Why do religious people pray for the dead?

Question

If you truly believed your theories of after life, why would you ever need to pray for the dead?
If they were good, they are in whatever heaven you believe in, yes?
If they were bad, surely they are languishing in some hell...
So just what on earth are you praying FOR ?
What could it possibly achieve?

Please dont take offence, I am just curious.

Answer 1

Mostly it's Catholics who do that, and they believe that their dead can intercede for them with the big Boss.

Answer 2

Well, i do believe in life after death, but, also saying that, i do believe that by praying for somebody who you loved and lost is the food for thought. I live in cornwall, and every time i visit truro, i go into the cathederal light a candel for the people i have loved and lost. As for the criminals that have past away, i dont even give it a thought, they wouldnt be in a loved place after life or at least i hope not. Im just telling you how i feel, at the end of the day, nobody knows where we go when we are dead, or if there is a living existance. I just hope its somewhere lovely and peaceful with butterflies, and cartoon like creations, thnat will do me.Im not religious at all, but this is my answer.

Answer 3

Many cultures pray for the dead in a way that is more like talking to the person that has died and telling them they are dead, that they were loved here but need to move on now. Many use words like, 'go towards (or enter) the light'

Some people may be so surprised by death that they linger here with those they loved and dont know what to do. How would you feel if you 'woke up' tomorrow and no one could see you but actually you were dead and didnt know it?

If you heard someone who cares about you telling you that they loved you but that life here was over and you should move on to life after death maybe eventually you would do just that?

I personally dont believe that any prayer is wasted. I prayed for my mum even after I believed that she was in heaven. Maybe sometimes when God judges the dead He weighs the evidence about their life and the prayers of those living are like witnesses in a court case? So many prayers can swing the balance for some people?
I believe that those in heaven pray for us too. If we, here on earth 'waste' prayer for people already in heaven maybe it is added to the prayers of those we pray for?

Answer 4

I am a born-again Christian and no, I do not pray for the physically dead person. That would be ridiculous. You have choices concerning your eternity while you have breath. Once dead your choices are over and your decisions that you made while still living will decide whether you go to Heaven or Hell. To pray for the soul of someone that is dead is a waste of your breath and your time and does no good whatsoever.

Answer 5

The fact that the bible encourages people to pray for the dead is one of the proofs that there is a place other than heaven and hell because if they are in heaven they do not need prayer and if in hell the prayers will not help them. We pray that their suffering in Purgatory is lessened and they are soon united with God for all eternity.

[2 Macc 12:43] He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view;
[2 Macc 12:44] for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death.

Answer 6

As a Christian I do not pray for the dead. They are either in Heaven or Hell. Once a person's body is dead it is to late. I have heard people say that you can pray someone into to Heaven but that is just not true. Either someone is or is not a Christian. I can't imagine why someone would pray for someone after the were dead.

Answer 7

Praying for the souls of the dead is an ancient Jewish practice that was continued by the early Christian Church - Catholics. Protestant churches have abandoned this religious practice.

Yes, there are only two places a soul can end up - Heaven or Hell. The journey of the soul to Hell is quick and sure. The journey of the soul to Heaven may take some time because the soul must be perfect in order to enter Heaven.

In this life, Jesus Christ redeems and justifies us. By following Christ and doing His will, we become more and more perfect. Unfortunately, when we sin, we become less like Him. At teh time of our death, if we are in a state of god's grace we will go to Heaven.

Souls that are in a state of grace, yet not perfect must be justified one last time by Jesus Christ before entering Heaven. This final justification is called Purgatory. It is more of a process than an place.

We pray for the souls of the dead that their final justification may be a quick and easy one and that they may soon be with God in Heaven.

Answer 8

Protestant Christians generally don't pray for the dead, believing that their fate has already been determined at that time. I can't remember which book exactly, but I believe there's a deuterocanonical (apocryphal) Old Testament book that is only in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic bibles that makes a reference to praying for the salvation of the deceased, and as such EOs and RCs would be doing the same thing.

Answer 9

Well i think your talking about Catholics, and im not sure why they pray for there dead loved ones. There is only ONE HELL AND ONE HEAVEN!!!! I think they pray because they think that if they pray really hard they can get that persons soul to HEAVEN. but the only way that could happen is if the person, while still alive, accepted JESUS into there heart. Hope this answers your question :o)'

Answer 10

Christians don't pray for the dead. It's too late by then plus each person is responsible for their own salvation. Someone else can't pray you into heaven or out of hell.

Answer 11

Funerals and praying for the dead has been going on since the first men walked the earth, before clothes even. It's just what people do, it's respectful, dutiful in most religions.