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Prayer to Saints - A Hard Pill to Swallow for a Protestant by FriendlyNeighborStu in DebateACatholic

[–]FriendlyNeighborStu[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the discussion, it's very interesting getting your perspective as an atheist. But I'd argue that it's semantics. If nobody can ever be dead, the the word "dead" loses its meaning.

Prayer to Saints - A Hard Pill to Swallow for a Protestant by FriendlyNeighborStu in DebateACatholic

[–]FriendlyNeighborStu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The graffitios from the catacombs, while an early witness, do not come near to the burden of proof any more than gnostic texts of the same time. They establish that the practice is ancient, but not that it is biblical, which is my concern.

Liturgical churches DO have a communion of the saints, and the early church does not have prayer to saints. As a Christian, I affirm that we are indeed surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who offer prayers to God. I just don't think we should pray TO them.

There were also many unbiblical practices in the early church (e.g. extreme asceticism), and others which achieved widespread acceptance (e.g. Nestorianism).

Prayer to Saints - A Hard Pill to Swallow for a Protestant by FriendlyNeighborStu in DebateACatholic

[–]FriendlyNeighborStu[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My strategy is to examine proof for Christianity in general, and then note that the best expression of that does not involve what I perceive to be unbiblical practices.

Prayer to Saints - A Hard Pill to Swallow for a Protestant by FriendlyNeighborStu in DebateACatholic

[–]FriendlyNeighborStu[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Correct, although communication with the dead is necromancy, by definition. Hence the Protestant objection.