in Jerusalem who accepted Him as their personal Lord and Saviour.

There are many Jewish people (Israelis) today who attend Messianic worship services to praise and glorify our risen Lord and Saviour.

It is the followers of Orthodox Judaic teachings who rejected Jesus (Yeshua) and believed that He was a false prophet and blasphemer. Instead, they trusted in their rituals, traditions, sacrificial offerings as required by their religious leaders and believed that they were pleasing God. They partook of long, ornate religious prayers that became nothing but repetitious liturgy that flowed from their lips but inwardly their heart was not in a spirit of true heartfelt worship to God that requires a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. (Psalm 51:17)

These are the people and religious leaders that Jesus rebuked when He proclaimed the following:

Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:7-9)

Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; (Luke 20:46)

and more as proclaimed in Matthew, Chapter 23. Please Read:

Matthew, Chapter 23, verses;
1: Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2: Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4: For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5: But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6: And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7: And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8: But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9: And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10: Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11: But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12: And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13: But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16: Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17: Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18: And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19: Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20: Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21: And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22: And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24: Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26: Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28: Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30: And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31: Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32: Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33: Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34: Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36: Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38: Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39: For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

There Is Only One Truth

 

[Bird Dog]

Hey, Mr. False Prophet, aka Starmann, why do you care? According to your rants and false proclomations, all Jews are going to Hell.

So I will change my post "Most Jews"

 

[Starman3000m]

So I will change my post "Most Jews"

The Bible indicates that through religious deceptions "Most" people will place their faith and trust in man-made religious doctrines. These misguided teachings take 100% focus off of praising and glorifying the New Testament Jesus and dilute the Power of Christ by giving credit and reverence to others. Followers of these false teachings are taught to believe in a counterfeit saviour rather than the True Lord and Saviour of mankind. Those are the ones who follow another gospel and another "Jesus".

There Is Only One Truth.

 

[Starman3000m]

Mary did not save any of us and Catholics know it, in spite of SM's rantings. If Jesus has allowed any of us to assist in bringing another person to Him, that does not diminish that He is the cause.

SM rejects a papacy, but sets himself up as an authoritative interpreter of Scripture. He rejects that Mary "assists" Jesus in bringing souls to salvation, yet he dedicates his own life to bringing the Gospel to others; so he clearly believes that Jesus does expect SM to "assist". But perhaps that's because SM is so much closer to the True Jesus than Jesus' own mother was.
He claims for himself everything he rejects for others.

libby, I will now ask you the same question that I asked of Bavarian:

Regarding the Jesus that you believe in:
Is he assisted in Heaven by Mary where she reigns beside him as the "perpetual virgin," "Advocate," "Helper," Benefactress," "Mediatix," and helps souls get into Heaven? Is that the Jesus you believe in libby?

There Is Only One Truth

 

[Starman3000m]

Actually, I think it kind of does...



It doesn't say “I and Mary are the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through us".

Having Mary carry some of the authority means that Jesus isn't the sole authority for our salvation. That changes who He is.

Amen! This has been the Message all along!

For there is one God, and One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)

No mention at all in the Holy Bible that Mary would join Jesus as "Mediatrix".

There Is Only One Truth

 

[libby]

libby, I will now ask you the same question that I asked of Bavarian:

Regarding the Jesus that you believe in:
Is he assisted in Heaven by Mary where she reigns beside him as the "perpetual virgin," "Advocate," "Helper," Benefactress," "Mediatix," and helps souls get into Heaven? Is that the Jesus you believe in libby?

There Is Only One Truth

The short answer is yes. But, as excited as you are right now to think you've got the ace in the hole, none of my beliefs are defined the way you define them.
Mary does not "help" Jesus because He needs help, but because it is fitting. He shares some of His Glory with her because He perfectly fulfills the commandment to honor His Father and mother. Whatever glory He gives to the Father, he also gives to His mother; appropriate to the Divinity of the Father and the humanity of the mother.
You can jump up and down saying it's not Biblical, but it is.
1 Kings 2:17, 20 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the King does not refuse his mother. Jesus is the new Davidic King, and He does not refuse the requests of his mother Mary, the Queen.
1 Kings 2:18 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the Queen intercedes on behalf of the King's followers. She is the Queen Mother (or "Gebirah"). Mary is our eternal Gebirah.
1 Kings 2:19 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom the King bows down to his mother and she sits at his right hand. We, as children of the New Covenant, should imitate our King and pay the same homage to Mary our Mother. By honoring Mary, we honor our King, Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 15:13 - the Queen Mother is a powerful position in Israel's royal monarchy. Here the Queen is removed from office. But now, the Davidic kingdom is perfected by Jesus, and our Mother Mary is forever at His right hand.
2 Chron. 22:10 - here Queen Mother Athalia destroys the royal family of Judah after she sees her son, King Ahaziah, dead. The Queen mother plays a significant role in the kingdom.
Neh. 2:6 - the Queen Mother sits beside the King. She is the primary intercessor before the King.
The title Gebirah (Gebira), meaning "Great Lady" or "Queen Mother" was a royal title and an office which was bestowed upon the mothers of the Kings of Israel, but limited to those Queens who were mothers of kings in the line of King David. When the monarchy divided into the two kingdoms of Judah in the south and Israel in the north, the institution of the Gebirah was not practiced in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The Northern Kingdom was ruled by 9 ruling houses (dynasties) but Judah continued to be ruled by the House of David.
The royal kings of Israel and the House of David had many wives and no single wife of the king had the influence that his mother enjoyed as the chief confidant of her son. We do know from Scripture that these women exercised their influence from the time their sons ascended the throne and sometimes even into the reign of their grandsons as in the case of Maacah in 1 Kings 15 during the reign of her grandson Asa. It is significant that every mother of a Davidic king is listed along with her son in Sacred Scripture. The name of each Davidic Queen Mother is given in the introduction to each reign of the Davidic Kings of Judah [i.e. 1 Kings 14:21; 15:9-10; 22:42; 2 Kings 12:2; 14:2; 15:2; 15:33; 18:2; 21:2; 21:19; 22:1; 23:31; 23:36; 24:8; 24:18; also see the Chart of the Kings and Queen Mothers of Judah].
The Gebirah, the Queen Mother of the Kingdom of Judah, was the most important and influential woman in the royal court and the king's chief counselor. The Hebrew word, gebirah, is found fifteen times in the Old Testament [Genesis 16:4, 8, 9 (used for Sarah, wife of Abraham); 1 Kings 11:19 (used for the Egyptian Queen Mother); 15:13; 2 Kings 5:3; 10:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16; Psalm 123:2; Proverbs 30:23; Isaiah 24:2; 47:5, 7; Jeremiah 13:18; 29:2]. In Sacred Scripture the mother of the Davidic king is listed along with her son in the books of 1 &2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles when he assumes the throne. The only queen mothers not listed are those of King Jehoram, who married wicked Athaliah, daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel [2 Kings 8:17-18], King Ahaz [2 Kings 16:2-3], and King Asa [1 Kings 15:10]. In the case of Jehoram and Ahaz, their mothers may have died prior to their sons assuming the throne of David, and in the case of Asa, his grandmother is named as the Gebirah, his mother having died or perhaps his grandmother, the former Gebirah, did not relinquish her power and authority upon the succession of her grandson.
Some Biblical passages which refer to the office of the Gebirah [all passages are quoted from the New Jerusalem Bible translation]:
• 1 Kings 11:19: [In this passage the Hebrew title is used for an Egyptian queen mother: Hadad became a great favorite of Pharaoh who gave him his own wife's sister in marriage, the sister of the Great Lady (Gebirah) Taphenes. [Note: Taphenes is not a proper name but is an Egyptian title meaning "king's wife" which was used to designate the Queen mother. Since Israelites reading the text might not understand the meaning of the Egyptian title, the inspired writer used the title for the Davidic Queen mother, Gebirah.
• 1 Kings 15:13: He even deprived his grandmother Maacah of the dignity of Great Lady [Gebirah] for having made an obscenity for Asherah...
• 2 Kings 10:13: he met the brothers of Ahaziah king of Judah. 'Who are you?' he asked. 'We are Ahaziah's brothers,' they replied, 'and we are on our way to pay our respects to the king's sons and the queen mother's (Gebirah) sons.'
• 2 Chronicles 15:16: King Asa even deprived his (grand) mother Maacah of the dignity of Great Lady (Gebirah) for having made an obscenity for Asherah..
• Jeremiah 13:18: Tell the king and the Queen mother (Gebirah), 'Sit in a lower place, since your glorious crown has fallen from your head.
• Jeremiah 29:2: This was after King Jechoniah had left Jerusalem with the Queen mother (Gebirah), the eunuchs, the chief men of Judah and Jerusalem, and the blacksmiths and metalworkers.
Jesus Christ is the heir of King David, He is the fulfillment of the covenant promises made to David in 2 Samuel 7:16; 23:5, and repeated to Mary in Luke 1:26-36 [see the chart comparing the promises to David and Mary in the Chart section on the New Testament/ Mary]. Mary's son rules from the Kingdom of the heavenly Jerusalem. It is fitting that His mother should enjoy the same role that other Davidic Queen mothers enjoyed, that is the royal office of the heavenly Gebirah. It is in this sense that Catholics call her "the Queen of Heaven" and not in the pagan sense of that title as it is translated in English and found in Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17, 18, 19, & 25; which is a designation for an Egyptian goddess. Since Jeremiah uses both terms, the Hebrew title Gebirah for the Queen mother of a Judahite king of the House of David, and the Hebrew word "queen" = meleketh for the Egyptian goddess, it is obvious there one does not equate to the other.Sacred Scripture indicates that the Gebirah assumed a throne along side her son [see 1 Kings 2:19] and exercised her role as counselor [2 Chronicles 22:3] and intercessor to the king [1 Kings 2:13-21. In times of conquest both the king and his mother represented royal power and both were deposed [2 Kings 24:12]. The Gebirah was clearly the most important woman in the Kingdom of Judah; a king had many wives, but only one mother. The Gebirah of the eternal Davidic Kingdom of Jesus Christ is Mary of Nazareth.

Agape Bible Study

 

[PsyOps]

Mary did not save any of us and Catholics know it, in spite of SM's rantings. If Jesus has allowed any of us to assist in bringing another person to Him, that does not diminish that He is the cause.

SM rejects a papacy, but sets himself up as an authoritative interpreter of Scripture. He rejects that Mary "assists" Jesus in bringing souls to salvation, yet he dedicates his own life to bringing the Gospel to others; so he clearly believes that Jesus does expect SM to "assist". But perhaps that's because SM is so much closer to the True Jesus than Jesus' own mother was.
He claims for himself everything he rejects for others.

How exactly does Mary 'assist' with bringing souls to salvation? Is this through her inspiration or is she actively talking to Jesus to somehow convince Him about certain soul's salvation?

 

[libby]

How exactly does Mary 'assist' with bringing souls to salvation? Is this through her inspiration or is she actively talking to Jesus to somehow convince Him about certain soul's salvation?

Her Son died for every man, right? If your son died to save other people, would you also then desire that every soul gets to Heaven? I mean, I wouldn't want my son's suffering and death to be in vain.
You do not agree that the woman in Rev. 12 is Mary, but it's as plain as day to me. The rest of the followers of Christ are her children, too. Not to mention that some of Jesus' final words were, "Behold, your mother." What is the relevance to our salvation if Jesus' made Mary only John's mother? Why would that be included in Scripture? He was speaking to us all. We are a family, all of us, united by Flesh and Blood.
Do you think that Jesus perfectly fulfilled the commandments of God? All of them??
As I already said, His Life was about giving Glory to His Father, but why do Protestants insist He would not have given glory to His mother, too? Can her glory be the same as the Father's? No, because she is not divine. But in her human capacity that she would be given all that a human being can have. We have all been made partakers of the divine nature according to 2 Peter because Jesus is not the shallow, selfish God that SM wants us to believe He is. He shares His glory with us because He loves us. Same way you would with your children.
As we see in the OT Davidic Kingdom that the queen mother does not possess any authority of her own. He does, however, listen to the pleas of his mother.
We believe that Mary is praying for us as we would pray for each other. The prayers of a righteous man is very efficacious according to James 5. We believe she is the most righteous woman that ever lived, and that her prayers would be given great weight. Before you challenge whether or not she could change Jesus' mind, I would ask you as many Catholics before have, what then is the point of us praying for one another if it has no effect? We pray for the person to come around by His Grace.
Whether Mary is "actively talking" to Jesus, I would say, "I don't know". What I believe about communication is Heaven is only that everyone is completely united to the Will of God, and that everyone is actively praying for the salvation of the world.
I do not believe we are separated by death from our loved ones. I believe they are more alive than us and partakers of the divine nature because He has allowed it.
Everything I have said is based on Scriptures, whether my Protestant bretheren agree with the interpretation or not.
My only request is that you (not you personally, Psy. "you" collective) stop calling our beliefs anti-Biblical; although I know SM will not have the respect for us to offer that courtesy. Our beliefs most certainly are found in the Bible.

 

[Zguy28]

Her Son died for every man, right? If your son died to save other people, would you also then desire that every soul gets to Heaven? I mean, I wouldn't want my son's suffering and death to be in vain.
You do not agree that the woman in Rev. 12 is Mary, but it's as plain as day to me.

It seems plain as day to some of us that it is symbolic of Israel, since in the Old Testament (and New) God's people are referred to as a woman.

The rest of the followers of Christ are her children, too. Not to mention that some of Jesus' final words were, "Behold, your mother." What is the relevance to our salvation if Jesus' made Mary only John's mother? Why would that be included in Scripture? He was speaking to us all. We are a family, all of us, united by Flesh and Blood.

Could not perhaps it have been included as an object lesson to us to take care of our own? And that Mary was now one of his disciples? Did not Jesus say that His disciples were His true mother and brothers, instead of His natural human family, when they came looking for Him?

It seems plain as day that you miss the plain meaning of things and instead choose to go light years beyond it for the sake of agreement with your church institution.

It is understandable though with the pressure that is applied from the Roman Catholic church that you would be scared to disagree with it, since it is preached that they are the only church with the "means of salvation." (that is not meant as condescending)