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Some Christians believe in a doctrine called "communion with the dead"
Many non-Christian world religions also pray to the dead. And as one Catholic Digest Q&A article said -- the difference includes being careful "which dead" that you are praying to.
Both groups use images to in some way to represent the being they are praying to - and both groups ask for favors or promise some sort of devotion.
Driving in the car on the way home from a recent trip to visit family - I heard a radio program "EWTN" that was a call-in show. Many catholics were calling in and asking questions of the priest. After a number of callers one pattern began to emerge. They were all asking about the best ritual or practice or for adoring this or that statue/image or for conducting liturgy in Latin (or not) ...
Interesting that the 2nd commandment says this
Some read "graven images and stop" -- thinking of ways this could not possibly apply. But I think the focus should be on vs 5 " 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: "
Later that same day - another call-in show on another radio station -- this one was evangelical and the callers were all asking questions about doctrine or what the Bible meant when it said "this" or "That".
What an interesting world we live in.
Side note: -- see also
Notice that "we who are alive" is never applied to "the dead in Christ" - rather always contrasted with them.
Isaiah 8:19 includes this " should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? "
Given this Bible detail alone -- it is probably easy for us all to see how it could be that many Christians today would prefer not to engage in "communion with the dead"
And at the same time - it is also easy to see how a great many world religions who do not have access to 1 Thess 5 or Isaiah 8:19 WOULD in fact be choosing "communion with the dead"
958 Communion with the dead. "In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins' she offers her suffrages for them."500 Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.
Many non-Christian world religions also pray to the dead. And as one Catholic Digest Q&A article said -- the difference includes being careful "which dead" that you are praying to.
Both groups use images to in some way to represent the being they are praying to - and both groups ask for favors or promise some sort of devotion.
Driving in the car on the way home from a recent trip to visit family - I heard a radio program "EWTN" that was a call-in show. Many catholics were calling in and asking questions of the priest. After a number of callers one pattern began to emerge. They were all asking about the best ritual or practice or for adoring this or that statue/image or for conducting liturgy in Latin (or not) ...
Interesting that the 2nd commandment says this
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Some read "graven images and stop" -- thinking of ways this could not possibly apply. But I think the focus should be on vs 5 " 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: "
Later that same day - another call-in show on another radio station -- this one was evangelical and the callers were all asking questions about doctrine or what the Bible meant when it said "this" or "That".
What an interesting world we live in.
Side note: -- see also
962 "We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers" (Paul VI, CPG § 30).
This will come up later in the thread -- so for "reference"
1 Thess 5
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Notice that "we who are alive" is never applied to "the dead in Christ" - rather always contrasted with them.
Isaiah 8:19 includes this " should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? "
Given this Bible detail alone -- it is probably easy for us all to see how it could be that many Christians today would prefer not to engage in "communion with the dead"
And at the same time - it is also easy to see how a great many world religions who do not have access to 1 Thess 5 or Isaiah 8:19 WOULD in fact be choosing "communion with the dead"
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