I've wondered this, as I have begun attending services at an Episcopal church a few months ago. I have always thought the "Protestant" theological stance on this was that the dead were immediately judged and that therefore prayer for them was either useless or worse. I have trouble saying "Lord, hear our prayer" after the prayer leader has just asked us to pray for the dead. I would love more insight on this, particularly from an evangelical / orthodox perspective. Thanks.
2007-03-16 00:09:37 · 8 answers · asked by thesullys 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's a holdover from when they broke with the Catholic Church. Catholics pray for the dead.
2007-03-16 00:13:33 · answer #1 · answered by Preacher 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anglicans are a branch of Christianity, and have many of the same prayers that you will find Christians hold, they pray for the same things, read and believe the same things in the bible, holidays etcetera.
Anglicans don't just pray for a person about being judged, the prayers last eternity, that wherever the spirit ends up, it finds the peace it is looking for.
2007-03-16 00:28:23 · answer #2 · answered by Lief Tanner 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They pray that they will stay dead. There's nothing worse than a bunch of Anglican/Episcopalian zombies roaming the Earth.
No. Just kidding.
I didn't know they did that. It sounds a little hokey to me. Maybe you should find another church.
2007-03-16 00:18:55 · answer #3 · answered by Dr Know It All 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are Jewish prayers for the dead. They recite the Kaddish, which asks God to forgive the sins of the departed. Its mentioned in the book of Maccabees, one of the books that the Protestant reformers threw out, that sacrifices were offered post mortem for Judas Maccabee.
2007-03-16 00:51:46 · answer #4 · answered by sngcanary 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I left the Catholic church because they pray for the dead, plus alot of other reasons. The dead have gone on to whatever fate, Heaven and Hell so what's there to pray for?
2007-03-16 00:20:31 · answer #5 · answered by Debra D 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
what's wrong with asking God to rest the souls of those who have past? Everytime I pray or in mass or when i pass a cemetery i say "God rest their souls".
2007-03-16 00:36:14 · answer #6 · answered by ~ B_e_K_z ~ 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
no clue my church don't pray for the dead
2007-03-16 00:17:07 · answer #7 · answered by cfhjufdrbko 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
tradition apparently but it wont help
2007-03-16 00:27:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋