QUESTION FOR CATHOLICS, if mary and the "saints" are in heaven?
407060
I quit being catholic because of these things.. Like I have always wondered why they taught us to pray to the saints and Mary when it is made clear in the bible that our prayers are to be to God only..If you ask a priest you will most likely get a 30 minute answer that answers NOTHING...I am still looking for those answers so good luck...Just read your Bible and go by that . It won't lie to you.
777931
offcourse why not  u may  see them in heaven
145974
Isn't CheeseUs in heaven?  If CheeseUs isn't there, maybe it's not heaven.
848437
The Old Testament saints will also be in Heaven because of their faith in God. Many of them, like Abraham, also knew of a promised Messiah and looked for His coming. \n\nRead the book of Hebrews.
186147
Fundamentalists challenge the Catholic practice of asking saints and angels to pray for us. But the Bible directs us to invoke those in heaven and ask them to pray with us.\n\nThus in Psalm 103, we pray, "Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!" (Ps. 103:20-21). And in Psalm 148 we pray, "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!" (Ps. 148:1-2)\n\nNot only do those in heaven pray with us, they also pray for us. In Revelation, John sees that "the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Rev. 5:8). Thus the saints in heaven offer to God the prayers of the saints on earth.\n\nAngels do the same thing: "[An] angel came and stood at the altar [in heaven] with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God" (Rev. 8:3-4).\n\nJesus himself warned us not to mess with small children because their guardian angels have guaranteed intercessory access to the Father: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." (Matt. 18:10).\n\nBecause he is the only God-man, Jesus is the only Mediator between man and God (1 Tim. 2:5), but this in no way means we cannot or should not ask our fellow Christians to pray with us and for us (1 Tim. 2:1-4), including those Christians in heaven, who have already had their sanctification completed, for "[t]he prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects" (Jas. 5:16).
481951
Catholics don't worship or adore Mary. We venerate her, and call her blessed, just as Scripture shows. (Luke 1:48). \n\nCatholics request Mary's intercession because the fervant prayer of a righteous person is very powerful. (James 5:16). It's hard to find someone who fits this description more than Mary. This is not asking Mary to mediate (Jesus Christ is the only one with that role (Tim 2:5)), merely to intercede. It's similar to St. Paul asking fellow believers to pray for him. (Romans 15:30, Col 4:3, and other verses).\n\nNeither do Catholics practice idolatry, because they do not worship statues, or anything else created. Exodus 20:4-5 prohibits the making of images for the purpose of worshiping the image, but does not prohibit image-making altogether. (In Exodus 25:18-19, G-d commands Moses to make statues of cherubim.) Statues and other images are used as an aid to faith by helping to call to mind that which they represent, but the image itself is not worshipped.
995917
No, they really don't,  and sadly, i doubt they ever will.  It's a fundamental part of their religion now, not to understand what they do.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say to worship saints, or to confess to another sinner about your sins--whether he's wearing a fancy robe or not.\n\nThat's why I'm non-denominational, I go to a Bible Church and I read exactly what the English translation says.  Nobody has a right to teach their own opinions on God and what he says and does.\n\nAnd Catholics worship Mary becausethey think that Jesus is God, and Mary was the mother of Jesus, so Mary is the mother of God.  Hate to break my tone of intelligent commentary, but that's just silly.  Mary was a sinner like everyone else, she was probably thinking when they kicked her out of the inn, "buncha l3@$T@ l^D$, i'm about to pregnant with your savior and you can't find room!?  Well then kick somebody out, I'm Mary dammit!"\nShe was just the mortal chosen to bring him into the world, that's all.\nIt was a holy game of chess, and Mary was a pawn used to put the king of the red team in check and send him running in fear behind his last pieces, but that doesn't mean the pawn deserves any worship--she's just a pawn.  She followed God's will, (she's so lucky).  No crying he makes!? WTF!, that's not fair at ALL!  she got to be the mother of the perfect child, not the well behaved one, not the nice one, not the smart one; she got to be the mother of the perfect child, that should be payment enough for her.
930114
True Christians do not revere (to regard somebody with admiration and deep respect) Mary, the mother of Jesus and the Apostles. Christians don't pray to Mary nor the saints. They do not believe in praying to the images of Mary and the saints.\n\nTrue Christians directly pray to God through Jesus Christ. \nCatholics believe that they have to go thru purgatory first before going to heaven. Catholics believe that when you pray for the dead, they will have a 2nd chance to get to heaven by being cleansed in the purgatory. Catholics do not have the faith that Jesus is the only ONE they need to get to heaven.\n\nChristians believe that when they accepted Jesus Christ, confess their sins and truly repented from their sins, they believe that they will go straight to heaven.
755066
1.  Mary was a virgin until Jesus was born, afterward their marriage was consummated.  \n2.  Yes it would have to, but don't hold your breath.\n3.  People are not in the Hell of Revelation, lost souls are in a place Jesus called Hades, the saved are in the presence of God.\n4.  He says he doesn't.
1141769
Caution, contains spoilers...:)\n\n\n\n\nIf Jesus and Mary Mag. had a baby, Jesus must have been a mortal man...the whole basis of the Catholic church is that Jesus is the immortal son of God...
240853
You need to understand that we do not pray to Mary and/or the Saints as a final act.  We pray to them to ask them to pray to God for us.\n\nLook at it this way. . . Have you ever been sick or ill and asked a friend to pray for you (or a loved one)?\n\nThat is basically what we, as Catholics, are doing when we pray to Mary or a Saint.  We are asking them, who are in Heaven and can see God directly, to join us in prayer for our intentions.\n\nIt has always been known that we are free to go directly to God with our prayers, but would prayers not be better served to have more people join in?\n\nI hope that I have answered your question.  If not, please post more and I will answer your questions to the best of my abilities.
744941
No.. there are two marys.. mary the mother of Jesus.. and Mary Magdalen.. the prostitute Jesus saved from getting killed by a mod..
578978
To april_hwth: Catholics don't pray to popes and saints as an end. They pray to saints to intercede on their behalf to God since they are already in heaven and can effectively communicate with God. Catholics can also pray directly to God, if they so choose. \n\nThe Rosary is one type of prayer asking the Virgin Mary (who is a saint) to intercede to her son Jesus on behalf of the person. It is not the only prayer that Catholics employ, but it is one of the more popular ones.\n\nAnd Catholics believe that faith is not enough to get to heaven. You should do all you can to do good works and help others because you'll find Jesus while doing good works. Faith without good works is dead. What are you supposed to do, just keep believing in Jesus and not do anything good? Is that fair for the people who spend their entire life doing good? Will they get the same reward as someone who honestly believes in Christ but does nothing good? Even Jesus did good things...and all Christians should do their best to emulate that good example, which does include good works.
362936
What do you mean by believe? I believe she lived, and I believe she was the mother of Jesus, and I believe that she was a virgin until Jesus was born. I think you might mean Catholic practice of praying to Mary and so on. That I do not believe - not at all, as the Bible says nothing about praying to Mary. I don't pray to anyone but God the Father, but I do so in the name of Jesus - as the Bible says.\n\n\nThe Bible further states that Jesus had siblings, and says that Mary did not know her husband UNTIL Jesus was born (this last is found in Matthew, and the siblings part is in Mark 3:31). These half siblings would have been direct descendents of Mary, not of Jesus. There is nothing wrong with there being descendents related to Jesus... I think people think that if others were related to him, it would mean they were born with part of the Holy Spirit, since Jesus was conceived of the Spirit - but that's not true. The siblings were born of two humans and were all human. The Holy Spirit had nothing to do with their conceptions.
1144336
I seriously doubt that last statement that there will be no religion, that is if we humans are all still around on this earth.  I go to Church because I want to, both to worship and pray in communion with others.  As a Catholic, I believe each time the Mass is celebrated, we partake of the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Mass here on earth and in Heaven as well with all the Angels and Saints.  "Communion of Saints" is what it is referred to, we join with them in praising God, as well as all other people throughout the world everywhere the Holy Mass is offered. We all pray together as the Church  bringing about the filfillment of "Thy Kingdom come...Thy will be done..on earth as it is in Heaven"
104557
Because they don't have a clew mary can't intercede on anyone's behalf either only jesus can do that Catholics fix the bible to suit there own needs hale mary full of grace? whats that Jesus said pray like this our father who art in heaven you know the rest
78438
Yes, they are all saints. I do know that Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine were virgins and martyrs. They have that in common. Saint Margaret and Saint Cahterine are ranked as one of the fourteen most helpful saints in heaven. I would assume that Saint Michael is there also. So, I think that may be your answer?