Priest of Medjugorje Visons of Mary Defrocked

[BobRyan]

Originally Posted by BobRyan
How odd that communicating with the dead -- when done by Catholics is "right" but when done by non-catholics is wrong!

By contrast in Isaiah 8:19-20 we are told "NOT to consult the Dead on BEHALF of the Living".

If you wish to use the term "DEAD in Christ" as Paul does in 1Thess4 -- then find... "We are not to consult the DEAD in Christ on behalf of the living".

Thus the point made in the quote above - is a "distinction without a difference".

You're still having issues understanding what Isaiah 8:19-20 is speaking of. Necromancy is communicating with the dead

Indeed no "commuicating with the DEAD on BEHALF of the LIVING" no not even "the DEAD in Christ" mentioned by Paul in 1Thess 4.

The Church Triumphant in heaven is not insensitive to the needs and sufferings of the Church Militant on earth. The two churches remain connected through the bond of love which is expressed through prayer. The communion of saints is a communion of never-ending prayer.

If praying to the dead were a common never-ending practice for the NT saints or the OT saints -- then we SHOULD expect to find it mentioned and actually see it practiced in scripture.

The inconvenient fact is - we do not.

In God and in His Church there is no division between the living and the departed, but all are one in the love of the Father.

That gross level of equivocation between the living and the dead would have made God's instruction in Is 8:19 impossibly wrenched into "do not consult the saints on behalf of the saints. Should not the saints go to God instead". It would deny saints talking to each other.

It could possibly be wrenched into "the living should not consult the living on behalf of the living" so as to make no distinction between living saints and dead saints as you seek to argue. But that would also end up condeming the act of "talking to your neighbor" or asking a favor of them.

It seems that you are stuck at this point.

in Christ,

Bob