Lots of hate going on here, and I just don't get it.  I am a Catholic ~ was baptized and raised in the Catolic church, attended twelve years of Catholic school, and I just have a really hard time reading all of this.  I have been to all types of churches ~ Lutheran, Christian based (which I now attend), Baptist, etc. and the bottom line is ~ the message is almost always the same.  So why the hate?  I read a lot of misinformed people on here ~  no, Catolics don't worship false idols.  We believe Mary to be the virgin mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Louie ~ the Catholic bible says the exact same thing you wrote.  While there ARE some things I disagree with as far as the Catholic Church goes, it is not the devil worshipping pit of hell that some of you are saying it is.  Furthermore, anyone can go on line and read how the Catholic Church came about and write negative things.  BUT, if you are not there ~ then you don't know.  As I've said, there are things I don't agree with in the Catholic church, that is why I attend a Christian based church BUT after 20 years in a Catholic Church and 10 in a Christian Church, the messages are the same.