It comes down to terminology. Catholics refer to "veneration" of Mary and tries to make a distinction between veneration of saints and worship of God. Protestants see no distinction.
Pray means ask. Don't you [sic] ever ask anyone to pray for you.
I don't ask those who have gone before to pray for me. If I'm going to be a good steward of my time, wouldn't it be more beneficial to ask Christ directly? Why does someone ask someone who died to pray for him/her?
Through Christ and the Blessed Sacraments His Church provides for us, there has always been hope for Catholics.
I trust on the finished work of Christ and in Him alone is my hope.
Considering the demonstrated lack of ability to comprehend even the most basic concepts of the Truths given to and taught by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches for ~2000 years, it is understandable that protestants would have a difficult time wrapping their arms around Truth. We can only pray that protestants will open their eyes and hearts to Christ through a sincere search for that Truth.
Your failure to see the distinction is not my problem.
There was nothing wrong with that sentence. It was an imperative statement.
I don't ask those who have gone before to pray for me.
Too bad for you.
If I'm going to be a good steward of my time, wouldn't it be more beneficial to ask Christ directly?
Like I said, don't ask anyone to pray for you, just be a good steward of your time and ask Christ directly.
Why does someone ask someone who died to pray for him/her?
The same reason one would ask anyone else for prayers.
And in doing so one deprives oneself of all of His other gifts to us: His Church, His Blessed Sacraments, etc.