I am only asking those currently living on this planet in their physical bodies with whom I can communicate in this physical material world to pray for me.
Trying to communicate with those who have died in the physical bodies who do not any longer inhabit this physical plane of existence borders too much on seances, of divination, or contacting the dead, which God expressly forbids us to do, for my comfort. IMO, it’s too close to bordering on the occult and that is an area that I think is prudent to avoid.
So, because we are commanded to bear one another’s burdens and pray for one another, I don’t see that me asking someone with whom I can relate on this planet as the physical body they were born into is still living, is a problem.
If you think that praying to a dead person is going to accomplish something that God will not do for you Himself, well, have at it. But I believe the Catholic practice of praying to *Saints* those canonized by the Catholic church, is useless at best and dangerous at worst and I will always encourage people to go to their Father first.
So you are conceding that the “Why ask anybody other than Jesus?” argument doesn’t apply.
You’re moving to the dead argument and a new argument that says we ask saints for what only God can supply, while Iscool is trying to say that asking somebody to pray for you is not, um,asking somebody to pray for you, because “for” really means “with” except when Catholics say it.
I’m just trying to get clear about where we are. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on the dead and the new argument and then get hit with the “praying for/with” thing again.