The Church isn't very accepting of opposing views; whether that be other church's or internal views.

This is an interesting question.  Not because I haven't thought about it before, but because it would seem as if the asker hasn't thought about what would happen if the opposite were true.  Let me elaborate.  What if the Church was very accepting of opposing views?  What would happen?  Well, for starters, the Church would often be at odds with itself.  One day it would be against abortion; the next, it would be OK with it.  One day, it holds that the Eucharist is Christ; the next, it thinks of it merely as a symbol.  Who could possibly participate in a religion that is constantly changing its beliefs?  No one.  We would start having all sorts of factions that have totally different beliefs, and then they would just become separate churches; not the ONE, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

Secondly, there would be no Truth. (That's right, relativists, I'm coming for you) Example time.  Way back in the day, like around the Council of Nicaea, 300-ish, there was a man named Arius.  Arius had done such in depth scriptural study that he had come to the conclusion that Jesus was not God, but was merely a man; a great, amazing man, but only that.  He had all sorts of scriptural references that backed him up.  He made such a strong case that about 90% of all Christians believed it.  We're talking hundreds of priests and bishops who were convinced Jesus was only a man.  Many thought that at Nicaea, the council would write that into doctrine.  Luckily, guided by the Holy Spirit, that 10% stood their ground well enough that because of the council, they'd written a creed.  Creed comes from the Latin credo meaning " I believe"The Nicene Creed to be precise.  And in that creed, they say over and over that Jesus is "God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, con-substantial ( of the same substance) with the Father".  They put it 5 different ways so there would be no confusion over whether or not Jesus was God.  We, as Christians, hold this to be True.  Not true once upon a time, or true for them but not for me.  It IS.  So if someone in modern times approaches the Church and says, "Hey, so I was reading the bible that you put together back in the late 300's, and I've found several passages that make me think Jesus wasn't actually God, but just a man", the Church can say " I'm gonna stop you right there.  We figured it out; Jesus is divine."  Is this un-accepting of opposing views?  Well yeah, because we already figured it out.  There's no point to remake the wheel, when we've had it for millennia.  If you want to talk about how to make a better wheel, I'll listen, but once you say "so it's like the wheel, but square..." I'm gonna stop you and say "Hard pass."

I'm sure, however, that the asker didn't mean the Church should accept all opposing views, but rather, take them into consideration before just dismissing them, like a better wheel.  The reason the Church may seem obstinate and stuck in its ways is fairly easy to imagine.  If a 5 year old approaches a 40 year old man and says, "Hey, I got this great idea.  You should drive with your knees all the time so your hands are free to eat and text."  Do you think the 40 year old man is going to say "OK", and then try it out?  No.  The man, I'm sure, has driven with his knees at one point and knows it is indeed possible, but not the best way to drive a car.  He also knows that being distracted with food or texting while driving is not such a good idea. I know that the asker is about 20 years old and the Church has about 100 times more experience.  That's like the 5 year old asking a man who's 500 years old, whose experienced even more ways of driving than just with the hands or knees ( assuming he is still with it enough to respond, but I digress).  A different analogy for the wisdom of experience and tradition can be found in my post on condoms.

Let's put this in a mathematical situation ( I'm an engineer, remember?). One day, you hand in your homework.  You are certain you have the correct answers because you were told what the answers were by the teacher.  Teachers do this to ensure you are getting the method correct.  Easier for self checking and all (I've seen this done, so stop making that face).  The teacher calls you to her desk the next day to inquire about your homework.  #3 has the right answer (crushed it), but in the midst of your work, you have 2+2=5.  You explain that the only way you could get your method to work was if that equation were true, so since you knew the answer was right, and 2+2=5 got you there, your teacher should be accepting of your work and give you that A... How will your math teacher respond to that?  She'll say "No". (duh)  Is your teacher being un-accepting to opposing methods?  No, she just sees a fundamental issue with your method, so it won't work..  She knows there are several methods that do work, and that she has a preferred method she believes works best, but you did't use any of them.  The teacher has spent years learning the material, so you'll have to forgive her when she doesn't give your "2+2=5" a second look.

The Church isn't always just stuck in its ways, however.  Look at Vatican II.  The Church looked at the Mass it had perfected over the centuries and looked at the people attending.  Was/is that mass (Latin/Ad Orientum, etc.) the best sacrifice of the altar the Church provides?  In my opinion and, if I may say so, the opinion of the Church, the answer is a solid "YUP."  But is it what the majority of the people needed/needs? Probably not.  The Mass was soooooo full of meaning and purpose that those not being actively educated in its awesomeness were just completely checking out, for they didn't understand.  It's like me going to a museum.  I get that some of these paintings are masterpieces, but since I don't understand the intricacies of it, I get bored and want to go to that cool interactive science museum.  So in response, rather than just saying, well Starry Night is a masterpiece, whether you appreciate it or not, and sticking to their old ways, they've worked hard to make Starry Night more involving for the non-art majors.  They didn't degrade Starry Night, or get rid of it.  They just added a headphone jack so you can hear what makes it so special.

In summary, the Church is not of the world (or at least that is what Jesus said. John 15:19), but only a fool would say that the Church shouldn't be in it.  Jesus came into the world that would hate and crucify him, all for the world's salvation.  The Church, the bride of Christ, should be right there with Him in those trenches.  But the Church, simultaneously, needs to keep herself separate, set apart, holy (if you will accept the original meaning of holy to be set aside for God) from the rest of the world so that she doesn't become a fad, changing every century or decade as of late, but rather, solid thru all of time; built firmly on rock, not sand.

Last little note.  I'm sure the asker posed this objection because the Church didn't agree with them about one thing or another.  It is not wrong to question the Church; to say "why do we do this?  I don't see the point to that, what's its purpose?"  The Church wants you to ask these questions because that means you are actively participating.  Theology, the study of God, in the Catholic world has a Latin phrase as a motto, according to Anselm.  Fides Quaerens Intellectum.  "Faith Seeking Understanding".  The Church was given divine revelation and believes that God cannot be understood, but Him and His effects are reasonable.  Using logic and reasoning, the Church has many answers, not to everything, but you'd be surprised at the wealth of knowledge and wisdom the Church and her doctors and saints have accrued over the past 2 millenia.  All the Church asks in return is that you trust her wisdom.  When you doubt, don't just drop it until you have figured it out.  The Church believes she is doing what is best for your immortal soul, so if you just stop, your soul is in danger.  Unsure if the Eucharist is really Jesus?  It's OK.  Some priests have these doubts as well, but don't stop receiving.  Wondering why you have to confess your sins to a priest?  That is fine, but don't avoid the confessional for 5 years while you figure it out.  Mother Teresa of Calcutta had doubts as well, and they are well documented in her personal diary.  But even while she questioned the whole purpose of her ministry, or it God is even really there, she continued doing her mission, continued receiving the sacraments and continued praying to a God that (she thought) was potentially not there.  Want to get to heaven; want to be a Saint?  The Church has a method; not the only method, but it's a really good one.  It's worked for thousands.  You don't have to reinvent the wheel every day, but even more important to know is this.

You are not alone in this.

Even when you are questioning the point of your very existence, so are hundreds of others, and the Church is there to help guide you when you don't know where to go.  We all struggle to live a Christ-like life, but by no means give up.  Do all you can to imitate Christ as closely as possible.  For if there is no God, then nothing matters.  But, if there is a God, then nothing else matters.

Catholics pray to dead people to ask them to pray to God. No relationship will form if you don’t talk to God.

 My favorite thing about this objection is that both statements made are 100% true.  Which is why we as Catholics are more of a both/and rather than either/or kind of religion.  God is both infinitely merciful AND infinitely just.  Divine revelation is both in Scripture AND in Tradition (James 2:18).  We ask those we know are tight with Jesus for prayers AND have a personal relationship with our Lord.  In fact, it would be foolish to even bother talking to Saints if you weren't in a relationship with Jesus already.  That’s like asking your brother to talk to your dad for you, if you've never talked to him in your whole life.  That’s no way to get to know your father. 

On the idea of God/Jesus/Holy Spirit being your spiritual and heavenly Father, and all those faithfully departed being your brothers and sisters in Christ, we can draw a good analogy.  You have a family.  For this analogy, we’ll claim just a father and kid1 and kid2.  With this basis, let’s look at the combination of 2 positive/negative principles. Kid1 does/doesn’t talk to the father and kid1 does/doesn't ask kid2 to speak on kid1’s behalf (if kid1 does ask kid2 to intercede, this presupposes a healthy relationship between kid1 and kid2).  The chart would look like the following:

	Kid1 doesn't talk to father	Kid1 does talk to father
Kid1 doesn’t ask for kid2’s intercession	Kid1 will only ever possibly get to know kid2, never the father	Kid1 will get to know father, and possibly the kid2 as well
Kid1 does ask for kid2’s intercession	Father will hear kid2’s intercession for kid1, but won’t be able to properly respond without a pre-existing relationship with kid1	Father will hear kid2’s intercession for kid1, and be able to respond in kind due to relationship with kid1.  Kids1&2 also have a healthy relationship.

If you’ll look closely at the resultants of the combinations, the only negative ones are the 2 where kid1 doesn't talk with the father.  The two positive ones are in the kid1-talks-to-the-father column.  Therefore, like I started out with, a relationship between us and the Father is imperative. Now, looking at the 2 positives, both get to know the father, but one has a close brotherhood with someone who also knows and loves the father, while the other is very separate, secluded.  The New Testament is littered with occasions where the author refers to the Christian community he is talking to as “brothers and sisters.”  Surely they all don’t have the same mother, nor could they even mean the translation of kin (as in cousin), for they say it to everyone, Jew and Gentile alike.  Therefore, they must be brothers and sisters in Christ, for God is our Father.  We should act accordingly.  You aren't always nice to your siblings, but you love them and you would do a lot to them.  Don’t try and tell me you never talk to your siblings (assuming you have one).  The fact that you talk to your siblings doesn't mean you don’t know/love your mutual father.

But Dan, they’re dead.  I can understand talking to people still on earth and asking for their prayers, but the dead are dead.  Well, let’s look at how someone becomes a Saint, with a capitol S.  Lower case s saint means anyone who is in heaven.  Upper case S Saint is someone the Church has looked into, deeply.  They interview dozens of eye witnesses: parents, siblings, coworkers, fellow nuns/monks (if they are in an order).  After that, they pray about it and look for miracles.  If they find 2 that are legit (usually there’s several phonies), they are presented to the pope for canonization.  The pope doesn't make them Saints like Hollywood makes stars.  The pope declaring someone is a Saint is more like saying, “This person lived a holy life, and postmortem, has miracles attributed to them, therefore, we as the Church, can say with certainty, ‘they are in heaven’.”  There are many saints, but the only ones we know for sure are Saints.  Therefore, if a Saint is in heaven, they are in full communion with God.  The have seen God in His glory and sing his praises constantly.  Their will is in perfect sync with God’s will.  Therefore, what they will is also what God wills, thusly perfect.  Therefore, if they hear your petition, and they will it, then God must will it.  It’s kind of like asking your perfect sibling (yeah the doctor who has a beautiful wife and 3 kids and a nice house in the burbs…) if they’ll put in a good word for you to your dad.  If they do put in a good word, they do it because they think it is good for you.  And your perfect sibling knows exactly how to ask your parents too, he always seems to get his way.  This analogy, like all analogies, falls short of what is truth though.  The Father is actually perfect and He knows what is best for you.

As icons and images of saints go, you may think it is idolatry.  An understandable concern if you don't know what they are.  As far as images go, are you telling me you don't have any pictures in your house of your deceased grandmother.  Dan, that's not the same, she's family.  Yeah, well I'd like to think the saints are my family too.  But Dan, I don't pray to that image of my grandma, like you do when you pray with icons.  That may be true, but if your grandma is in heaven with God, would you not want her putting in a good word for you and praying for you?  Oh course you would.  Icons just help us to properly focus.

All in all, no man can call himself a Christian if he doesn't have a personal relationship with Jesus.  This relationship isn't something we can do, it is something we receive.  Our brothers and sisters in Christ are there to help us.  And one last note on prayer.  To pray, in English, means to beg, to ask, or to speak to God.  In Latin, the language of the Church, they have different words for different type of prayer.  There is a word for praying to the Trinity, and there are different words for praying to Mary, angles or saints.  By no means by praying to a Saint do we worship the saint, but rather, acknowledge how awesome they are and ask for their prayers to God, our Father.