10 Questions That Catholics Are Asked

We Catholics are often asked tough questions about our Catholic faith and its relationship to the Bible. Here are the ten most-asked-questions and the answers that should help you satisfy both your questioner and yourself.

All Catholic beliefs can be found in the Bible in some form, whether plainly or by an indirect indication. It is not necessary for everything to be absolutely clear in Scripture alone, because that is not a teaching of Scripture itself. Scripture also points to an authoritative Church and Tradition, as St. Paul says in his Second Letter to the Thessalonians: "Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess 2:15 - see also 1 Cor 11:2; 2 Thess 3:6; 2 Tim (1:13-14,2:2) When the first Christians had a significant disagreement, they didn't simply open their Bibles (which didn't even exist at that point) to decide who was right; they held a council, which made binding decrees (Acts 15:1-29). The very books of the Bible had to be determined by the Church and that didn't happen until the late fourth century. Therefore, Sacred Tradition and authority were necessary for us to even have a Bible today.

Catholics believe that Jesus commissioned St. Peter as the first leader of the Church. Matthew's Gospel has the most direct biblical indication of the papacy: "And I tell you, you are Peter [meaning literally "Rock"] and on this rock I will build my church.... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 16:18-19). Based on this statement of Jesus himself, Peter is clearly portrayed in the New Testament as the leader of the disciples. A pope can make infallible, binding pronouncements under certain conditions. Infallibility doesn't mean that absolutely everything a pope says is free from error. All Christians believe that God protected Holy Scripture from error by means of inspiration, even though sinful, fallible men wrote it. We Catholics also believe that God the Holy Spirit protects His Church and its head from error (Jn 14:16) by means of infallibility, even though sinful, imperfect men are involved in it.

"And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" (Mt 23:9). In this passage, Jesus is teaching that God the Father alone is ultimately the source of all authority. But He is not speaking absolutely, because if so, that would eliminate even biological fathers, the title "Church Fathers," the founding fathers of a country or organization and so on. Jesus himself uses the term "father" in Matthew (15:4-5; 19:5, 19, 29; 21:31), John (8:56) and several other places. In the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Jesus actually presents Lazarus as using the address "Father Abraham" twice (Lk 16:24, 30 - see also Acts 7:; Rom 4:12; Jas 2:21). St. Paul also uses the term when he writes, "I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (1 Cor 4:15 - see also 1 Cor 4:14-16) and refers to "our forefather Isaac" (Rom 9:10).

The Bible clearly teaches the rightness of prayers for the dead in 2 Maccabees (12:40, 42, 44-45): "Then under the tunic of every one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was why these men had fallen....[A]nd they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out....For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead....[H]e made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." St. Paul teaches this in a similar way: "Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?" (1 Cor 15:29). This indicates prayer and fasting for the dead. The word baptism often symbolically refers to penances (Mk 10:38-39; Lk 3:16, 12:50). The apostle Paul also appears to be praying for a dead person, Onesiphorus, in 2 Timothy (1:16-18).

No Catholic who knows anything about the Catholic faith has ever worshiped a statue (as in pagan idolatry). If we cherish the memory of mere political heroes with statues, and that of war heroes with monuments, then there can be no objection to honoring saints and righteous men and women: "Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor" (1 Pet 2:17 - see also Rom 12:10; Heb 12:22-23). Statues are simply a visual reminder of great saints and heroes of the faith (Heb 11), who are more alive than we are (2 Cor 3:18), as is evident by their praying: "O Sovereign Lord... how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?" (Rev 6:10 - see also Ps 35:17). The saints in heaven were never intended by God to be cut off from the Body of Christ on earth. They are involved in intercession, just as the saints on earth are and they are described as "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1).

Jesus Christ gave His disciples - and by extension, priests - the power not only to "loose" sins (that is, forgive in God's name), but also to "bind" (that is, impose penances): "Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mt 18:18 - see also Mt 16:19). "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (Jn 20:23). The priest serves as the representative of God and of His mercy. Confession gives new courage, confidence and a fresh start. One learns humility by this practice, receives additional grace in order to avoid sin and attains a certainty of forgiveness that is superior to mere feelings. Confession is also indicated in Matthew (3:5-6), Acts (19:18) and 1 John (1:9).

Catholics do not worship Mary. We venerate her because she is the mother of God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Veneration is completely different from the adoration of God. It is the honoring of a person, not the worship of Almighty God, our Creator. Catholics believe that Mary is the highest of God's creatures because of her exalted role. But of course, like any other human being, she had to be saved by the mercy of God. She herself said, "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Lk 1:47). We believe that God saved her by taking away all stain of original sin at the moment of her conception (the Immaculate Conception). The very fact that God took on flesh and became man (Jn 1:1, 14) indicates that He wished to involve human beings in His plan of salvation for mankind. Mary was a key person for this purpose, so this is why Catholics honor her so highly.

A consecrated host or wafer at a Catholic Mass is the true Body and Blood of Christ, not merely bread; so Catholics are worshiping Jesus, not a wafer. In the Gospel of John (6:51-56), Jesus states repeatedly that "he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" (6:54). He is speaking literally and He is so firm that many followers object and leave Him (6:52, 60, 66). St. Paul agrees with this interpretation and writes that those taking Communion "in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor 11:27 - see also 1 Cor 10:16). We don't sin against someone's "body and blood" by destroying a photograph (which is a mere symbol) of the person. Moreover, in the Last Supper passages (Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22:19-20), nothing suggests a metaphorical or symbolic interpretation. The Last Supper was the Jewish feast of Passover. This involved a sacrificial lamb, and Jesus referred to His imminent suffering (Lk 22:15-16, 18, 21-22). John the Baptist had already called Him the "Lamb of God" (Jn 1:29).

Catholics have an assurance of salvation if they are faithful and keep God's commandments (1 Jn 2:3). If they die in that state, they are assured of heaven. But to enter heaven, one must be perfectly holy, because "nothing unclean shall enter it" (Rev 21:27 - see also Is 4:4; Mal 3:2-4). The cleansing and purifying of any remaining sin, which makes us fit for God's holy presence, is what Catholics call purgatory. This is clearly indicated in St. Paul's writings: "Each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done... If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Cor 3:13, 15, emphasis added). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body" (2 Cor 5:10, emphasis added).

Catholics can be as sure as anyone else that they are in God's good graces. The apostle John states that "you may know that you have eternal life" (1 Jn 5:13 - see also Jn 5:24). But this "assurance" has to be understood in light of John's other teachings in the same book: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments" (1 Jn 5:3, emphasis added - see also 1 Jn 2:3-6). "We know that any one born of God does not sin" (1 Jn 5:18). "He who loves God should love his brother also" (1 Jn 4:21). "He who commits sin is of the devil" (1 Jn 3:8, emphasis added - see also 1 Cor 6:9). Likewise, St. Paul does not regard salvation as a one-time event, but as a goal to be sought after, one that can be lost: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12 - see also 1 Cor 9:27, 10:12; Gal 5:1, 4; Phil 3:11-14; 1 Tim 4:1, 5:15).

Legitimate, non-baiting question: what is the scriptural support for praying to Mary or a saint rather than to Christ himself?

To be clear you don't have to ask for prayers from anyone but you can ask others to pray for you.

The challenge that most protestants have is not with having someone pray to God on their behalf instead of praying directly. Catholics and protestants both pray to God directly, and Catholics and protestants both ask others on this earth to pray for them. We ask for prayers of our family, friends and church members when we are sick etc. The challenge for the protestant is asking someone who has physically died to pray for them. This is because its understood by protestants to go against the command against asking the spirits of the dead to pray for them.

Praying at tombs is as ancient as King Saul who was sent to the tomb of Rachel where the miracle confirming his calling to be king was confirmed.

That the dead pray for us we know, for example, in Revelation "I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? "

Likewise in Jeremiah where Rachel prays on behalf of her children who are not [ she died in child birth so either for her kids or for israel in general this is after her death ] "Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” 16Thus says the LORD: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

Assuming the dead are in heaven, Christ says there is great rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents. They know that one has repented and they rejoice with all of heaven. Indeed Christ says the dead in heaven are like the angels. Angels watch over us, intercede for us etc.

There is also transfiguration. The disciples were Jews. The Jewish scriptures clearly stated Moses was dead. There was no new testament. So the disciples using a protestant understanding and "bible only" seeing Jesus talking with Moses would have felt he was violating something. But they didn't. Moses not only knew what had and was happening on the earth but he also spoke with Christ of what was going to happen in the future.

There are better examples in the books that were removed from the Bible in the 1500s, the so called apocrypha. Protestants reject these but on the basis of how they were used by Christ and the NT authors I believe this to be a mistake. Here is some examples http://beyond-m42.net/deutero/articles/. The parallel between Romans 1 and Wisdom 13:1-10,14:22-31 is compelling. Also the prophecy of Christ in Romans chapter 2 and how Christ paraphrases right before it and then names the book that contains this prophecy.

Thank you so much for sharing those beautiful Scriptures, dear sister in Christ!

It’s just that other happenings were not recorded in the Gospels.

Indeed, and I'm sure that not everything John said or wrote was conveying the words of God. But I'm also sure that all the words of God He wanted us to hear were preserved for us by God Himself as He promised.

The words of the LORD [are] pure words: [as] silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. – Psalms 12:6-7

The difference is emphasized in Revelation:

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. - Rev 22:18-19

Paul also emphasized the difference here:

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught [it], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. – Galatians 1:11-19

All the writings attributed to John and Paul go hand-in-glove in my spirit. As do the Scriptures altogether - different scribes over thousands of years but the same Author.

God's Name is I AM.

Thank you so much for your reply and question, dear trad_anglican!

Then what does that make every book written after this one? And wouldn't such a broad interpretation of this statement place all Christians under the Mosaic law?

If a person believes that the prophets and writings (Old Testament books which followed the Torah) - along with the New Testament books are the words of men and not the words of God, then he would have to ignore them all based on Deuteronomy 4:2

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. – Deuteronomy 4:2

But we Christians already know that Jesus Christ is God and that He is the Word of God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. – John 1:1-4

And we know that He quoted the Torah, the prophets and the writings - in many places, and notably in every response to the temptations of Satan, He said "It is written."

Moreover, we Christians know the words of God when we hear them - we cannot be fooled.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. – John 10:3-5

The people Jesus is addressing in the following passage were physically hearing Him (pressure or sound waves) but they could not spiritually hear Him because they did not have "ears to hear:"

Why do ye not understand my speech? [even] because ye cannot hear my word. – John 8:43

"Ears to hear" are a gift of God. If signs and reasoning were enough, the Hebrews (and Egyptians, btw) would have all believed:

And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. - Deuteronomy 29:2-5

Ditto for the Greeks:

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; - I Cor 22:23

God's Name is I AM.

Only God’s word is inspired and profitable for doctrine, not any other individual or organization: 2 Timothy 3:16” All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

There’s only ONE TRUTH: John 17:17” Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

There’s only one gospel: Philippians 1:27
“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,”

If anyone’s faith is not built on the gospel, that faith is a false religion: Galatians 1:8 “ But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

The gospel is how all will be judged: John 12:48
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken wil ljudge him in the last day.”

The gospel is how we will be saved: Romans 1:16 “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

ALL Authority has been given to Christ and NONE OTHER: Matt. 28:18 “ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Jesus condemned traditions: Mark 7:8 “ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such things you do.”

Paul was inspired. His tradition of preaching the gospel and the letters he wrote were all the same: 2 Thess. 2:13-15 “ But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

“ When the first Christians had a significant disagreement, they didn’t simply open their Bibles (which didn’t even exist at that point)”

God’s word disagrees with you: Jude 1:3 “ Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”

“ to decide who was right; they held a council, which made binding decrees (Acts 15:1-29). The very books of the Bible had to be determined by the Church and that didn’t happen until the late fourth century.”
”
God disagrees with you: John 1:1 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

God’s word(the Bible) was written hundreds of years before the Catholic Church was even organized.

” Therefore, Sacred Tradition and authority were necessary for us to even have a Bible today.”

The Catholic Church with its traditions has NO AUTHORITY, ONLY CHRIST. The Church didn’t create the Bible, the Bible created the Church.

Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus and only Jesus is the head of the Church and NO OTHER: Ephesians 5:23
“For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.”

Peter considered himself a fellow elder with the others: 1 Peter 5:1” The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:”

Paul never considered Peter or any other apostle being over him: 2 Cor. 11:5 “ For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles”. (Notice it did not say apostle)

Paul confronted Peter to his face for sinning: Gal. 2:11 “ When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.”

“ Based on this statement of Jesus himself, Peter is clearly portrayed in the New Testament as the leader of the disciples”

God’s word and Peter disagrees with you: Acts 10:34” Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:”

Christ is the HEAD and he was sinless: 1 John 3:5” And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

“8. Why do you call your priest “Father”?

In Matthew 23:1–12, Jesus is denouncing the Jewish scribes and Pharisees for rejecting Him as their Messiah, in particular for their hypocrisy in elevating themselves above others with titles such as “teacher” and “master.” You know…. sorta like the Pope….!

“7. Why do you pray for the dead?”

Ecclesiastes 9:5” For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing;”

“6. Why do you pray to idols (statues)?”

1 Tim. 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus”
,
Hebrews 7:5” Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

2 Cor 12 :9” And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:”
“5. Why do you confess your sins to a priest?”

Ephesians 2:14
“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall ofpartition between us;”

“A study of the New Testament reveals that all Christians are priests. Peter said, “You too are living stones, built as an edifice of spirit, into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (I Peter 2:5)

Thus, all Christians are of that holy priesthood and can offer unto God spiritual sacrifices. All have the right to go directly to God through Jesus Christ, our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).

“You, however, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he claims for his own to proclaim the glorious works of the One who called you from darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9)

. Revelation 1:6 says, “...Who has made us a royal nation of priests in the service of his God and Father.”

Consequently, the New Testament repeatedly teaches that all Christians are priests. When one obeys the gospel of Christ, he is added to the body of Christ and is thereby part of God’s holy priesthood. As priests, all can offer up spiritual sacrifices and draw nigh to God through the mediatorship of Jesus.

Jesus is now at the right hand of God and ever lives to make intercession for His people (Hebrews 7:25; 9:24).

Through the one sacrifice of Himself, He became the sole mediator through which men have access to God (I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:26-27; 9:24-28; Ephesians 2:18).

He is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).

There is no priesthood on earth that has the right to forbid each Christian to go directly to God through Christ, or to assume the authority to administer graces and obtain mercy for others. All Christians are of that royal priesthood of God, and have but one great High Priest, Jesus Christ.

“4. Why do you worship Mary?”
Original or inherited Sin:
God tells us that sins are not inherited. “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself” (Ezekiel 18:20).”

The reason is simple. Sin is the breaking of God’s law. “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (I John 3:4).

A newborn child has no opportunity to break God’s law and thus the child is without sin at birth. Eventually everyone does sin at some point in their lives and at that point they fall under the curse of Adam.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come” (Romans 5:12-14).

Veneration:

The Bible clearly teaches that worship and prayers are only to be directed toward God.

In Luke 9:32-35 the disciples wanted to offer worship to Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, but God told them that they were only to honor Jesus. “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Luke 4:8).

Hence, Peter refused to have anyone bow before him

. “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”” (Acts 10:25-26).

Even angels refused worship.

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!”” (Revelation 19:10; see also Revelation 22:8-9).

Do Catholics bow before the Pope and kiss his ring…?

“2. If you died tonight, would you go to heaven?”

Purgatory is not taught by God in His Word.

Jesus taught in Luke 16:19-31 that there are two realms for the dead: Abraham’s bosom (or paradise) and torments. He very specifically stated that it is not possible to cross from one realm to the other. “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” (Luke 16:26).

Where a person goes is based on his life and is determined at the time of his death. After death nothing will alter his state. If a person, because of the evil he has done, ends up in torments, he cannot at a later point cross over into paradise.

“1. Are you saved?”

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself;
but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say,
and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting:
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” John 12:48 - 50

Legitimate, non-baiting question: what is the scriptural support for praying to Mary or a saint rather than to Christ himself?

Out of the over 100 prayers in Scripture there is exactly zero supplication by anyone but pagans (Jer. 44:17-19) to anyone in Heaven but to the Lord, nor in any instruction on who to pray to.

No one even prayed to angels in Heaven in the OT, and in teaching us how to pray, the Lord taught us, "our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name," not "our Mother who art in Heaven," while the Holy Spirit cries "Abba Father," not Mama, Mother" in the believer's heart. (Gal. 4:6) Likewise the apostle, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 3:14)

In addition, the Holy Spirit clearly states that "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5)"

This utter lack of examples is a profound and incongruous absence for such a normative catholic practice.

Nor is there any warrant for another intercessor seeing Christ is the only one who ever liveth to make intercession for believers, (Heb. 7:25) being their "merciful and faithful high priest," who not only "can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," and thus is uniquely able to succour them that are tempted."

Thus to the believer is to "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 2: 17,18; 4:15,16) For the believer in Christ has direct access to the Lord in the holy of holies by the sinless shed blood of Christ, and not via a secretary. (Heb. 10:19)

The fact that a believer can call upon the name of Lord Jesus as in salvation (1Cor. 1:2; Rm. 10:13; Joel 2:28) is a testimony to His Deity, as only the Lord is prayed to, and who alone being almighty and omniscient is able to hear the infinite prayers of men, and to pray to someone else is to ascribe that uniquely divine attribute.

Faced with the absence of any examples of prayers to the departed, and the testimony against it, the Catholic must - in condescension to evangelicals who actually base veracity of truth claims upon the level, of Scriptural substantiation - once again resort to wresting support from Scripture via specious extrapolation for what is in reality a tradition of men.

Matthew 17:1-4 1

This is construed to support prayers to departed saints (PTDS) based upon the Lord speaking to Moses and Elijah on earth, but this is not only not praying to/beseeching someone in Heaven to intercede for them - much less bowing before a statute to do so - but consistent with other interaction btwn created beings in Heaven and those on earth, it required them be in either realm, by visitation or vision.

Revelation 11:3-7 3

This does even come close to prayer to Heaven, and it attempts to use the common fallacy that intercession of saints on earth to Heaven, which are always addressed to the Lord, somehow supports praying to saints in Heaven, but which desperate egregious extrapolation simply attests to lack of support.

Zechariah 1:12

Similarly, this attempts to use angelic query of the Lord to support praying to angels, but which this simply is not referring to nor does it equate to that.

The issue is not whether beings in glory can intercede for man - which is speculative, as they are never shown actually moving the Lord to action by any intercession, and here it is a query of the plan of God, the answer to which is passed on - but whether man is to pray to beings in Heaven other than the Lord.

And as said, only the Lord is being addressed and shown able to hear and respond to the multitudinous prayers from those on earth to Heaven.

Tobit 12:12 and 12:15

Likewise being a delivery service is not that of making supplication to being in Heaven, while Tobit is a spurious fantastic tale, with a a women, Sarah, who has lost seven husbands because Asmodeus, the demon of lust, and ‘the worst of demons’, abducts and kills every man she marries on their wedding night before the marriage can be consummated! (The women at the well had nothing on her.)

And about a man, Tobias, who was sleeping with his eyes open while birds dropped dung into in his eyes (sound sleeper!) and blinded him. And who later is attacked by a fish leaping out of the river to devour him! But Raphael has him capture it and later he burns the fish’s liver and heart to drive away the demon Asmodeus away to Upper Egypt, enabling him and Sarah to consummate his marriage. .

But in rejecting this, we have not followed cunningly devised fables", "Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth." (Titus 1:14)

Revelation 1:44

Likewise the seven Spirits which are before God's throne utterly fails to example prayers to beings in glory nor does it constitute such.

My personal favorite Revelation 5:88...Revelation 8:3-4

Neither does this support PTDS, for with Revelation 8:3-4 it is simply offering up up prayers of the saints, evidently in the memorial sense as seen in Scripture, (Lv. 2:2,15,16; 24:7; Num. 5:15) rather than angels being addressed in prayers from earth, as if they had the Divine powers necessary to do so, or even as acting as a regular postal service for a special class of believers on Heaven or in earth.

These and other attempts have also been refuted here before, as here , and the more often these are made then they more often they are exposed as specious, and actually serve as an argument against such being Scriptural.

And which exposes the fact that te veracity RC doctrines is not based upon the degree of Scriptural substantiation, and do not need actual support, but rest upon the unwarranted self-proclaimed assured veracity of Rome.

For as Keating stated in the light of their strictly being no proof for the Assumption from Scripture, "The mere fact that the Church teaches the doctrine of the Assumption as definitely true is a guarantee that it is true.” — Karl Keating, Catholicism and Fundamentalism (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1988), p. 275.

Which further exposes the fallacious foundation of such doctrines.

wonkowasright: Likewise in Jeremiah where [deceased] Rachel prays on behalf of her children who are not

This (Jer. 31:15-17) is similarly shows what must be resorted to due to the lack of actual support, for it not only fails to example prayer to the departed, but it is not showing Rachel literally weeping in Heaven after her death in childbirth, (Gn. 35:18,19) or her literally weeping at all - unless she is literally speaking in her grave where she is being heard - but like as also hearing Ephraim bemoaning himself, "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock," (Jer. 31:18) Rachel is representing the Jewish women mourning for their slaughtered infants, and prophetically applied to the slaughter of the innocents under Herod. (Mt. 21:18)

That the dead pray for us we know, for example, in Revelation "I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain

Like as with texts dealt with before, this is a query, while again failing to provide a desperately needed example of a believer addressing anyone else in Heaven by the Lord. The Holy Spirit is not negligent, and His silence is to be revered as well as His words.

Christ says there is great rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents.

That heaven is at least aware of conversions on earth is not in dispute, but this simply does not equate to intercession being made by them in response to hearing prayers from earth, which only the Lord is shown being addressed in and able to hear and respond to.

Your other attempts were refuted above by the grace of God.

here are better examples in the books that were removed from the Bible in the 1500s,

As a RC you cannot remove books from Scripture that were not infallibly defined as being Scripture, and doubts and disagreement about some books continued down thru the centuries and right into Trent. Which provided the first indisputable complete RC canon after Luther died. See here , and which has been established in many debates here.

Protestants reject these but on the basis of how they were used by Christ and the NT authors I believe this to be a mistake.

Allusions or even a quote from a source does not translate into sanctioning the whole, as Paul quoted pagans and Jude invoked the book of Enoch. See here on how canonical books are treated. The 22 book Palestinian canon is understood by some to have been what Lord referred to by His reference to the tripartite division in Lk. 24:44, while the generally held EO canon is not exactly the same as the RC one, among others.

Meanwhile, the larger issue is that for RCs Scripture is not the supreme transcendent standard for obedience and testing and establishing truth claims, as is abundantly evidenced to be as the assured Word of God, but Rome is, with assurance of Truth being upon the premise of assured magisterial veracity as the steward of Divine revelation, contrary to how the church began.

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