What purpose do the Saints have?

Question

I was raised Catholic. I practice New Orleans Voodoo - which puts a lot of emphasis on the Catholic Saints.

Some say that practicing the way I do is a form of Idolatry.

However, if you aren't supposed to ask the saints for help, what are their purpose?

In Voodoo, you pray to the saint that can best help you out with your specific problem. That is why we have patron saints, right? Why is it idolatry if done in the context of New Orleans Voodoo, but not in the Catholic church?

Answer 1

Oh, don't worry, the Catholic Church gets the same inane accusations brought against it. You can see some of this nonsense in some of the posts above. I like the one about the saints previously being pagan gods :-) The earliest canonized saints are the Apostles. I don't remember any pagan cult that worshipped Peter or Matthew?? Gee, I just asked my son to give me a hand moving some boxes. If asking someone for help is a form of worship, I guess I'm guilty of idolatry. Protestants do believe in asking other Christians for prayers of intercession. The strange thing is, they think that those same Christians who prayed for them while here on earth will STOP praying for them once they are before the throne of God. Very strange.

Answer 2

in Catholicism, saints are prayed to the same way you would ask a friend to pray for you.(really pray through a saint)

if you were worshipping a saint more than God(or at all), or put them above Jesus.
or believed that a statue WAS the saint(not a representation, the actual saint) then it would be idolatry

unfortunately i don't know much about Voodoo, so i can't answer if it's idolatry or not.

lost.eu/21618


mmomrfg2003- look in revelations.(8:3-4)
also, the bible says we are -called- to be saints, not that we're saints yet.

Answer 3

The bible clearly tells us to pray to "Our Father which art in heaven", not to Jesus and nowhere in the bible are we told to pray to saints. When catholics pray to saints, I'm sure they don't think they're committing the sin of idolotry, but to most of us non-catholics, that's exactly what they're doing. Graven images, just look at all the statues of Mary, Christ, saints, etc.. I really have no idea what purpose the saints serve, all I know from the bible is they have an elevated place in heaven, there's nothing about people praying to them. I mean face it, they're man made saints anyway. God did not tell us these people were saints, we just let the catholic church tell us who's a saint and who's not. Do you think that might tick God off, some pope telling Him who's a saint? I do.

So the answer is, idolotry is idolotry regardless of what religion you profess.

Answer 4

Actually the bible calls all those who are God's people "Saints". From Genesis to Revelation... The meaning of idolatry (biblically) is anything you hold in higher regard to God. Money could be an idol, loved ones, status, Catholic Saints... Frankly if I am going to pray to anyone I am not going to pray to some joker who is did some nice things and was bestowed a title by the church after he died. I go straight to the top and pray to God Himself.

Answer 5

...well saints were created by the church...they dont have nothing to do with the message given by any of the prophets...and of course Jesus never commanded us to worship saints

As a catholic u must believe that God is the Almighty and being the almighty implies that no one can change His mind at least He wants to do it. SOOOOOOO no one has influence on God...He is the top of the top.

Now...The catholic church brought the concept of saints becoz this way it was easy to convert the idol worshipper into christians...people in those days were used to have different idols, so saints are nothing but substitutes for them...and yes ...it is idolatry which u should avoid.

U dont need to practice any voodoo to be heard and to get ur wishes come true...all you have to do is to rely entirely on God...all the time and remember constantly...forget about saints, about horoscopes...all this things offended him so deeply and all they go against the first commandment.

The Creator Is The Only True God

The Creator, the God of Israel, the God of The Holy Bible, made all that exists, including all of the living or lifeless things, or mere ideas (i.e. any political philosophy that one lives by that is contrary to the Word of God, or any science that denies the existence of the Creator of all natural laws of science - see The First Scientist) that humans have made into "gods" - but which in fact are all merely objects created by the Creator.

Only the Creator has the power to be God; looking to anything, or anyone, else for salvation is literally a dead end. This includes anything that is deemed "more important right now" than worship and obedience to the only true God, or worshipping the true God in a manner contrary to His Word (see I Did It My Way...)

Answer 6

The saints were Catholic. They didn't practice voodoo. They were canonized by the Catholic Church, not the Voodoo Church.

P.S. Good answer, Carl.

Answer 7

Saints, or so named saints should not be a replacement for God. If you have a problem then you pray to God about it. Many people feel that they need to talk to somebody in the literal sense of the word, Somebody they can see. So called Saints are not ordained by God Himself, True Saints are Gods chosen one and there's hardly any way to know who has been ordained by God Himself. But they should never replace God and His Word. That is why it's seen as idoltry. Besides if you came to me to seek spiritual help it would indeed seem as if you were substituting me for something that you need to take up with God Himself. Anyways I always liked to be worshiped, figuratively speaking of course.

Answer 8

Maybe they must learn extra of the Saints you believe? Of path Lutherans are "best scripture" I doubt you'll be able to see a Lutheran Church of Saint Augustine in the event that they have been to take delivery of the lessons of the Catholic Saints they might ought to take delivery of TEH REAL PRESENCE and the entire different teachings of the Cahtolic Church . .. Those Saints have to be Bible Saints? -LOVE your neighbor as your self. Amen.

Answer 9

First of all, saints are not saints at all if it is man that made that determination. Only God makes a saint. He makes a saint by cleansing them from their sin and making them holy in His sight. You can be a saint. Its not what you do--praying to saints, doing voodoo that make you holy.... It's God's forgiveness. You must choose that. You do so by asking God to forgive you of your sin. He will....if you really mean it.
Those who have been proclaimed 'saints' serve no purpose at all to us today. If they are really holy, and in heaven, they just await our arrival and meanwhile, they love and worship God. They have no purpose whatsoever to us here on earth. It's not in the bible....catholic or protestant.
When you pray to a saint, you are praying to His creation, rather than to the Creator Himself. That's what makes it idolatry.

Answer 10

Straight up, it's idolatry either way. The bible teaches to pray to God alone and never even touches upon saints. Anyone who has been born again according to the bible is a saint.