Is the Catholic tradition of praying to saints Worship?

Question

Are Catholics worshipping the men and women that G-d himself created? Then worshipping their images and Idols?

I am a Christian, and I appreciate any denomination.. but this question has always been in the back of my mind.

Cathy: The G-d spelling is something I adopted because I feel it adds an element of respect. I sure hope it wouldnt offend you. G-ds law doesn't pass away just because he provided a savior.

Be more thanful to the Isrealites for providing a bloodline to your savior.

Jesus is Jewish. Christianity is merely a continutation of the Jewish religion.

Answer 1

That was one big reason why I left the catholic church ,because some of the practices and teachings are not biblical .

Answer 2

No, there isn't even a real resemblence. The Communion of Saints is a very old Tradition that Catholics have participated in their walk with Christ. Mostly though, the Saints inspire us to "run the race" as Paul says. The goal is always to be with Jesus.

Answer 3

properly as a christian myself (an ex-catholic and with the help of examining bible and cathechism it develop into sparkling one develop right into a lie and from adult males) i will permit you already know your factor is basically precise, any the way you and that i the two understand there is largely one intercessor between guy and God and that's Jesus 1Ti 2:5 For God is one, and there is one Mediator of God and of adult males, the guy Christ Jesus, and further extra you moreover could understand that talking to the ineffective is an abomination to God. We additionally understand that NO ineffective (saints or no longer) have any touch or pay attention something from us human, their time is surpassed and that they are waiting the resurection of the saints for judgement like all different ineffective individual who develop into saved. so that they do no longer pay attention our prayers... basically God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit does.... And with the help of ways, having a statue or image of somebody you venerate, that's what God calls idolatry. Idolatry isn't something extra advantageous than that and God hates it. Even having a image of Jesus is idolatry for we are born returned in spirit and we worship God in spirit additionally. NO incorrect way Joh 4:23 however the hour is coming, and now's, whilst the actual worshipers shall worship the father in spirit and fact, for the father seeks such to worship Him.

Answer 4

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source wor·ship (wûr'shĭp) Pronunciation Key
n.

The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object.
The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed.
Ardent devotion; adoration.
often Worship Chiefly British Used as a form of address for magistrates, mayors, and certain other dignitaries: Your Worship.

So, by definition, yes, they are worshiping the saints and idols.

Answer 5

i was baptised catholic.I do pray to saints,but not to worship,perhaps i liken them to angels in my own way .If we believe in God and the angels and goodness,then we have to believe in satan and his demons and evil,and the suffering ,famine,pestalence and natural disasters is like a modern day reveliation.where will it all end???
Now i am older,and hopefully a little wiser,i seek answers in all faiths,and respect all faiths,and i believe in one God for us all,so i dont really practice my catholic upbringing ,but seem to search for answers and hope and pray so much that someday all faiths can respect that we love the one and same God.We should only worship God,not the saints,its best to look upon the saints as a friend..how many of us have said about our own friends he/she is a saint at times,its just a way of expressing our gratitude,but we dont worship them.
I hope and pray someday for everyone suffering,whatever faith,that peace will come someday,and i will pray and worship God always.

Answer 6

This is a common misconception among both "modern" Catholics and the Sects. I use the term "modern" for these Catholics because they have become so Protestantized and have no depth in regard to the 2000 year history of the Catholic Church.
Catholics of course do not worship statues or other people, that is idolatry.
The highest honor that is possible is given to God alone, and that is called in Latin “latria”, (adoration). That is what is called "worship".

The second highest honor that is given is “hyperdulia,” and that is given to the Blessed Virgin alone. That is not worship, it is honor.

The third type of honor is “dulia,” and that is given to all the angels and saints in heaven.
After that there are various grades of honor. We are told to honor our parents. We are to honor the King (and rulers in general). We must honor our superiors. The wife must honor her husband.

In ordinary language, the word adoration stand for latria, veneration for hyperdulia and veneration for dulia. You could use super-veneration for hyperdulia.

The difference between the honor due to God and that due to humans has been to use the words adore and adoration to describe the total, consuming reverence due to God and the terms venerate, veneration, and honor to refer to the respect due humans. Thus, Catholics sometimes say, "We adore God but we honor his saints."

Answer 7

According to Catholics, asking saints to pray for us is no different than asking our family and friends to pray for us.

Before Jesus Christ died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven there were no saints in heaven. Therefore there are no Old Testament writings that would mention them.

Very few of the new Christians died before most of the New Testament was written. Therefore there is little in the Bible about asking saints to pray for us.

However the last book of the Bible does talk about the saints in heaven praying.

Revelation 5:8: Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

Revelation 8:3-4: He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.

The Holy Spirit guided the early Church in many things not explained in the Bible including how does the Body of Christ (believers) living on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) living in heaven. We are still one Body.

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

And prayer to the saints is optional not required.

With love in Christ.

Answer 8

I hope you noticed how "panda", "Cathy", and "The Raven" all defend this practice but have no biblical support to substantiate it.

Prayer is supposed to be PERSONAL interaction one has with the Most High, not a chain letter styled method of contact:

Mat 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Anybody that defends the whole praying to saints practice after me will not be able to provide scripture to support such claims. Worship is "reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred." Is that not what Catholics do when they say HAIL Mary or have ceremonies throughout the year for various "saints"? And I won't even get into how they test the blood of dead people years after they die to determine if they are worthy of sainthood.

It's quite satanic and by definition it is certainly worship.

Answer 9

Asking someone to pray for you is not even similar to worshiping that person. The comparison is like fire and ice.

We, as Catholics, believe in the communion of saints. That all of us in the body of Christ, both on earth and in heaven, are one. The saints in Heaven are just as alive as you and I. In fact, they are more alive, as they are already fully in the presence of God for eternity. They can offer prayers for those still on the earth and they look forward to the day that we join them with our Heavenly Father.

Revelation 8:3-4

'Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. A large quantity of incense was given to him to offer with all the prayers of the saints on the golden altar that stood in front of the throne; and so from the angel's hand the smoke of the incense went up in the presence of God and with it the prayers of all the saints.'

Answer 10

NO. As Catholics, we HONOR saints, we do NOT worship them!

We give saints DULIA...which means honor.

We give God LAETRIA....which means praise/worship.

Answer 11

No it is not worship. Worship alone is reserved for God if you are Christian why are you typing it like a G-d that is Jewish tradition).

We are asking them to pray for us like you would ask a friend.

think of it like a Protestant prayer chain.

EDIT:
it was never God's law to write G-d but custom because they could not write his name on anything that might be thrown away or defaced. In scripture or permanent items it was allowed to be written. This was a Rabbinical teaching.

I was just curious why you did it since it was never a teaching of God or instruction of Jesus or Christianity but the Talmud which is not scripture in either Judaism or Christianity.

Hmmmmmmm Christianity hermenutics does not say it is a merely a continuation of Judaism but the Complete Fulfilment of Judaism.



LUVITY:
I just said it was not worship (which it is not), I did not attempt to justify, but if you wish me to here are your biblical references:

Gal 6:10 let us do good to all especially those in our family of faith.

Romans 8:35-39 death does not separate us in Christ
(one with the saints)

Romans 15:30 I urge you, (brothers,) by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf
(Continous community prayer)

2 thessalonians 1:9-11 These will pay the penalty of eternal ruin, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,
when he comes to be glorified among his holy ones and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, for our testimony to you was believed.
To this end, we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith,
(continous community of prayer)

mark 9:4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.
(speaking to the dead)

Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones

Wisdom 3:1-8 But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples
(reason for veneration and respect of Saints)

Rev 5:8 When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.
(these were the departed presenting the livings prayers)

And of course the books cut out of the bible because they supported catholic doctrine:

Tobit 12:12 I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead. (angel speaking to Sarah and Tobit)