[joseph20]

"I do believe that trying to communicate to anyone who has died —no matter how holy a life they lived, is wrong. Why? The only example we have of communicating with a dead holy person is in I Samuel 28, when the evil king Saul used a witch to call up the holy prophet Samuel. So we only have one (very bad) example of communication between someone who is alive on earth with someone who has died."

Well then you have a problem not just with Catholicism but with mainstream Protestantism. Praying to loved ones that have passed away and are presumed to be in heaven is a common thing among protestants. Why don't you go challenge the people in your own camp about that first, before coming over here to the Catholics and challenging them?

[AnalogReigns]

Praying to loved ones that have passed away and are presumed to be in heaven is a common thing among protestants.

Umm, I'm afraid you are mistaken. Please name one major Protestant denomination which allows for praying TO the dead?

Certain Anglo-Catholics pray to saints, however, they would also vigorously deny being Protestant. Other Anglicans and perhaps some Lutherans would pray for the dead, however, that is quite different than praying to them.