At lunch today we had a very interesting conversation about how to pray. One of our newer members asked why we didn't say much about honoring Mary, the Mother of Jesus. We tried to say that Protestants do indeed honor and respect Mary but we do not pray to her or consider her to be equal to Jesus.
He looked quizzically at us and replied, "But we do teach that it is OK to pray to Saints. Don't we?" The answer is a resounding, "No."
He was surprised and openly thought about it because his entire life had been in a Roman Catholic Church where praying to Mary and other Saints was normal and regular. Why do Evangelicals not pray to Saint George, Saint Francis or Saint Mary? Do we have a good reason or is it simply a rebellion against Roman Catholicism?
In Greater Cincinnati, it is estimated that half the population is Roman Catholic. This means that a lot of people who attend Evangelical Churches still cling to RC theology because there has been little if any systematic teaching about what Evangelicals believe.
Why do Protestants not pray to Saints?
Keep your answers limited to this question alone. I will look at the issue of Roman Catholics and indulgences later. That topic was on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer today and it is causing many confusing discussions because few people understand RC theology.
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