Changes

==Vain repetitions==

==Vain repetitions==

The Catholic Church teaches that an empty recitation of her officially approved prayers, in particular the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, without the effort of deliberately engaging personal intent or attention to and awareness of the meaning of the words, absent-mindedly and without consciously addressing them, as they should be addressed, directly to God or to the saints (see [[Intercession of the saints]]), saying them without obedient love and devotion, without meaning them, but instead simply mouthing them, as an empty habit of repetition, while freely thinking about something else entirely, is a serious [[sin]] of [[indifference]], even coldly disrespectful contempt for what is [[sacred]] and [[holy]] as if it has no meaning or dignity, or is unworthy of honor or humble reverence—like ignoring and taking someone for granted as if he or she is no more important than a post or a wall or a piece of furniture—as an empty ritualistic formula and hollow waste of time. Such people are [[hypocrites]]. This is why God through the prophet [[Isaiah]] said, "This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote." And Jesus himself said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me'." (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:7-8.) He also said, "But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words." (Matthew 6:7.)<ref>Catholic apologists point out that Jesus is referring to the Gentiles, "heathen", who prayed (literally "heaped up empty words") to pagan gods, totally unrelated to the one true God. They also point out that according to Catholic theology Mary is not a goddess, and that no Catholic doctrine teaches that she is, but that now that she is in heaven she is one with her Son in the Father and the Father in him and that she prays for us through him alone, also partaking of his divinity (2 Peter 1:3-4). Compare Matthew 22:29-32; Acts 17:28; John 17:22-24.</ref>  

The Catholic Church teaches that an empty recitation of her officially approved prayers, in particular the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, without the effort of deliberately engaging personal intent or attention to and awareness of the meaning of the words, absent-mindedly and without consciously addressing them, as they should be addressed, directly to God or to the saints (see [[Intercession of the saints]]), saying them without obedient love and devotion, without meaning them, but instead simply mouthing them, as an empty habit of repetition, while freely thinking about something else entirely, is a serious [[sin]] of [[indifference]], even coldly disrespectful contempt for what is [[sacred]] and [[holy]] as if it has no meaning or dignity, or is unworthy of honor or humble reverence—like ignoring and taking someone for granted as if he or she is no more important than a post or a wall or a piece of furniture—as an empty ritualistic formula and hollow waste of time. Such people are [[hypocrites]]. This is why God through the prophet [[Isaiah]] said, "This people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men learned by rote." And Jesus Himself said, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me'." (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:7-8.) He also said, "But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words." (Matthew 6:7.)<ref>Catholic apologists point out that Jesus is referring to the Gentiles, "heathen", who prayed (literally "heaped up empty words") to pagan gods, totally unrelated to the one true God. They also point out that according to Catholic theology Mary is not a goddess, and that no Catholic doctrine teaches that she is, but that now that she is in heaven she is one with her Son in the Father and the Father in Him and that she prays for us through Him alone, also partaking of His divinity (2 Peter 1:3-4). Compare Matthew 22:29-32; Acts 17:28; John 17:22-24.</ref>  

On the basis of these verses many Protestants condemn the repeated recitations of the Hail Mary in the Rosary as being always ''[[ipso facto]]'' vain repetitions, without taking account of the fact that the inspired biblical text of Psalm 136 repeats the same praise 26 times, and without considering the inward devotion in the heart of the sincerely devout Catholic Christian who says them with reverent love. In the Protestant King James Version of 1 Samuel 16:7b it is written, "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the L<small>ORD</small> looketh on the heart." The devout Christian who means every word of the prayers of the Rosary does not use vain repetitions.<ref>[https://onepeterfive.com/why-you-should-pray-the-rosary-daily-15-reasons-straight-from-our-lady/ Why You Should Pray the Rosary Daily: 15 Reasons Straight From Our Lady (onepeterfive.com)] ''Answer to the objection, "It's boring." Such an objection is equivalent to saying, "Bible-reading is boring", "Church is boring", "Christianity is boring".'' See [[Entertainment]] and [[Indifference]].</ref><ref>[http://www.followingthetruth.com/10-great-tips-to-help-you-pray-not-just-say-the-rosary/ 10 Great Tips to Help You PRAY Not Just SAY the Rosary (followingthetruth.com)]</ref>

On the basis of these verses many Protestants condemn the repeated recitations of the Hail Mary in the Rosary as being always ''[[ipso facto]]'' vain repetitions, without taking account of the fact that the inspired biblical text of Psalm 136 repeats the same praise 26 times, and without considering the inward devotion in the heart of the sincerely devout Catholic Christian who says them with reverent love. In the Protestant King James Version of 1 Samuel 16:7b it is written, "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the L<small>ORD</small> looketh on the heart." The devout Christian who means every word of the prayers of the Rosary does not use vain repetitions.<ref>[https://onepeterfive.com/why-you-should-pray-the-rosary-daily-15-reasons-straight-from-our-lady/ Why You Should Pray the Rosary Daily: 15 Reasons Straight From Our Lady (onepeterfive.com)] ''Answer to the objection, "It's boring." Such an objection is equivalent to saying, "Bible-reading is boring", "Church is boring", "Christianity is boring".'' See [[Entertainment]] and [[Indifference]].</ref><ref>[http://www.followingthetruth.com/10-great-tips-to-help-you-pray-not-just-say-the-rosary/ 10 Great Tips to Help You PRAY Not Just SAY the Rosary (followingthetruth.com)]</ref>