If the Word of God says we cannot communicate with the dead because they have gone to Heaven or Hell,?

Question

why do people pray to Saints and the Holy Mother Mary? I mean no disrespect in this question to the Mother Mary who gave birth to Christ our Lord.

Where are they that they can hear our voices if those who are Christians cannot communicate with their loved ones after death on earth?
1 Timothy 2
"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all..."
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=61&chapter=2&version=50

God's Word does warn of Satan deceiving people into believing that false spirits are of those who have departed before us.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=61&chapter=4&version=50

Jesus also tells us that He has prepared a wonderful place for us. I believe that we will see our loved ones in Heaven - including animals. But what about communication with anyone who has passed on before us?

Please back up what you say with Scripture from the Word of God in the Holy Bible.

Matthew 12
46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”
48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

John 19
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

Answer 1

Catholics argue that praying to Mary and the saints is no different than asking someone here on earth to pray for you. Let us examine that claim. (1) The Apostle Paul asks other Christians to pray for him in Ephesians 6:19. Many Scriptures describe believers praying for one another (2 Corinthians 1:11; Ephesians 1:16; Philippians 1:19; 2 Timothy 1:3). The Bible nowhere mentions anyone asking for someone in Heaven to pray for them. The Bible nowhere describes anyone in Heaven praying for anyone on earth. (2) The Bible gives absolutely no indication that Mary or the saints can hear our prayers. Mary and the saints are not omniscient. Even glorified in Heaven, they are still finite beings with limitations. How could they possibly hear the prayers of millions of people? 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). The one instance when a "saint" is spoken to, Samuel in 1 Samuel 28:7-19, Samuel was not exactly happy to be disturbed. It is plainly clear that praying to Mary or the saints is completely different from asking someone here on earth to pray for you. One has a strong Biblical basis, the other has no Biblical basis whatsoever.

God does not answer prayers based on who is praying. God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). There is absolutely no basis or need to pray to anyone other than God alone. There is no basis for asking those who are in Heaven to pray for us. Only God can hear our prayers. Only God can answer our prayers. No one in Heaven has any greater access to God's throne that we do through prayer (Hebrews 4:16).

Recommended Resource: The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing Catholic Tradition and The Word of God by James McCarthy.

Answer 2

The Word of God doesn't say that at all. It says we cannot communicate with "the dead" because they know nothing. This refers to those who are spiritually dead, in hell. However, Jesus also said that those who follow Him "will never die". Therefore the saints are not among "the dead", but among the living. Which is why the Apostles' Creed, the basic statement of Christian belief, refers to "the communion of saints", which means the interaction between the saints on earth and the saints in heaven.

Answer 3

properly i'm no longer an atheist, yet I do have atheist buddies. a super form of the time i think of its neither. i do no longer think of they surely need you to burn in hell yet i do no longer think of they have a real undertaking for you, the two. they're doing what they have been advised they're meant to do. they think of which will supply them brownie factors with God. What they do no longer understand is that the church is a enterprise. A funds-making enterprise. of course they desire to recruit as many donating individuals as obtainable. And the superb thank you to try this's to cajole Christians that there will be dire effects in the event that they do no longer help (and that that's their duty, as good Christians, to "shop the heathens from the burning pits of hell"). Its a super revenues pitch, yet it relatively is basically what that's. some human beings do exactly no longer understand they're contributing to it

Answer 4

Well, David's father communicated with the dead through a witch. So, biblically it's not only possible, but actually occurs that people comune with the dead. Now, I think the act may be condemned somewhere else in the bible. However, it's not because it's "not real" but because it's not in the biblical tradition.

Answer 5

The Bible is not the word of any deity, it is an absurd compilation of fairy tales by bronze age desert nomads trying to understand their world. Current evidence also strongly suggests there was no Jesus, so he did not tell anyone anything. (1)

Answer 6

i have never understood why people pray to other PEOPLE besides Jesus. Ya, sure, mary had Jesus, but she was not the miracle , Jesus was. And "saints" or apostles were just people that did what Jesus told them.

Answer 7

Is there any particular reason to believe that the "word of God" has any relevant information?

Answer 8

INTERCESSORY PRAYER OF THE SAINTS
http://scripturecatholic.com/saints.html

The Blessed Mother is as human as you or I.....but of course is in Heaven now. The first chapter of John tells us that:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
and then:
Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

That is to say that Jesus is God. Now, it was the Will of God the Father that His only begotten Son come down to Earth and take on flesh and sacrifice His body on the cross for man's sins. The Blessed Mother provided the flesh. Therefore, she is the 'Mother of God.....Jesus".

Now, Jesus is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (1Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; Rev 19:16). As Jesus is the King, His Mother is then the QUEEN MOTHER.

Now, the purpose of the Queen Mother in the Davidic Kingdoms (Jesus is a decendant of David) is to plead for the people of Israel before the king. That is, the Queen Mother is the ADVOCATE for the people. Why because men have a difficult time turning down their mothers. Do you remember the Jesus could not turn down the Blessed Mother in her request at the wedding feast at Cana (See the 2nd chapter of John)?

Consider the following:

"…Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king's mother, who sat at his right. "There is one small favor I would ask of you," she said. "Do not refuse me." "Ask it, my mother," the king said to her, "for I will not refuse you…". (Cf. I Kings 2:19-20)


The Blessed Mother of God is the fairest daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She has a relationship with the Holy Trinity unlike any other creature. Her role as Advocate for the children of God is unlike any other creature’s as well.
Dr. Miravalle described it this way: "In the great Davidic kingdoms of the Old Testament, the mother of the king traditionally held the office of the "Queen Mother" (or "Gebirah" in Hebrew, literally meaning "the Great Lady", (Cf. 1Ki 2:11,19). The principal role of the Queen Mother was to serve as advocate or intercessor on behalf of the people of Israel to her son the King.

"In the New Testament, with the announcement of the new and eternal King and Kingdom of God (Cf. Lk. 1:32-33), so too humanity receives a new Queen Mother, as principal advocate for the people of God in presenting their needs to Jesus Christ, the King of kings. .Her advocacy is clearly manifest at Cana, interceding on behalf of those without physical wine, but ultimately for the spiritual and Eucharistic wine of her Son (Jn.2:1-10). At Calvary, the Crucified King presents his Mother and Queen to the world as gift to all in his Kingdom (Jn. 19:27). And in Revelation, the new Queen Mother in the universal and everlasting Kingdom of Christ is crowned with twelve stars (Rev. 12:1), as she, in battle array, continues her life and death advocacy for humanity against the spiritual warring of the Dragon-Adversary.


NOW.......we know that the term "Israel refers to "THE PEOPLE OF GOD". Since we Christians have accepted Jesus, we are the NEW ISRAEL. (See 1Pet 2:9-10; Gal 4:28-31; Gal 6:14-16; Mat 21:43).

THEREFORE, Catholics pray to the Blessed Mother to plead for our petitions and prayers before her Son, Jesus, on our behalf. She is VERY INFLUENCIAL WITH JESUS. Consider Catholic pray the "Hail Mary":

"Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, PRAY FOR US SINNERS NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. Amen."

As you can see, we pray to her begging her to plead with her Son (who is God) to answer our prayers. No, she is not a goddess.....and we are not to worship her as one....that is forbidden.

I suggest that you re-read what I have posted here and also read the references to the Holy Bible.


Blessed Mary why honor her?
http://home.inreach.com/bstanley/honr.htm

Veneration of the Blessed Mother of God.
http://home.inreach.com/bstanley/ven.htm

Scripture Alone? Is Half the Story Sufficient?
http://www.call2holiness.org/ScriptureAlone/ScriptureAlone.htm