=== OP ===
Some Christians believe in a doctrine called "
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;
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).[/QUOTE]
If it is not in the bible then why did your post start with a quote from the bible; specifically "because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins"
It was from the Catechism "
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."
which is from this passsage
2Macc 12:38 Judas reorganised his army, and then went to the city of Adullam. Since it was the week’s end, they purified themselves and celebrated the Sabbath there. 39 The next day the companions of Judas went to take away the bodies of the dead (it was urgent to do it) and buried them with their relatives in the tombs of their fathers. 40 They found under the tunic of each of the dead men objects consecrated to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbade the Jews to wear. So it became clear to everyone why these men had died.
1. 2 Macc -- is not in the Bible
2. Your own quote says they were guilty of idolatry as people who were under the Ten Comm Law
3. Idolatry is a mortal sin - they are stated to have died under judgment for that sin.
4. They died without absolution with mortal sin on their soul -
5. Even the RCC today could not get them out of that location in hell - by its own rules
43 He took up a collection among his soldiers which amounted to two thousand pieces of silver and sent it to Jerusalem to be offered there as a sacrifice for sin. They did all this very well and rightly inspired by their belief in the resurrection of the dead. 44 If they did not believe that their fallen companions would rise again, then it would have been a useless and foolish thing to pray for them. 45 But they firmly believed in a splendid reward for those who died as believers;
1. they took up an offering - - they did not pray to the dead or for them
2. They sent it to Jerusalem for an animal sacrifice
3. There is nothing in the law of Moses that allows for animal sacrifices to forgive the sins of the dead.. it was an ad hoc -- made-up-on-the-spot idea in 2 Macc.
4. The text says no benefit at all would be had by the dead by this act - unless they were first resurrected.
So you seem to have nothing other than "taking up an offering" in your list with no benefit at all to the dead.