Catholics pray to Saints, isn't that worshipping false idols?

Question

I really am curios.

八条轨道头脑 VT

I minored in religion, I'm aware of the schisms in the church. Nobody ever explained to me the worship of Saints though.

Suzi
I grew up in Miami so alot of the Hispanics did indeed have statues of he Saints. Hmm, that would be graven images too.

I'm not Christian, I did study religion though. NO I'm not an Atheist!!!!!!!

Lisa P

Didn't you know that Neil Diamond is the Jewish Elvis?LOL!!!!!!!!

liddabet

I'm sorry if I come off as being judgmental, that's not my intention at all, I was just curious :)

Answer 1

Yes...... According to the second Commandment of God it is.......EDIT...Let's get to the fact of the matter....For one thing, nowhere does the Bible approve of praying to dead (or living) saints. In fact, Jesus declared that no one except Himself has ascended into heaven (John 3:13). The saints wait in their graves for the resurrection to occur at Jesus' return. Venerating dead saints propagates an ancient heathen custom that has no basis in reality.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians about the resurrection: "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16).

One of the roles Jesus Christ fulfills as our resurrected High Priest is Intercessor: one who pleads on behalf of another. The Bible declares: "Therefore He [Jesus] is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

The Bible encourages Christians to pray for each other, but heavenly intercession is reserved for Jesus Christ. At Jesus' death the veil in the temple, a heavy curtain that separated the "holy of holies" (representing God's throne) from the rest of the temple, was supernaturally torn from top to bottom. This action demonstrated that a new access to God was made available by the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah. A Christian's relationship to God is with a personal and intimate Father. The supposed need for another heavenly intercessor denigrates this role of Christ.

The evolution from the early Church's recognition of all members being saints to the veneration and worship of the dead is rooted in the early mixture of paganism with Christianity. The populace throughout the Roman Empire was accustomed not only to the worship of the Greek and Roman pantheon, but to cultic worship of local deities. It was an easy step for Christian congregations rooted in paganism to replace the customs of local cults with the worship of dead martyrs.

http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/booklets/print-bk.cgi?action=print_item&category=Booklets1&item=1104416816&print=yes...

Answer 2

False Idols

Answer 3

First, to clear up a little something mentioned above:

"Catholics are simply uncomfortable going directly to God through Christ. They feel they need someone else to intercede for them. A shame, it kind of contradicts Christ's sacrifice."

I would be fascinated, and likely others would be as well, to know just how this rather bizarre conclusion was reached; by speaking with many practicing Catholics themselves, perhaps? Or is this just a personal opinion?

All righty. Now to the question.

First, we believe that the saints in Heaven live in the presence of God (really, how much more "alive" can you get?). So do most Christians -- otherwise, why do their obituaries and funeral services mention that they have gone to be with Jesus? So the charge of "necromancy" or communicating with the dead is baseless.

We pray in many ways:
- Directly to God (the Father; or our Lord, Jesus Christ; or the Holy Spirit) as individuals, spontaneously and "from the heart"
- Directly to God in unity/communion with our brothers and sisters as the body of Christ, in common prayers of the Church. In doing so we pray not only with the members of our local parish but all Catholics everywhere. This is the "communion of saints".
- Directly to God through the intercession of others. When a friend or loved one asks you to pray for them, does their own prayer stop with you? No -- your intercession lifts both their prayer and yours to God.

If we pause to pray before a picture or statue of a saint, it is not the picture or statue that is being worshipped any more than you worship a picture of someone you love who has passed on. Like your loved one's picture, these remind us of the people they represent.

Answer 4

There is a fellowship of the saints, which in theory means that saints in heaven are still active, but in praying for us on Earth, and the advance of the gospel; so mayne one could pray to them for help. But the genuine catholic christians will keep their prayer focus on God I hope.

Answer 5

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.

Asking others to pray for you whether your loved ones on Earth or your loved ones in heaven is always optional.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 946 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

No because a saint is a person that did good works for the church and others and is declared a saint after death by the church. A false Idol is like worshipping elvis and no elvis is not the king(at least of the jews) anyway.
Hope this Helps

Answer 7

Psalm 6:5 (King James Version)
5) For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

(This passage is very clear)
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 (King James Version)
5) For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Whenever the Bible mentions praying to or speaking with the dead, it is in the context of sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, and divination - activities the Bible strongly condemns (Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-13).

1 Timothy 2:5 declares, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Answer 8

Catholic.com says
The intercession of fellow Christians—which is what the saints in heaven are—also clearly does not interfere with Christ’s unique mediatorship because in the four verses immediately preceding 1 Timothy 2:5, Paul says that Christians should interceed: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and pleasing to God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:1–4). Clearly, then, intercessory prayers offered by Christians on behalf of others is something "good and pleasing to God," not something infringing on Christ’s role as mediator.

Answer 9

To pray means to ask, it does not mean to worship!

There is a big difference.

Praying to the saints is merely asking for their prayers for our intentions.

Answer 10

Catholics say no. I think yes. As to God's opinion. I guess it will be known on judgment day.

Also we do not worship the Bible in the least. We just think using it as a basis for being a Christian is much better than man made traditions.