DC, I enjoyed your post, but I do think your last paragraph is exactly the type of objection that the friend analogy is meant to deal with.
Admittedly it may be insufficient to handle the stuff about the liturgy, but I really think a lot of that stuff goes back to fundamental disagreements about the nature Sacred Tradition and its place in theology. I find it very difficult to accept that prayer to the saints (which I really don't think is an inaccurate representation of what Catholics do as long as it is understood that we mean dulia in these cases, not latria) is a departure from genuine historical Christianity when you have guys at least as far back as Augustine saying prayer to the saints is just fine.
Could you reference where Augustine approves of the practice? It's interesting as Augustine (along with John Chrysostom) is one of the Church Fathers we cite against the practice.
Sure. I'm thinking specifically of the opening paragraph of
Sermon 302 and paragraphs 19/20 of
On the Care of the Dead. I'm not as familiar with Chrystostom.
