I know you asked for one book but this really needs two because there are two excellent sources that will best handle what you are asking about.
From conception when God gives us our soul, we are immortal. The soul doesn’t die. It doesn’t sleep. Life after death, is eternal and starts immediately after the death of the body. And life after death goes on FOREVER. for the good AND the bad. So the question is, where is Life everlasting going to be for the individual…heaven or hell?
Well, I don’t know about that. I think most Protestants believe conscious life continues immediately after death and forever. *Some *believe that the “life of the soul” is somehow suspended until the resurrection of the body on the Last Day. Which ones believe thus and in what numbers I do not know. IMO, Protestants don’t object to praying to the saints so much because they’re “dead”, even the ones who believe that the saints are now with God rapt in the Beatific Vision, but because they think that we should only pray to God alone. Why they think the Good Lord would take offense at the members of the Church on earth asking for the prayers from the members of “the great cloud of witnesses”, his intimate friends who behold Him face-to-face, is beyond me.
Those passages refute the protestant assumption (except some anglicans if I’m not wrong) that is only God who directly receives our prayers. Why should God, who is omnipotent and omniscient, need intermediaries to receive our prayers? The reason is a mystery and at the same time easy to understand: Because He wants. That’s certainly, omnipotence. The Bible and the Apostolic Tradition teach God has wanted (and is pleased) there is a Communion of saints, living and the dead. When some protestant fundamentalists claim that the intercession of dead members of this Communion is not only unnecesary but that practice contradicts 1 Tim 2:5 they’re falling in the usual and defective protestant theology of either/or. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” is a soteriologic verse, in the sense that Jesus is the mediator between God and men** for the salvation** of each one of us. Is not about Jesus mediates betwen us and God when we pray There is not a single verse in the Bible to support this but there are verses where God receives our prayers by mediation of members of His Communion of saints.
Having been Protestant, I can say say with certainty the following:
)You explain some of the reasons why protestantism is material heresy.Having been Protestant, I can say say with certainty the following:
a) Most Protestants believe that “prayers to saints” are superstitious.
b) Most Protestants do not believe that we, on this side of physical death, can or should try to contact those on the other side. However, I’ve still yet to understand the many who say when someone dies, “Well, they’ll be watching over us in Heaven” or “They got their angel wings today”, etc.
c) Many Protestants believe the word “saints” in Revelation refers to the Christians still on earth; not necessarily those in heaven (for whatever reason
d) As you mentioned above, most Protestants have a problem with “praying” to saints because they believe that our prayers should go directly to God. Their problem lies in their faulty understanding of and our cultural use of the word “pray”. Since, typically, we use the word “pray” in conjunction with God instead of its real meaning which is “to ask”, a huge misunderstanding of a Catholic’s intent gets created. Honestly, I prefer to use the phrases “pray through the saints” or “ask the saints to pray for me”.
e) Most have never thought through their objection; it’s an automatic rejection because of their rejection of the Catholic Church. I know I was this way until a friend pointed out that I would have no problem asking another Christian to pray for me if I were in need so what is the difference in asking a saint (WHO IS IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD) to also pray for me. As the Bible says, they are more alive than we are and surely their prayers availeth much
Also, I would add that there is much confusion in Protestantism about exactly what happens to our souls upon physical death. I know that that I grew up with never a clear picture of that. Two of the “theories” I heard were that our souls went immediately to heaven or hell or we went into soul sleep until the resurrection.
To use a good Catholic term…BINGO!
Yes, THEY think pray = worship. It can in the right context, but that’s not the be all to end all definition of pray. Pray = Ask.
they didn’t think their arguments through on that oneBingo!
Bingo!
Yes, the more I have studied Church history, I can see the various heresies that the early Church dealt with live and well in Protestantism. Sad thing is, though, that Protestants are so ignorant on Church history that they don’t see any problem with those beliefs. For most, just as with Cradle Catholics who have never researched their faith on their own, it’s all they know
Thus the call for the new evangelization.Yes, the more I have studied Church history, I can see the various heresies that the early Church dealt with live and well in Protestantism. Sad thing is, though, that Protestants are so ignorant on Church history that they don’t see any problem with those beliefs. For most, just as with Cradle Catholics who have never researched their faith on their own, it’s all they know
What is the “New Evangelization?”i would recomend – viewing the u tube – early church fathers-- by ken johnson-- and getting his book-- he is the author of 21 books-- and he is not demoninational – trying to prove a point-Thanks for the response. My responses will be in red;
I have many charges against Protestantism. I only answered some Catholic charges that I have here because you are Catholic
Radio Replies answers just about every question anyone could think to ask. I have the original 3 volume but I find the new one volume has condensed them beautifully. One can open it any page and find it very interesting and learning. God Bless, Memaw
That’s what I have found as well.
