I often heard that Protestants have issue with Catholics praying for the dead is consider un-Biblical. Yet, in times when we try to recall those who died in Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, or 9-11-01 Remembrance Day, they don’t seem to have a problem at all.
Keep in mind, the entire nation is called these days as nation day of prayer. Yet, when it comes to Catholic praying for our departed brothers and sisters, they whine and complain.
Is this a double standard or what?
Today is all Saint’s Day and Tomorrow will be All Souls Day. This entire month will be dedicated to recall those Christians who died in Christ before us. This ancient practice have been done by Christians since the beginning, starting with the Jews during Judas Maccabees time and continued to the present day.
Some claim that these feast days are pagan in origin. They aren’t. Originally the feast days was originally commemorated on May but was move to November so new converts from paganism to Christians wouldn’t have a problem adjusting.
Praying for the dead is fruitful. It is not necromancy as some Christians might think. Necromancy is summoning the dead. We are merely recalling the lives of our departed, how some of them died for Christ and imitated him by giving up his life.
If anyone wishes to say anything about this, feel free to speak out.
Protestants don’t pray for the dead when they prayerfully give thanks for the sacrifices the military have made for all of us or when they remember something like 911.
If they say something like, “May they rest in peace”, they are simply affirming what they already to believe to be true.
I would not call it a double standard. And I would certainly not open a discussion with Protestants about this.
I don’t see how commemorating the Christians who died before us is any different? What gave them the right that “May they rest in peace” is any different from this,** “Father, all powerful and ever living God, today, we rejoice in the holy men and women of every time and place. May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reign witrh you and the Holy Spirit, One God for ever and ever. Amen.”** (Liturgy of the Hours, All Saints Day 1 Nov)
I was brought up Catholic so I was used to praying for the dead, having Masses said, etc. I no longer attend a Catholic Church because of personal problems but do attend a Lutheran Church. I feel very strongly that those who have passed on still need our prayers but our Lutheran pastor claims that “we” (Lutherans) do not pray for the dead. Recently my Hindu sister-in-law passed away. Her son called us from India and asked my husband to have prayers said for her in Church. Of course, I went to the local Catholic Church and had a Mass said for her. You can take the person out of the Catholic Church but you can’t take the Catholic Church out of the person!
Thanks but I committed the cardinal sin of divorcing my husband (he beat the H— out of me even when I was pregnant). I married my present husband (we’ve been married over 30 years), he adopted my children from my previous marriage and we have another child together. I tried to get an annulment but was told to lie, something I refused to do. You see, I was an only child, only grandchild on one side and youngest grandchild on other side so I had lots and lots of love. I was told that “no one could have such a happy childhood” so I was told to change some answers on my petition. No way would I do that. Also I was told to tell things about my former husband that I refuse to do. I didn’t hate him but just did not like him very much. He passed away several years ago and left a wife and a couple of other children.
So is honoring the saints who died for Christ is view much less of importance than those men and women, who died for freedom for Protestants? :shrug:
You know Protestants bragg a lot about being a good Biblical Christians… Most mainstream Protestants don’t even celebrate the feast day of the Apostles… (I am aware that some Anglican and Lutheran might do it; though correct me if I am in error in this information).
Somebody who beat you had problems that YOU should not have been told to lie about. Advising you to tell the TRUTH about your husband – even if you did not want to tell the truth – was GOOD counsel. As you know, divorce is not the sin; remarriage without verification that the first marriage was null is the problem.
Whoever told you to lie, gave you heinous counsel.
Your first (putative) husband is dead now? You’re free to rectify the current marriage. Nullity/validity are no longer in the picture. Good grief: you have suffered.
Your first husband past away? I think your first marriage is now separated since only death can separate marriage. I don’t know what this would mean to your second marriage. Would that require a dispensation… or what… Pardon me since I’m not canonical expert…
I did tell the truth about him beating me (the first time was when we had been married for one entire week!). I was told to lie about my own childhood which I refused to do. Also, I was asked questions about my husband’s sex life before we got married. I felt that was no one’s business (actually, I hadn’t even asked him about things like that). My present husband and I were married by a bishop in the Old Catholic Episcopal Church. When I talked to him about my ex-husband his response was that “what God joins together, let no man put asunder” and since God doesn’t make mistakes, He did not join my ex and I together. We did that on our own.
Actually, asking about your husband’s sex life before he married is probably relevant to his attitude when taking the vows (whether or not he took them seriously for one thing). So in that sense it may very well be their business and totally within the scope of determining the validity of the marriage.
As for your ex having passed away - God be praised, you are FREE of him then, as free as the day you were born! You vowed ‘until death do us part’, not beyond the grave. Anyone who tells you differently is flat out wrong.
Get thee to the nearest Roman Catholic Church and get convalidated! Place your current marriage, no matter how it started out, under God’s care and blessing, because you can. Put some closure on your problems with the Church and begin again with a clean slate.
Don’t let the past needlessly separate you from our Holy Mother Church, the Body of Christ, please Otherwise the only one who wins is your ex and the other people who’ve hurt you so badly.
In my view, they are esentially the same thing. Praying for the dead and remembering the dead are essentially the same, just without words. If I ‘remember’ my grandparents sorrowfully (that they are not here) and hopefully (that I will see them in Heaven), is not my heart groaning for their entrance into Heaven?
The issue comes when we pray to the dead. Protestants seem to think that when you are in Heaven there is a great chasm that separates us and that the Dead are voiceless. Nevermind the obvious references in Revelations to the saints in Heaven praying for those on Earth.
Yet, in times when we try to recall those who died in Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, or 9-11-01 Remembrance Day, they don’t seem to have a problem at all.
Remembering the dead and praying for them so God will stop tormenting them in excruciating flames is not the same thing, Manny.
DISCLAIMER: Catholic Answers has turned over the archive to Catholic-Questions.org and no longer owns, manages, or moderates the forums. For additional apologetics resources please visit www.catholic.com.
Door’s open. Light’s on. Maybe “personal problems” aren’t the barrier you think they are. Godspeed, my friend.
Otherwise the only one who wins is your ex and the other people who’ve hurt you so badly.