Saints.
Originally Posted by Flynn :
Squirt are you saying that Mary is not an iconic figure in every Christian Church ?
Mary,Maria,Miriam/Saints
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Anglican Church, Islam, and certain Protestant denominations
Roman Catholicism
Saints of the Catholic Church.There are more than 10,000 Roman Catholic saints.
The older term for saint is martyr,
Eastern Orthodoxy
In the Eastern Orthodox Church a Saint is defined as anyone who is in Heaven, whether recognized here on earth, or not.
Anglicanism
In the Anglican Church, the title of Saint - with a capital 'S' - refers to a person who has been elevated by popular opinion as a pious and holy person.
Protestantism
In many Protestant churches, the word "Saint" is used more generally to refer to anyone who is a Christian.
This is similar in usage to Paul's numerous references in the New Testament of the Bible. In this sense, anyone who is within the Body of Christ (i.e., a professing Christian) is a 'saint' because of their relationship with Jesus. Because of this, many Protestants consider prayers to the saints to be idolatry or even necromancy.
Other religions
Judaism speaks of a class of (unidentified) individuals known as Tzadikkim. ." The Talmud says that at any time at least 36 tzaddikim are living among us; they are anonymous, but it is for their sake that the world is not destroyed. The Talmud and Kabbalah offer various ideas about the nature and role of these 36 tzaddikim. The term can also be used generically to mean any righteous or saintly person.
Some other faiths honor individuals as "saints" or equivalent as well.
There are individuals who have been described as being Hindu saints
terms :Mahatma, Paramahamsa, or Swami, or with the titles Sri or Srila.
Buddhists hold the Arhats and Arahants in special esteem.
Islam
Islam has had a central place for awaliya (Arabic: literally "friends of Allah;" singular: Wali) within its cosmology
The veneration of the awaliya ("master" or "friend of Allah"), especially at their tombs or shrines, is a very widespread practice in Islam, and is common throughout the Muslim world, including the conservative Arabian Peninsula. Saints are believed to have the power of intercession with Allah, which yields the ability to perform miracles and to give power or blessings (known as barakah).
In most Muslim countries, there are religious festivities associated with these holy figures,
Believers are nevertheless careful to distinguish between the blessings of the prophets
(particularly Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad) and those of the saints.
flynn..that mite explains some...
im protestant and we dont pray to the saints directly,
or have pictures of mary
or other saints in the house.
or pilgrim to the saints..eg
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