I like what Cindy says; got nothing to add there :) I agree with leecelot; there are many saints out of the limelight (they're not doing it for publicity!) and declaration by any human body, even God's followers, will still be subject to human perception and hence, error. It is God who sees *all* and accordingly judges *justly*. A friend just emailed me about the featured saint of the day, those people "who truly deserve to go to heaven". But the Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Acts 3:23) which is exactly why we need the Savior. We're all sinners, even the saints! And yet, praise God, we can all be saints as well --- only by the transforming power of God. Our good works are a pleasing sacrifice to Him, but if we count all our good deeds in the tally to get to heaven then we should also count all our sins... I have a similar book but also by Catholics...I hope Protestants write a similar book, focusing on how *Jesus* *transforms* *people* :)

A saint is a saint...saved by the grace of God through our Savior Jesus Christ. Whatever religion we examine or explore, we must understand this truth and filter all curiosity through this reality. Though Satan wants to use our sin to destroy us, God has the power to use it to bring us to a new life in Him. When we witness the redemptive power of the Holy Spirit in a fellow sinner's life, we can be encouraged and our faith strengthened to remember that God is alive and working in spite of our failures.

I am a Catholic raised woman. I am now a born again Christian. If Christians could only learn to pray to the Holy Spirit for truth and God's wisdom and then listen to the Holy Spirit, they would be led to a true relationship with Christ where God's truth would lead them out of the darkness. I do not believe in praying to the saints or Mary as I only pray to the one true God and His Son, my Savior Jesus Christ. God is a jealous God; only He is all powerful and all knowing. Questions? Turn to God and know God through His Word. We can only know truth and be discerning through knowing, reading and understanding His truth through the Bible studying both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Do not let others interpret it for you. The curtain in the temple was torn in two pieces so that we now can have a direct relationship with the Lord; we need no intercessors. Thank you God! Praise be only to You!

I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian. We know that the Saints had problems before they were called to a life of grace. We hold these people up as great examples, so we know we too can become better, stronger in our faith, closer to God. It is hard to understand if you have never walked in another's shoes, by experiencing these things before conversion, don't you think it made it easier for them to relate to other sinners? Hey brother or sister I've been there I know what it's like! Only Christ is perfect, man is never perfect. But these people saw their sin and repented in big ways, how many so called Christians would be willing to do that today? Now they are only interested in big expensive churches and impressive flocks. Christianity is about suffering, it is not glossy, it is not about slick tv preachers, it is not about money. It is having your own self worn down, and washed away, so it can be replaced by God. The Saints knew all about this.

I would read it in a second. Being a Roman Catholic writer and publisher, I know full well - as do all Catholics, that Saints were once sinnners too. Too bad Mr. Sweeney knows so little about the Catholic Church that he assumes we Catholics are all dooped. Why is it non-Catholics always feel they have the right to define our Catholic faith and how we Catholics see it? The book is probably excellent. I almost feel sorry for Sweeney that he had to read something that appeared so painful for his Protestant mind to endure. "Still, Protestants will like it. It confirms our settled conviction that saints are also guilty sinners, only sanctified by grace. " Read the Catechism. Catholics say all Christians are saved by GRACE - not by faith or works alone. It's nice that Protestants will get to read, for the 400 millionth time, that Catholics know this.