Are Marian Apparitions Real?

Pastor Dick: We want to go and talk with Jason in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Hello Jason, welcome to the program.

Jason: Well this is Rufus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Pastor Dick: Oh I'm sorry. They typed in Jason. [Cross talk]

Pastor Doug: But you're on, we'll talk to you Rufus.

Rufus: That's quite alright.

Pastor Dick: Give us your question quickly so that we can get it in.

Rufus: There we go. I'm seeing a lot and hearing a lot about, you know, the appearance of Mary to different people throughout the world.

Pastor Doug: Uh-huh

Rufus: I don't know if y'all are familiar with that. This is kind of a two-part question. It appears that she has predicted the future, even going back to the early 1900's, with three children in South America, saying that two of them will join her shortly; and, of course, two of them died shortly thereafter. And, of course, some predictions about some other things. My questions are, you know, I certainly do not believe it is Mary, of course.

Pastor Doug: Right

Rufus: But I didn't realize that Satan can predict the future. I didn't think he could. And also, is Satan, in that form, able to harm you as he harmed Job's family in the Old Testament, or did Christ change that?

Pastor Doug: No. Jesus has not changed, in that there are still occasions where the Lord withdraws His protection, and the devil causes problems. But you've asked a couple of important questions. Some of these Mary apparitions, they're called "Marian apparitions", where Mary appears here and there, and sometimes, in more places at one time. I am very suspicious of that because the Bible tells us that Mary was human, she's not divine.

Pastor Dick: Um-hmm

Pastor Doug: And the idea that Mary is a goddess that is to be worshiped is not biblical. As much as she was a holy woman, she was a saint, the same way that we can be saints. In other words, we are called to live holy lives, according to what Paul says. But you asked a question about the devil predicting the future. The devil can make a prediction, and then make it come true.

In other words, you know, I could tell my kids--and I'm just human--I could tell my kids that, "As you go to sleep tonight, you're going to hear the closet door slam." Well, they can go to sleep and I could wake them up by slamming the closet door. It doesn't mean I'm a prophet. It means I'm making it happen. And so, in many respects, the devil will foretell these things, and then he'll see to it that his "prophecies" come true.

Rufus: In the case of the prediction to the three small children in South America, where she says, "Two of you will join me shortly,"

Pastor Doug: Yeah, now, I don't think it was South America. Wasn't it Spain, Fatima?

Rufus: Well, I was thinking it was South--it may have been Spain, but it was in the early 1900's. Did she cause those two children to die shortly thereafter that?

Pastor Doug: It could be. And I don't know if the third one is still alive, but she's very old. She's in her 90's.

Rufus: Yeah, she was in her late [cross talk]. The late 90's she was still alive anyway, yeah.

Pastor Doug: I think it's Sister Lucia. Yeah, anyway, well certainly we know the devil can kill. He did do that to Job's children. He still does it today. The devil is a murderer, Jesus said.

Rufus: So the answer to the question is, certainly, Satan could make predictions, and then cause them to come true; but he would not be omnipotent and know the future.

Pastor Doug: Correct

Rufus: And he certainly can still harm you today, just like he did Job's family,

Pastor Doug: Yes

Rufus: - - if God withdrew His protection.

Pastor Doug: You see, Satan had to get permission to attack Job; and so God had to withdraw His protection to that extent, and yeah, that still happens today. I hope that helps a little bit Rufus. We're sorry we got your name wrong.