Re: Balanced view from ex-Catholic priest

I never told you that you would go to hell. It is all up to you.

As far as the images go...Who worships the images? Why do people do hail Mary's?

"The Angelic Salutation, Hail Mary, or Ave Maria (Latin) is a traditional Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within Roman Catholicism, and it forms the basis of the Rosary. The prayer is also used by the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox as well as by many other groups within the Catholic tradition of Christianity including Independent Catholics, and Old Catholics. Some Protestant denominations, such as Lutherans, also make use of the prayer. Most of the text of the Hail Mary can be found within the Gospel of Luke."

I'm just saying it looks suspiciously wrong, my opinion. I have no statues or pictures(images) that I focus on, while saying prayers.

Exodus 20:4
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Isaiah 30:22
Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

Micah 5:13
I will destroy your carved images and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.