|
|
One of the most bizarre things Catholicism has in common with the large majority of religions of the world is ancestor veneration. In Asian culture it is called ancestor worship or honoring your ancestors and involves leaving food at a family shrine or grave. Africa have a reburial ceremony. But the most curious of all is their immense similarity to Ancient Egyptian funeral rites.
In Ancient Egypt the soul of the deceased weighed against the Feather of Ma'at (signifying Truth) by the Lord of the dead, Osiris. Few whose hearts are truly evil, would outwieght the Feather and be thrown to the goddess Ammit to consume. Ammit is a composite creature of the three deadliest animals in Egypt: the crocodile, the hippopotamus, and the lion. Being fed to Ammit was to be consigned to cease from existence. The ka (soul) would then suffer a fate worse than death, that of being forgotten.
For this one reason tombs would invite passers-by to speak the deceased names aloud, in hopes to perpetuate their memory, and to offer water, prayers, or anything else. In houses, niches were carved into walls for housing images of the dead family members and serving as altars of veneration. Royals, nobles, and the wealthy would make contracts with local priest to perform prayers and offering at their tombs. Many of these practices continue today in Kemetic Orthodoxy. (a)
These rites are virtually identical to prayers for the dead, patron saints of families, and mass cards given to Catholic priests for the deceased. Prayers to the dead only entered into the Church in 300 AD and has more in common with pagan practices of Egypt and China.
Faced with criticism many Catholics defend their veneration of saints claiming that they are not praying to the saints but rather "simply asking them to help us, by praying to God on our behalf, or thanking them for having already done so." They further argue: "just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us, we can approach a saint with our prayers, too." They also defend their possession of statues to be equivalent to a person possession of a photograph of deceased family members.(b) So lets deal with each ascersion and compare to what their own Scripture says about the matter.
(a) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestor_worship#Ancient_Egypt
(b) http://catholicism.about.com/od/thesaints/f/Pray_to_Saints.htm
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1001.asp
For this one reason tombs would invite passers-by to speak the deceased names aloud, in hopes to perpetuate their memory, and to offer water, prayers, or anything else. In houses, niches were carved into walls for housing images of the dead family members and serving as altars of veneration. Royals, nobles, and the wealthy would make contracts with local priest to perform prayers and offering at their tombs. Many of these practices continue today in Kemetic Orthodoxy. (a)
These rites are virtually identical to prayers for the dead, patron saints of families, and mass cards given to Catholic priests for the deceased. Prayers to the dead only entered into the Church in 300 AD and has more in common with pagan practices of Egypt and China.
Faced with criticism many Catholics defend their veneration of saints claiming that they are not praying to the saints but rather "simply asking them to help us, by praying to God on our behalf, or thanking them for having already done so." They further argue: "just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us, we can approach a saint with our prayers, too." They also defend their possession of statues to be equivalent to a person possession of a photograph of deceased family members.(b) So lets deal with each ascersion and compare to what their own Scripture says about the matter.
(a) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancestor_worship#Ancient_Egypt
(b) http://catholicism.about.com/od/thesaints/f/Pray_to_Saints.htm
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1001.asp
Obviously there is a huge difference between asking someone living to pray for you and someone who is dead to pray for you. One can actually do it and the other well can't. But more importantly what does the Catholic Church's own Bible say about this practice of talking to the dead?
Leviticus 20:27 (NRSVCE)
27 A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall be put to death; they shall be stoned to death, their blood is upon them. Deuteronomy 18:10-13 (NRSVCE) 10 No one shall be found among you who makes a son or daughter pass through fire, or who practices divination, or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts spells, or WHO CONSULTS GHOSTS OR SPIRITS, or who seeks oracles from the dead. 12 For whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord; it is because of such abhorrent practices that the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You must remain completely loyal to the Lord your God. |
To drive the point home on just what God would do to people that do such a detestable thing as talking to the spirits of the dead, even if they are spirits of holy, godly people, we have 2 examples.
1 Chronicles 10:13-14 (NRSVCE)
13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord; moreover, HE HAD CONSULTED A MEDIUM, SEEKING GUIDANCE, 14 and did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore THE LORD PUT HIM TO DEATH and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. 2 Chronicles 33:6 (NRSVCE) 6 He made his son pass through fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, practiced soothsaying and augury and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. |
Possession of Statues are the same as possessing pictures of the person.
Catholic Catechism (part 3)
2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it."[70] The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone:
Actually it is the same thing. But before you say 'see you agree with what I do.", let me finish. Possessing statues or pictures of a person is not inherently wrong but what you DO with them can be. A picture of anything is not wrong but if you bow to it and worship it as your god or as your communication to God, it is. Some Catholics have said that they are not bowing to the statue but rather the substance behind the statue. So in essence they are bowing to who the statue depicts, whether it be one of the saints or to Mary. This too is condemned by the Catholic Bible. Simply put ANY consultation or communion with the spirit of ANY deceased (good or bad person), as shown above in the Catholic Bible, is abhorrent and rejected by God. So how can the any Catholic believer justify talking to God through any dead person?
The only way to talk to God
God made it clear that if we want to truly talk to Him everyone MUST go through His son Christ Jesus only. Not Mary since she's dead. Not Peter, since he's dead. Not any of the apostles or prophets, since they are all dead. Jesus and Jesus alone is the only way to God. Jesus died an rose from the dead, so praying through Jesus is not necromancy.
Catholic Catechism (part 3)
2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, "the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype," and "whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it."[70] The honor paid to sacred images is a "respectful veneration," not the adoration due to God alone:
Actually it is the same thing. But before you say 'see you agree with what I do.", let me finish. Possessing statues or pictures of a person is not inherently wrong but what you DO with them can be. A picture of anything is not wrong but if you bow to it and worship it as your god or as your communication to God, it is. Some Catholics have said that they are not bowing to the statue but rather the substance behind the statue. So in essence they are bowing to who the statue depicts, whether it be one of the saints or to Mary. This too is condemned by the Catholic Bible. Simply put ANY consultation or communion with the spirit of ANY deceased (good or bad person), as shown above in the Catholic Bible, is abhorrent and rejected by God. So how can the any Catholic believer justify talking to God through any dead person?
The only way to talk to God
God made it clear that if we want to truly talk to Him everyone MUST go through His son Christ Jesus only. Not Mary since she's dead. Not Peter, since he's dead. Not any of the apostles or prophets, since they are all dead. Jesus and Jesus alone is the only way to God. Jesus died an rose from the dead, so praying through Jesus is not necromancy.
Psalm 49:7-8 (RSVCE)
7 Truly no man can ransom himself[his brother], or give to God the price of his life, 8 for the ransom of his[their] life is costly, and can never suffice, John 14:6-7 (NRSVCE) 6 Jesus said to him, “I AM THE WAY, and the truth, and the life. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME. 7 If you know me, you will know[a] my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 1 Timothy 2:5 (NRSVCE) 5 For there is one God; there is also ONE MEDIATOR between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, Acts 2:38 (NRSVCE) 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; John 14:13-14 (NRSVCE) I will do whatever you ASK IN MY NAME, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. John 16:23 (NRSVCE) Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father IN MY NAME, he will give it to you. |
Won't you accept this Jesus, as He is your only way to get to God and throw away your useless idols that Rev 9:20 says "which cannot see or hear or walk". Just come to God by praying this prayer through Jesus name alone:
Dear Lord God. I know I am a sinner and need your gift of salvation from my sins. I BELIEVE IN JESUS, the Son of God, as my personal Savior. I believe that His death on the cross and resurrection provides forgiveness for ALL my sins past, present, & future. Please forgive all my sins and come into my heart and life. I hereby trust in Jesus FINISHED WORK alone, and NOT upon me & my "good works", as sufficient to make me right with you and fit for Heaven. Please forgive ALL my sins and come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Seal me with your Holy Spirit until the day you come to take me home. In your Son Jesus’ name. Amen.
|