Witnessing Tip : Praying to Mary and Saints

How to deal with prayers to the dead saints.

Roman Catholic apologists typically use the argument that God is not the God of the dead but He is God of the living. The saints who have passed away are alive in heaven.

This is true.

When Roman Catholics pray to Mary and the saints, they will argue that praying to these saints would be the same as if they asked YOU to pray for them. If your Catholic friend asked you to pray for them – you would. They say we’re just doing the same thing, we’re asking Mary and the saints to pray for us.

This is a good idea, but it is not biblical.

Witnessing Tip: Is there one Mediator or Many?

Comparing 1 Timothy 2:5 & 1 Peter 2:5
Recently Roman Catholic apologists have introduced a new argument defending prayers to the saints.

Evangelicals condemn prayers to the saints by quoting 1 Timothy 2:5 which says

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (NKJV)

The new Catholic counter argument to this verse goes something like:

“Being a mediator simply means that you approach God on behalf of another person. If this verse prohibits anyone else from acting as mediator, then what about Romans 15:30, Colossians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:25, Ephesians 6:18-19, and 2 Thessalonians 3:1, etc where Paul asks others to pray for him? What if your Pastor asks YOU to pray for him? Or to pray for a fellow Christian? Would you then be violating 1 Timothy 2:5?”

Witnessing Tip: Mary Worship

How to deal with the special worship given to Mary by Roman Catholics

It should first be made very clear that Mary IS special. She was created by Jesus for a special purpose. She should have a special place in all our hearts because Jesus created her (Colossians 1:16) and used her to enter the earth. Most non-Catholics tend to put Mary down rather than recognizing her uniqueness as Jesus’ chosen and created vessel.

Limbo – how low can you go?

The Scotsman news service on Nov 30, 2005 reported that the Pope is looking to abandon the dogma of Limbo.

Limbo is the idea that unbaptised babies (who can't go to heaven, but aren't bad enough to go to hell) just go to this nowhere / nothing place for eternity. For the last 1500 years or so, the Roman church has pushed this dogma on it's members – the result being members rushing out to get their new born babies baptised to avoid this horrible fate for their child.

It'll be interesting to see whether or not this new pope can just wipe away 1500 years of dogma.

To read the article either visit The Scotsman or click below: