Answer to the allegation against the Catholic Church: What are saints for?

It is a straightforward allegation against the practice of the Catholic Church of asking prayer to the saints which brings me to write this defense. I encountered this article which I read, and which bothers me a lot if the unknowledgeable Catholics would read this.

"Praying to Mary and other dead saints is not biblical and praying to anyone other than God is idolatry. To bow down to a statue or painting and pray to it is evil and it is forbidden in Scripture. When confronted some Catholics say we don’t pray to them, but we ask them to pray for us. I’ve talked to Catholics who actually told me they pray directly to Mary."
Source: http://biblereasons.com/praying-to-saints/

Is it true? This question requires only one answer. I just want to reiterate that we don't pray to the saints, we are asking for their prayers instead. Plus, I want to ask if the Catholics he asked have knowledge to the Magisterium or they are just the common Catholics who go to Church but don't heed to her teachings. I have no idea whether he asked those, sorry for the term, unknowledgeable Catholics, just to put us to the blame of practicing idolatry by praying to the saints. This allegation is a moot point.

So, I change the discussion to whether praying to the saints is biblical or not.

We ask for the prayers of the saints. And, asking prayer to the saints is biblical. In the book of Revelation 5:8, it says,

"And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having stringed instruments, as well as golden bowls full of fragrances, which are the prayers of the saints."

Saints can hear our prayers and intercede for us to God. This is what we must believe as Catholics. However, the Catholic Church does not teach us to wipe the statues and images. It is the intimate feeling of the needy devotee to the saint. Again, it is not taught, but who are we to prohibit the person who asks intently for help. Whatever is the action towards asking for the prayers of the saints, what is important is the intention of asking for help and not of worshiping the saints.

I have to quote what Buddha said,

"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it." 

Many of the Catholics are easily strayed by the flowery sermons of other denominations. Don't easily believe. Roman Catholic has all the answers against their allegations. Study first our faith before jumping to another one. Remember that a good person even how good is always bad to his enemy. When our strayed brothers and sisters in Christ tells something against what we are practicing, it is always pro to them. Again I repeat - and you can say it with me - we, Catholics, don't pray for the saints. We ask for their prayers because they are closer to God. St. James said that the prayer of the righteous is powerful. So the prayer of the saints in heaven is powerful that it can intercede for us.