Please don’t light a candle to me!

Here’s an enjoyable debate between GNRHead and Turretinfan on the veneration (or worship?) of saints.



For reference, here are the two main passages in question.

Galatians 5:13-15 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

1 Chronicles 29:20 Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the LORD your God." So they all praised the LORD, the God of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate before the LORD and the king.

I found Turretinfan convincing, in that if we look at “religious context” as so broad as to encompass all aspects of life, it becomes meaningless. Pushing the Galatians passage too far, seem so indicate veneration is due to all believers at all points in life. Catholics express their veneration for the saints by lighting candles and bowing and things like that. But why only the saints and not everyone else? It seems the passage is just talking about love and service, not veneration.

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