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Apologetics

Spiritual Warfare Forum: Necromancy?

by Catherine Frakas 06 Dec 2002

Necromancy? QUESTION from David March 7, 2001 Before I write what I am about to say I would like to tell you that I have enjoyed your website. While I dont agree with everything you have written ( mostly only because I am not Catholic ) I have found a lot of interesting information.
So anyways here it is.
Catholics believe in praying to the saints. Saints are people who lived for a while then died. In other words they are dead people.
The bible strictly says that Necromancy ( speaking to the dead ) is detestable in the eyes of God. Now I know that you could argue that Well they are alive and well with god so it is not necromancy. However I do remember reading somewhere in the bible the story of a king who wanted the advice of someone who had past away, so he consulted a necromancer. When The spirit of the deceased one came he chastised the king for trying to speak to the dead.
Also the bible says that God is the god of the living not the dead.
Lets see what else. O yea The bible says that jesus is the only way to the father. So if he is the only way, then why pray to some dead guy. Espessially when you could pray to Jesus himself. And you can. I am not a priest of any kind. But when I have prayed in Jesus name. ( and I do often ) I have seen people who could not walk be completely healed. I have actually seen ( dont think I am trying to take glory for myself I am saying this to show that you can pray to Jesus himself and he will himself act acording to his will) deaf people regain there ability to hear. I have prayed in Jesus name and seen Alcoholics stop drinking. I have been in storms which have stopped. ( and I mean minuets after prayer and without starting again) And more. So if just praying to Jesus accomplishes all that. Why for heavens sake. Pray to a saint? The father hears your requests and acts upon them according to his will when you simply pray to the son.
And the bible says it is detestable to speak to the dead. So, whats up with the whole saint thing?
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius, OLSM on May 14, 2001 Dear Mr. David:
You are right, God is the God of the living, not of the dead. Those in heaven are MORE alive than we are for they are living in a glorified state.
Necromancy is a lot more than talking to the dead. It is conjuring the dead. Catholic do not conjure the dead. We do not expect Mary or any saint to actually talk to us. But we do pray to them, that is, talk to them, asking them to pray for us before God.
The Bible says that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much. Who could be more righteous than those in heaven to pray for us?
Yes, we can to directly to Jesus, but the Bible says was are to pray intercessory prayers. We ARE to pray for each other. It pleases God that we pray for each other. It is an act of community and brotherly love for us to pray for one another. So, yes, were could pray directly to Jesus, but Jesus says we are to have others praying for us -- we are a community, not a one-man island.
Second, when we go to a saint for assistance, we glorify Jesus in a similar way as if our next door neighbors came to my daughters for advice. The act of coming to my daughters for advice honors me. It honors me because it shows that I have raised my daughters in such a way that the neighbors will consider them worthy of asking for advice. What great honor Jesus receives when we ask the advice of one of his children.
Because we are a community, not just a bunch of individuals loosely connected, we need to pray for our community and with our community. If I ask you to pray for me, I have just prayed to YOU -- (prayer means to ask). I could just go to Jesus directly, but the Bible us that God is pleased with all of us praying for something (power in numbers sort of thing, maybe).
In addition, the reason we pray to a certain saint for a particular reasons is because saints have been given specialties by God to deal with. Just has God has given certain people certain talents here on earth, he has given certain saints certain specialties in heaven. If we want to learn about evangelism here on earth, what do we do? We go to a person who has a special talent in evangelism. Why not go to Jesus directly? Because Jesus has chosen to teach us evangelism THROUGH other people. What if we were interested in a hospital ministry? Do we ask Jesus directly what we should do? Perhaps, but it is prudent to also ask someone who is experienced in hospital ministry as well.
This is called the Intercessory Economy. No man is an island to himself. We are our brother's keeper. We are a community from which we care for one another and of which we recognize the gifts of God within one another.
This economy does not stop at death. Rather it is heightened and intensified in heaven.
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