Protestants: Do you “venerate” any other Christians (i.e. saints)?

Question

Veneration is different than worship; all Christians are to worship the Lord God and the Lord God alone.
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” –Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (and Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – one God do we worship:
“For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” (1 John 5:7)

= = =

Catholics venerate Mary. (Some take it “too far” by worshipping her...)
Does not the scripture declare that “henceforth all generations will call [Mary] blessed”? (Luke 1:48)

Don’t some Protestants likewise venerate Paul, Calvin, Wesley, Luther, John Piper, or their mentor or current pastor?

Is all such “veneration” wrong? Do you honor your elders? Your mentors? Do you have deep respect them?
Does “veneration” go to far? Does it imply worship?

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Answer 1

All right ... let me see if I can put this in Protestant terms (I do have a basis of understanding for this, as a former evangelical).

Are you familiar with the contemporary hymn by Steve Green, "May All Who Come Behind Us Find Us Faithful"? The chorus goes like this:

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion light their way;
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.

Catholics believe that we have "come behind" many centuries' worth of Christians who, canonized or not, were found faithful in an exemplary way. Their lives inspire us; we find on an individual basis that we can relate to particular ones; we hold them up as heroes in the faith to our children.

They are a part of our heritage. And not just ours, but all Christians. If believers are indeed "born again" by any definition, then they're part of the family. We Catholic Christians venerate and honor them. The fact that we ask for their intercession, and some Christian traditions do not subscribe to that, makes them no less exemplary to all.

The fear that by doing so we are somehow taking away from the honor due to Christ is unfounded. They are "saints" only because of Christ, and whatever they did or wrote or said that edifies the faithful was because of what He did through them. Have you never praised Christ for what His grace accomplished in the life of another person?

The Church may have formalized this to the nth degree over the centuries, but whatever you may think of it, don't make the mistake of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Try reading a bit of the lives of some of the saints that we know about (the canonized ones, in other words; the Church has long acknowledged that there have been many more, unknown and unheralded). You needn't revere them, venerate them, ask them to pray for you, or even honor them -- but their lives are undeniably inspirational, as is their love for Christ.

After all ... we are all called to be saints.

Answer 2

The Apostles Paul, Peter, Andrew.
Other saints include Martin Luther, John Fox, Wycliffe, the many saints described in Foxes Book of Martyrs, Sir Isaac Newton, Dr. Gene Scott, Stephen the first Christian martyr, The man born blind in John 9, Mary, Elizabeth - mother of John the Baptist, John the Baptist, there is a longer list than I originally thought. I guess I think about them more than I would have guessed. They were an inspiration to me. I could make a longer list, like with Luke, the writer of the Gospel and Acts and who knows how many of Paul's letters he actually penned. Old Testament saints as well, Jeremiah ( who remains very mysterious to me to this day ) , Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel ( He heard the words that I long to hear - Daniel 9:23 " . . . for thou art greatly beloved . . . " )

I was raised very untraditional. I have no elders. I may have already named my mentors, and I do have deep respect for them.

Veneration to me does not necessarily mean worthy of worship, as I respect God and worship Him only, but I do not worship anyone else, nor do I pray to them - which is supposed to be an act of Faith, and I do those acts as closely as possible to the word of God.

Answer 3

There is no one I venerate in the Catholic sense of the word. I do not believe veneration is wrong, as long as it doesn't lead to worship. I think it's excessive, but that's just my opinion.

Answer 4

I have a friend. When I first met his Grandmother, it was interesting. Now, I not go into sin, as I have believed in Jesus from a young age, not mean I perfect. My friend and me were drinking buddies. One night I was drunk and never drive. He say; "Sleep on the porch swing" brought me a blanket and seemed better than sleeping in the car. The interesting thing, was "Granny" found me the next morning and was tripping. I started talking to her and for some reason she liked me. This woman literally "glowed" (Best I can explain). My friend was amazed how she took to me and said; "Granny likes you, my other friends, she be sweeping off the porch". I told him; "I not perfect, but, I know Jesus. She can see it". Again, he was amazed. When I talked to and was around Granny it was like I felt a desire to respect (venerate you may say). Hard to explain, but, being in her presence demanded something, Spiritually.
Oh, and the next time I was there drunk. Granny let me sleep on the couch and gave me the blanket. Again, my friend was amazed. He goes to Church now. I not drink like I did back then. When I think of Granny ........ I can still see that glow.

Answer 5

I am an Evangelist, which is a denomination of protestant, and we greatly respect and admire the saints, pastors and other authoritative religious leaders. Im not that familiar with Catholicism or orthodoxy, but I think that the "icons" that orthodox christians look at while praying does go too far and is edging near worshiping the object/painting, rather than the object it represents

Answer 6

I guess it depends on the meaning of the word veneration to each person.

Answer 7

As I remember growing up one, we'd have days of Commemoration of "saints." Which is basically the same thing as Catholics due. They even "commemorate" pre-reformation middle-age saints: Satin Catherine of Siena, St. Francis of Assisi. In Scandinavia they even have processions for popular saints (these are Lutherans) such as Lucy, and Martin of Tours.

Even check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgical_calendar_(Lutheran)#.22Saints.22_in_the_liturgical_calendar


and no one can tell you if your worshiping something. Only you yourself can know that, no act defines worship only worship itself.

Answer 8

I can, and do, honor them, but I don't worship them. These people are just that--people. They can't give me salvation and everlasting life in Heaven. Only God (via Jesus) can do that. The honor, respect, and admiration I may have for others may be proper. But the greatest thanks, praise, and faith belongs to God.

Answer 9

I've wondered that myself, since there is a United Methodist Church near me named St. John's.

Answer 10

this is authentic, different than.... some people think of that the Episcopal Church is a Protestant church... somewhat this is the Anglican Church and a very separate element from the two Roman or Protestant. Anglican have Saints, the comparable Saints because of the fact the Roman and Orthodox church homes. and that i think of the Lutherans could too. yet maximum Protestant church homes do no longer follow this custom, quite often because of the fact they attempt to stay far removed from something that seems "Catholic"... tossing the toddler with the bathwater, in case you inquire from me.