Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jhpb@garage.att.com (Joseph H Buehler) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: st. jude Message-ID: Date: 5 Jun 91 04:26:48 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 21 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article dana@locus.com (Dana H. Myers) writes: >Romain, It is true that Catholics see asking St. Jude, St. Paul, >St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the Virgin Mary, or any other saint to >pray for us is no different from asking another Christian here on >Earth to pray for us. The saints in Heaven have died, in this world's >terms, but they live in Christ, and Christ has conquered death. I would suggest that scriptual references to those who have suffered earthly death indicate they enter some sort of spiritual sleep waiting for judgement. While one can argue that the deceased live in Christ, I see no scriptural precendent to indicate they are capable of hearing or acting on prayer requests. I suggest St. Michael, or some of the other angels, then. The angels are certainly not asleep. The great argument for this practice is the experience of the Catholic Church in the matter. Prayers addressed to Saints do get answered, and, historically speaking, the answers are sometimes of quite a spectacular nature.