CynicalBear: "Isn't that is interesting. One would think that if a person truly wants heaven rather than hell as their destiny they would pay attention to what the apostles actually taught."
me: What does your statement have to do with my statement?
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me: "Where in the Bible does it say something has to be in the Bible before you can do it?"
CynicalBear: "That's a rather odd question unless what God says is unimportant to you. We all agree that scripture is God's word. The Holy Spirit through Paul said that if someone taught something that the apostles didn't that we were to consider that person accursed by God. I don't know of any other infallible source for what the apostles taught. Do you?"
me: That is a gross distortion of what the Holy Spirit had Paul say. He was actually talking about "another gospel", NOT "how to pray", or forms of prayers, or prayer techniques.
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me: "Does the Bible explicitly tell you that you can post on the internet? If not, why do you do it?"
CynicalBear: "Is that an issue pertaining to salvation and eternal life? If not what's the point of such a frivolous question?"
me: Asking someone to pray for you does not in any way interfere in your salvation and eternal life either.
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me: "Let me refer you to a good document that discusses praying to the saints:"
CynicalBear: "I went to the site. I find this statement there. 'Prayers are not physical things and cannot be physically offered to God. Thus the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God mentally.' That is straight from Satan. It's a half truth designed to receive. Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ the people where kept from the throne of God by a veil. Only the High Priest could approach. Upon Christ's death that veil was torn in two. Because of the perfect, once for all sacrifice of Christ we can now go "boldly before the throne of God". We are " clothed with the righteousness of Christ". It's that direct access, as adopted sons, to the Father that Satan through the Catholic Church would have us deny. Thus robbing us of the very thing Christ died for."
me: Show me (chapter and verse) in the Bible where a saint's prayers to God is a concept straight from Satan. (It isn't in the Bible CynicalBear.) That is YOU speaking, not the Bible.
Also, your claim that the Catholic Church somehow denies direct access to God is totally, utterly false.
From the article you wanted me to read.
"Prayers are not physical things and cannot be physically offered to God. Thus the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God mentally."
That statement was made in preparation of justifying praying to saints rather than directly to God. The statement is made "prayers are not physical things". That sets the mental picture that we as physical humans cannot approach God. It's a false image. It then attempts to bring the reader along this false path. The saints don't offer our prayers to God "mentally". The entire statement is an attempt to paint a mental picture that we are incapable of approaching the throne of God. The entire statement is a lie from Satan.
The truth is that we worship and pray in spirit. We spiritually are to go directly to the throne of God in Jesus name. No where in scripture are we told by word or example that some so called saint has greater access or greater influence then each of us have as individuals.
The entire praying to Mary and the so called saints is totally of pagan origin and Satanic.