Why do Catholics Worship Saints?

[guanophore]

This quote was moved from another thread where it was off topic.

forum.catholic.com/showthread.php?p=2637400#post2637400

Interestingly, the OP was wondering why Protestants presume to know what Catholics believe, when they don’t. This series of posts turns out to be an example of what the OP was talking about in the topic!

I looked up the word “veneration” in the dictionary and this what it means honor something or somebody: to honor something or somebody as sacred or special

In the thesaurus it came up with these words:
revere, worship, adore, idolize, esteem, honor, respect, look up to, admire
antonym: disrespect

Worship means-religion treat somebody or something as deity: to treat somebody or something as divine and **show respect by engaging in acts of prayer and devotion **

In the thesaurus it uses these words–adoration, love, reverence, respect, devotion, adulation, veneration
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2004. © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

So no matter how catholics would like to get around this issue of worshipping Mary and saints, there is no getting around it. Worship is going on.

How do you honor them?

Do you honor them by praying to them?

Do the scriptures say we are to honor them?

Since Catholics are not limited by the error of Sola Scriptura, it does not really matter if the scriptures say we are to honor them, or not, but in fact, they do!

“There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.” Rom 2:9-11

“love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” Rom 12:10

" Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due." Rom 13:7

“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.” Eph 6:1-3

" So receive him in the Lord with all joy; and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete your service to me "
Phil 2:29-30

“Honor widows who are real widows.” 1 Tim 5:3

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching;” 1 Tim 5:17-18

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.” Heb 13:7

But I find no place where it instructs a person such as yourself to make false accusations against the brethren, or anyone else for that matter! Even if you believe Catholics are not your brothers in Christ, does that mean you should slander them?

 

[Reepicheep]

First: A thesaurus is not a dictionary.
A thesaurus provides not definitions but words of the same or similar meaning.
Two words found together in a thesaurus entry do not necessarily mean the same thing.

Second: Even if you find “prayer” as an entry in the dictionary under 'worship" it does not follow that prayer is worship.

Third: A dictionary is not a theological document. What the dictionary says about the Catholic Church is not necessarily what the Church says.