Steve, Yes these men had a strong affinity to Our Lady as did our Lord and Savior. Imitate Christ and love Mary as Jesus did. All generations shall call her Blessed, as she is the handmaid of the Lord. AVE MARIA ET SEMPER FIDELIS CHRISTI!

Believer, Chris' earlier post that you are replying to didn't mention the Catholic Church at all. He mentioned God, Christ, Holy Spirit throughout his post and the only thing he mentioned that used the word Catholic was the fact that some of the miners were not active Catholics and now they want to be. By no means was he boasting about the Catholic Church. This is a God thing and you are just po...more

Believer, Chris' earlier post that you are replying to didn't mention the Catholic Church at all. He mentioned God, Christ, Holy Spirit throughout his post and the only thing he mentioned that used the word Catholic was the fact that some of the miners were not active Catholics and now they want to be. By no means was he boasting about the Catholic Church. This is a God thing and you are just pointing out your bitterness about the church you should still be in.

Chris' later post menioned the fact that the engineer who devised this plan was not just a science and analytical guy, but rather a solid and devout Christian who is taking his calling to the next level.

If the engineer was a protestant who wanted to now be a pastor you would be all over it, instead you down grade how God works in this man's life.less

As an African American I can tell you why American Blacks don't do missionary activities; lazy, a sense of entitlement(let the white guy do it), why would I want to go to Africa? None are good reasons, but all are the sad state of my race in this country. Also, why is it so hard to find even one black pastor who isn't a millionaire? My race loves to chace the Health and Wealth Gospel and you wo...more

As an African American I can tell you why American Blacks don't do missionary activities; lazy, a sense of entitlement(let the white guy do it), why would I want to go to Africa?

None are good reasons, but all are the sad state of my race in this country. Also, why is it so hard to find even one black pastor who isn't a millionaire? My race loves to chace the Health and Wealth Gospel and you won't find a black church that doesn't teach "Name it and Claim it".less

By the way we are the Catholic Church, not just Roman Catholics. Also, would you be willing to have the same treatment for your Protestant Churches who have a much higher percentage of molestation of children and adultery? The Catholic % is 1.7-2.2 % while Protestant molestations are double that. Check out number of insurance claims by Protestant and Catholic ministers and you will see that t...more

By the way we are the Catholic Church, not just Roman Catholics.

Also, would you be willing to have the same treatment for your Protestant Churches who have a much higher percentage of molestation of children and adultery? The Catholic % is 1.7-2.2 % while Protestant molestations are double that. Check out number of insurance claims by Protestant and Catholic ministers and you will see that the focus is on us because unlike you guys we are still one church and easier target, while you guys are all independant sects.less

We also see in the early church of the first 100-300 years Priest vestments were already standard practice. It is only Non-Denominational, Modern sects, Pentecostals and Baptists that adhere to the Traditions of Men in Worship style and clothing. These groups do not follow the Apostolic and Biblical form of Worship or Clothing.

Liturgical Churches and churches who's ministers wear vestments; Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodists, Episcopal in US, Many African American Methodists and Episcopalians. So Catholic=1.2 billion, Orthodox 270 million, Anglican 80 Million, Lutheran 70 million, Reformed 70 million, Methodists 50 million, etc. 80% of Christianity pastors wear vestments and have some sort o...more

Liturgical Churches and churches who's ministers wear vestments; Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodists, Episcopal in US, Many African American Methodists and Episcopalians.

So Catholic=1.2 billion, Orthodox 270 million, Anglican 80 Million, Lutheran 70 million, Reformed 70 million, Methodists 50 million, etc. 80% of Christianity pastors wear vestments and have some sort of Liturgy.

It is only the churches that came way later and have no sense of Apostolic worship that have done away with vestments and the Sacred Liturgy of Worship.

Suits are for salesmen or business men, not pastors.

Exodus 28 is all about the Priestly fine garments and Robes of Aaron, of Moses.
God said, "“And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.” So here in v. 40 the Lord gave instruction that Aaron’s sons should also have robes made for them for “glory and for beauty.”

We are all a Royal Priesthood, and some of us are called to Ministerial Priesthood and thus the garments should be for Glory and for Beauty-reflecting on the Awesome handiwork of God. The clothing of a priest should set them a part from all others, so that their office might glorify the Lord.

The Vestments the Priest wears is supposed to elevate our understanding of Christ as our supreme Priest offering himself in the Holy Eucharist and these vestments add to our celebration of the Holy Eucharist which is the Pinnacle and Summit of Worship.

For those Christians where the Eucharist is not the summit of worship, then expect a guy or gal in a suit because nothing special is happening.less

Believer, you just brought up a huge difference. We Catholics make a big deal not about the person like Pope Benedict, but rather his Apostolic office of authority given by Christ. While evangelicals make a big deal about a pastor because he is charismatic. Pope Benedict is a shy, reserved, pastoral and a holy man of prayer. If he leaves office, or dies another will take his office and the chu...more

Believer, you just brought up a huge difference. We Catholics make a big deal not about the person like Pope Benedict, but rather his Apostolic office of authority given by Christ. While evangelicals make a big deal about a pastor because he is charismatic.

Pope Benedict is a shy, reserved, pastoral and a holy man of prayer. If he leaves office, or dies another will take his office and the church will stand and continue to grow because it is not about the person it is about their office given directly by God with the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Mark Driscoll and other like him like Joel Osteen are charismatic preachers with big personalities whom if they left that church, the church would fragment and fall apart. Your churches are so pastor centric, while our churches are Christ centric. Protestants go to Church to hear the pastor preach, while Catholics go to hear the Word of God and receive the Word of God's flesh and blood in communion. Whether our pastor is great at preaching or not does not effect attendance because people are there for Christ, not some pastor.

We had a mega church in the Seattle area who's pastor had to leave because of cancer. He was a good prolife man of God, with a huge charismatic presence. He was one of the most holy evangelical ministers I had ever met, but when he left his church crumbled. Again, pastor centric church will all fail after the pastor leaves for whatever reason, while if the same happens at a Catholic Church the church will continue on with no drop in attendance.

Pastor centric(preaching and music) vs. Christ centric(Word of God & the Eucharist). The former is built on Sand, the latter is built on solid rock.less

Actually, I've had over 15 friends at one point going to his church. Now it is about five. The five who stayed like his preaching a lot and half the ones who left just couldn't deal constantly with his ego. The other half left because they were no longer motivated and went "Church shopping" again. Ugh. Driscoll tries to portray himself as having a tough childhood, and yet he had an easy childh...more

Actually, I've had over 15 friends at one point going to his church. Now it is about five. The five who stayed like his preaching a lot and half the ones who left just couldn't deal constantly with his ego. The other half left because they were no longer motivated and went "Church shopping" again. Ugh.

Driscoll tries to portray himself as having a tough childhood, and yet he had an easy childhood compared to most anyone who is objective. Then he says things like, "Look at how far I've come and look at my life" using his family as the icon of adoration. If he gives glory to God that is one thing, but within a year period he will edify himself more than half dozen times.

By the way, all my friends went to the main campus in Ballard.less

"Driscoll doesn't believe the multisite strategy makes it all about him or one preacher in particular." Actually, it is all about him and not HIM. Muti-site is biblical if you understand it as one church with many locations, but it is not biblical when Mark is the main draw. What it does is create a Pastor-ego-centric pastorate. I know many members who have left his church because the guy's ...more

"Driscoll doesn't believe the multisite strategy makes it all about him or one preacher in particular."

Actually, it is all about him and not HIM. Muti-site is biblical if you understand it as one church with many locations, but it is not biblical when Mark is the main draw. What it does is create a Pastor-ego-centric pastorate.

I know many members who have left his church because the guy's ego is too much. He is just servicing his own ego in the guise of serving more people.less

Online, let me ask you this; How does your church define Truth when two or more Pastors disagree on a interpretation of scripture? I'll tell you....All three Pastors say they are guided by the Holy Spirit and one leaves to start his own version of a church built in his own understanding while the other stays and guides the congregation in his own undestanding, while the third pastor stays until...more

Online, let me ask you this; How does your church define Truth when two or more Pastors disagree on a interpretation of scripture?

I'll tell you....All three Pastors say they are guided by the Holy Spirit and one leaves to start his own version of a church built in his own understanding while the other stays and guides the congregation in his own undestanding, while the third pastor stays until the right time he can get enough votes or people on his side to throw the first pastor out or make him change his interpretation.

This is exactly what happened to my cousin's Southern Baptist Church and yet none of it is Biblical.

The biblical way to handle Truth is to seek wisdom through the Holy Spirit and have the Church represented by the Apostles make the final decision. We Catholics have the successors of the Apostles, while you do not. We follow the way of the bible as seen in the council of Jerusalem and you do not.

Your way, is the way of disunity and of confusion and egoism. Protestants simply do not follow the biblical and apostolic form of defining Truth.less