Christians, why do you think that praying for dead people has no effect? Does it not show our love for them..?

Question

.. and doesn't God accept whatever we do for the sake of love, since he himself is love? Isn't it true that God is looking for every possible way to save everyone and who knows our prayers would not be helpful for that? During the time of Apostles, people even used to get baptized on behalf of their dead people in order to save them from hell.

1 Corinthians 15:29 - Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?

Answer 1

Whoever gave you that idea does not know much about Christianity. Apart from personal visits to the graves of your near and dear ones, the Catholic Church has kept 2nd November as "All Souls Day" where the Holy Mass is celebrated at the graveyard along with the blessings of the graves.



There are no restrictions on your visit to the graveyard by the Church.

Answer 2

The practice of being baptized for those who have died is based upon a wrong understanding of I Corinthians 15:29. The New Testament Church did not follow this practice, and the apostle Paul did not teach it. This custom was introduced into the professing Christian world about AD 150 by Marcion, a man who created his own religion and established his own church in Rome in AD 144.



The Bible clearly shows that, before a person may be baptized, he must first repent (Acts 2:38) and believe (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31, 33). The dead are not able to repent or believe, because "the dead know nothing" (Ecclesiastes 9:5). baptism is for the living; it is a symbol whereby the living acknowledge their sins, figuratively die with Christ in a watery grave, and rise out of that watery grave to live a new, righteous life through Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:4; 8:9; Galatians 2:20).

Answer 3

This may be a bit harsh but please know that i am going to say this with all the love and sincerity of Christ. When a person dies his spirit returns to the Lord and there he awaits the judgment. Nothing can be done for him after that because his purpose as "man" is complete. The commandments of God are not meant for the dead but for the living; hence salvation is for the living. If a person rejects Christ while alive then it is a surety that Christ will reject him on the day of judgment. The best thing you can do now is to pray for those who are here who are still alive. The dead cannot hear you because they no longer have a consciousness of this world...they are not omniscient either and cannot be in two places at once. The chapter of their life has already been closed and there is no turning back for them....the Bible says so



A person will not be judged for what he did when he is dead but rather what he did when he was alive. NO ONE CAN BE REDEEMED AFTER DEATH AND PRAYING FOR THEIR SOULS IS POINTLESS!!!



Ecclesiastes 12



1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;



2While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:



3In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,



4And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;



5Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:



6Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.



7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.



Ecclesiastes 9:5 (King James Version)



5For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.



Love and Blessings

Answer 4

Because the dead are not yet raised. Their cases are already decided, so praying for them is pointless. That is also what 1 Corinthians 15:29 is saying - the dead are not yet raised! They won't be until Christ returns! So he is asking, why be baptized on behalf of the dead, since it has no effect on them?

Answer 5

Have you read the whole of chapter 15? It's talking about the hope of a ressurection. They are not baptized on the "DEADS" behalf they're baptized on behalf of God.That's exactly the point it's stressing. Why get baptized for the purpose of being dead? When it's saying that Christ was ressurected!So we will be ressurected.



I'm abit confused. That was for the second part of your question.

As for the first part I pray for my dead relatives to have a ressurection.

Us praying for them is hopeful they will have a ressurection.

It does show that we still love and care for them but I don't believe they hear me praying to them as Psalms 146:4 says," their thoughts do perish".

Answer 6

Yea, well, life's not theater. Dont need to show things if you're sincere. Let it know to the person while he/she still alive.



Jesus WAS dead, but He's resurrected.



"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

021: For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

022: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. "

Answer 7

Better question:



Why do christians cry at funerals? I mean like the person isn't really going to be gone for long, after you die you might see them again etc.

Answer 8

God is the God of the living - not the God of the dead ! "Let the dead bury the dead" !!!

Answer 9

Jesus said not to pray for the dead, so I don't. He also says, it is for man once to die, then judgment. So after death it is too late.

Answer 10

Say wha?

Answer 11

obviously, there is no god.



if there was, he would heal amputees