Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: barry1@ihlpa.att.com (Barry O Olson) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Do dead saints interact with us? Message-ID: Date: 7 Jan 91 03:37:06 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 27 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu I have a tough time believing that the dead saints have any part in our growth or completion here on earth. First of all, none of them have been judged yet. The resurrection has not occured(unless I missed it). If they have not been judged, how can they act in our best interests? *Speculation* My opinion is that all ministering is done by angels who are able because they are perfect or have not sinned(not meaning the fallen ones). If one prays, petitions, whatever anything other than God, they may get a response to help reinforce their belief. Let's say we ask saint rupin to plead our case with God, but saint rupin has no place of interaction with humans because he has not been judged yet. Does God pick up on the prayer knowing that saint rupin cannot, or does an impersonator of saint rupin pick up on it(a fallen angel) to perpetuate and reinforce the prayer so the believer is actually given the illusion that saint rupin has helped? If the former is the case, no harm done. If the latter is, great harm could be done. The believer in the second case would continue to pray to other saints, and get answers or the illusion of answers(good vibes). Eventually, most of their prayers would be directed or manipulated by fallen spirits. I don't think God would do anything to prevent this. He has given us the formula for prayer(Our Father...in Jesus name). If we alter this formula for any pious reasons or whatever, we do so at our own risk. Comments?