The act of giving honor to.
Does it involve bowing the knee before a statue or icon? Why?
Why not? I bowed my knee before my intended wife. I still sometimes bow when asking to dance. Maybe it's a Southern thing. It is often cultural.
why pay any veneration (or in my view, worship) to any saint??
Why honor soldiers? We throw parades for sports teams. I think when it comes to honor, our religious 'heroes' deserve at least as much as our sports or military or sports heroes.
Is not our duty to worship God?
Out of love and gratitude and awe. We do so.
Then, if so, why venerate anyone long gone from this earth?
Bob Feller was recently given honor on his death, why?
From the Martyrdom of Polycarp (c. 135 AD):
...it is neither possible for us ever to forsake Christ...nor to worship any other. For we worship him indeed, as being the Son of God. However, as for the martyrs, as disciples and followers of the Lord, we worthily love them on account of their extraordinary affections towards their own King.
We have access to the Creator of the Universe; if you take time to venerate/worship or pray to anyone/qnything else, you’re replacing God by misusing that time. That is idolatry.
I don't worship anyone but God. I often ask others for their prayers. Worshiping anyone but God would be idolatry, but honoring and asking for intercessory prayer is not worship.
Do you have a better definition of idolatry? What makes an idol an idol?
thanks for your reply...
Actually, D, your wife, Southern living, soldiers, and Bob Feller weren’t at the heart of the question; veneration of saints as defined by the Roman Catholic Church are.
How do you communicate with them? How do you wing your requests to them?
How do you make them hear you?
Hoss