toldailytopic: Is there any point in praying for the dead?

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for March 16th, 2012 10:43 AM

toldailytopic: Is there any point in praying for the dead?

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[Bright Raven]

No!

 

[steko]

Nope!

 

[dreadknought]

NO!

 

[keypurr]

NO, to late then.

 

[elohiym]

None that I can see.

 

[steko]

Rethinking the question:

If one means by 'dead', spiritually dead.....well, then, yes.

If one means by 'dead', physically dead.....well, no.

 

[Gagafritz]

No. I don't understand why anyone does this.

 

[zippy2006]

Why not?

 

[Sum1sGruj]

I don't see why not. People remain in the grave until the Second Coming. There is nobody in Hell, and only an elect in Heaven.
Pray for the dead to let it be known that they meant something here on Earth.

 

[chrysostom]

why pray for anyone?
and
why are you watching basketball?
if
by praying you could affect someones salvation

 

[Bright Raven]

Why not?

Roman Catholic Theology

 

[Bright Raven]

why pray for anyone?
and
why are you watching basketball?
if
by praying you could affect someones salvation

If you pray for the living.

 

[zippy2006]

Roman Catholic Theology

It seems that no one is willing to offer a reason. That's odd for TOL. I suspect the reasons are related to the fallacies of Open Theism regarding temporality, but it is hard to know from the responses.

 

[ThePresbyteers]

The ancient Chinese claims in their old documents that part of your parents are embedded in your body and they even developed techniques to communicate with them.
A teacher told me to ask my parents and I replied, " My father is dead !" and he said you still can ask them. The Chinese have a totally different view of the meaning of "Ask the ancestors". It probably has something to do with this: Although some Qi is inherited from our family, Qi can be gained or dissipated throughout life.

I would think this is why the Catholic pray to the dead. Maybe they think something is left behind.

 

[chrysostom]

If you pray for the living.

do you?

 

[Bright Raven]

do you?

Yep, I pray for the living.

 

[chrysostom]

Yep, I pray for the living.

why?

 

[Bright Raven]

why?

What's your point?
Hope you pray for the living too.

 

[zippy2006]

"Why?" seems to be a hard question 'round these parts.