I warmly recommend this volume containing Benedict XVI’s General Audience series on the Doctors of the Church.
Posted on 04/29/2016 3:45:06 PM PDT by NYer
Today is the – in the post-Conciliar, modern, non-traditional – Ordinary Form – Novus Ordo Calendar – Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, Patroness of Europe and named by Paul VI as Doctor of the Church. Thus, her life and works reflect something of the Church’s own role as Teacher. Her head may be venerated in Siena and the rest of her in Rome in the Church Santa Maria sopra Minerva (near the ecclesiastical tailor Gammarelli where we are having vestments made – PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!)
I warmly recommend this volume containing Benedict XVI’s General Audience series on the Doctors of the Church.
Benedict XVI gave a wonderful general audience address about here. HERE
During my recent exile/sojourn in New York City, and during one of my visits to the Met, I spotted three little paintings depicting moments in the life of this great saint. These panels, tempera and gold leaf on wood, were part of an altarpiece commissioned after Catherine was canonized in 1460. They are based on her biography by Bl. Raymond of Capua (+1399), who was Catherine’s spiritual director. Think about that, Fathers! There are two more of these panels in another part of the Met, but it was closed off the day I was there.
This panel shows a common theme for Catherine, her “mystical marriage” with the Lord, as he places a ring on her finger.
According to Bl. Raymond, Christ appeared to Catherine holding a human heart in his hand. He opened her side and put the heart into her saying, “Dearest daughter, as I took your heart away from you the other day, now, you see, I am giving you mine, so that you can go on living with it for ever”. Thus, Catherine experience what St. Paul wrote, “And I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me. And that I live now in the flesh: I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered himself for me.” (Gal 2:20). She has the mystical-cloud, floating-above-the-rooftops thing going on and, from His gestures, you can tell that the Lord is talking to her. For her part, she gestures to herself, as if to say, “Unworthy me?”
Again according to Bl. Raymond:
“For the seven year period prior to her death, Saint Catherine of Siena took no food into her body other than the Eucharist. Her fasting did not affect her energy, however. She maintained a very active life during those seven years. As a matter of fact, most of her great accomplishments occurred during that period. Not only did her fasting not cause her to lose energy, but became a source of extraordinary strength, she becoming stronger in the afternoon, after having received our Lord in His Eucharist.
In Rome there is a chapel where Catherine received Communion in this manner and priests can say Mass there.
NB: Talk about “turning your back to the people!” I always enjoy these old depictions of Mass. You can see interesting details, such as vestments, etc.
So, there is a little touch of Catherine for you today.
I will also call to your minds something she wrote about Popes.
Even if the Pope were Satan incarnate, we ought not to raise up our heads against him, but calmly lie down to rest on his bosom. He who rebels against our Father is condemned to death, for that which we do to him we do to Christ: we honor Christ if we honor the Pope; we dishonor Christ if we dishonor the Pope. I know very well that many defend themselves by boasting: “They are so corrupt, and work all manner of evil!” But God has commanded that, even if the priests, the pastors, and Christ-on-earth were incarnate devils, we be obedient and subject to them, not for their sakes, but for the sake of God, and out of obedience to Him.
— Saint Catherine of Siena in St. Catherine of Siena, SCS, p. 201-202, p. 222.
And, to Florentines, who were rebelling against Pope Gregory XI:
“He who rebels against our Father, Christ on earth, is condemned to death, for that which we do to him, we do to Christ in heaven – we honor Christ if we honor the pope, we dishonor Christ if we dishonor the pope… I tell you that God will and has so commanded that even if the priests and the pastors of the Church and Christ on earth were incarnate devils, it is seemly that we are obedient and subject to them, not for their sake, but for the sake of God, out of obedience to Him, for He wills that we should act thus.
“Know that the son is never in the right against the father, even if the father is ever so evil and unjust, for so great is the good which he has received from the father, that is, life itself, that he can never repay him for it. And we have received the life of grace from the Church, which is so great a benefit, that we can never, by any kind of homage or gratitude, pay the debt we owe.”
From Anne Baldwin’s Catherine of Siena: A Biography. Huntington, IN: OSV Publishing, 1987, pp.95-6
The difference, Vlad, is the very essence of your problem. Your refusal to acknowledge the vast schisms in the Church, involving millions of Catholics who interpret their faith vastly different from each other, including even Catholics on Free Republic declaring the Pope an actual heretic, is your moral and philosophical rot. It's led to a self-aggrandizement in you that is setting records on the internet for bloated arrogance.
Am I a Catholic, Vlad? I personally know priests who say I am - they're as liberal as it gets, they want Bernie and Obama and think the Pope is bringing light and truth to the Church. Do you disagree with the Pope, Vlad? With what authority? Your own opinion about Church teachings? Gee, me too. But the priest I know would call you the problem the Pope is eradicating. You going to disagree with that priest, too? And the hundreds of parishioners who agree with him? And the Pope, and all the cardinals and bishops in Rome and around the world who support him? And all the priests around the world who support him? And all the millions of Catholics in South America who support him?
You're going to disagree with all of them, from literally the Pope down, but still claim to be a Catholic?
And then you're going to say, because I disagree with you AND them, that I have moral and philosophical rot? Do you have ANY idea how absurd you are?
At least I have the humility and honesty to accept the existence of this difficulty, rather than run and hide behind your medieval mindset, and ridiculous claims of theological certainty and your moral superiority. Your arrogance is a wall of fear, not truth, and based solely upon your own personal, private theological preferences - just like everyone else's.
As I said, Vlad - deal with it.
Karl, nothing that you posted blunts the mower blade you keep sharpening. You’re not Catholic but can’t even simply say so when asked. That’s your rot then and yours alone. Project all you like, it’s still yours, Karl. Story time with Talisker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvT1sz41xU4
Well Vlad, I can agree with you on one thing - whatever you believe in, I don't. Whatever Church you think you're a part of, I'm not. Whatever definition of Catholicism you have, I reject. Clear enough?
Millions of Catholics argue about "true" Catholicism. Millions of Catholics find authenticity, in this day and age of Amoris Laetitia, a profound question. People claiming to be Catholics on Free Republic, churchgoers, openly declared the Pope to be a heretic.
But to you, there is no confusion. Your mind is supremely beyond even the recognition of these difficulties. To you, that person is a Catholic, that person is not. And I am what? A heretic? A blasphemer? A non-Catholic? An enemy of the Church? But certainly not a questioning Catholic, or a Catholic of any kind - right? Because you - you - have the power to erase my baptism and my confirmation. You have the power to overrule the positions of priests of my acquaintance. You have the power, over the internet no less, to deny me my faith. Because to you, it's very, very simple: I don't agree with you, and therefore there's nothing left to decide.
I'm taking the time to explain all this because I don't think you're a moron - I think you're a shill. Your job is to express all of the obscene ugliness of the damning, historically destructive Church, so that people will reject it along with you. You're not for the Church, you're against it. You want to punish questioners here, and drive them away from the Church. And you do.
Except you are not the Church. You have no authority. You are nothing more than a faceless, anonymous poster, just like everyone else, but you claim to be far more than you are.
So I should live up to your judgement of Catholicism? Lol, I'd rather ask the opinion of a worm - it'd be worth more.
Now stop following me around, crazyman. You've taken to chiming in on conversations I'm having with other people. No doubt you'll feel compelled to reply to this, too. Please don't. We have nothing in common, and nothing to say to each other. Quite frankly, I consider you a heretic in your assumption of priestly authority and judgements against me. If nothing else, your complete lack of humility renders any religious discussion with you pointless.
So stop chasing after me like a hungry ghost. I can't help you, and I have nothing you want. And you're no judge of my Catholicism, by any authority whatsoever.
“Now stop following me around, crazyman.”
Karl, I have reminded you numerous times that you said you were going to stop posting to me. I suggest you actually do what you said you were going to do and stop posting to me since you - by your own (earlier) word - seem to think that was best for you. The choice is yours. You can always change your mind. Anti-Catholics often change their minds. Stability is not part and parcel of the mindset of anti-Catholics after all.
“So stop chasing after me like a hungry ghost.”
Again, just stop posting to me as you said you were going to. It’s for your own good. You can’t handle this apparently. It would be better if you stop yourself, Karl.
“I can’t help you, and I have nothing you want.”
I don’t need your help and I certainly didn’t ask for it, and what I want is for you to think of your own words:
“You’re gone.” (post # 40)
“Pissed me off, too.” (post # 48)
“I’m done with you here.” (post # 48)
“I find you nothing more than a waste of time.” (post # 48)
“So goodbye, Silas.” (post # 48)
So, repeatedly, you have made clear that you apparently cannot handle this conversation. I pity you. Get help, Karl or else you’ll go back to sharpening mower blades.
“And you’re no judge of my Catholicism, by any authority whatsoever.”
No one here has to be a judge. You make the verdict known when you post, Karl. It’s obvious.
Verdict?
Lol, you just cannot help yourself.
But then, you're still furious that I respond at all. After all, your job is to silence dissent, and that's just not working very well with me, is it Silas? Your paymasters will not be pleased with you.
On the other hand, what can you possibly say to the CATHOLIC issues I addressed? That you don't agree with them? Lol, we all get that, Silas. That you have your own personal OPINION about them? We get that too - you're the only one who doesn't recognize them as merely your own personal opinions.
That's why I keep replying, Silas. Because you don't represent the Church, and that needs to be said as many times as you won't admit it.
Your cover is blown, that's what's happened here. That's my point. That's why I reply to you - you don't represent the Church as it's understood by millions of people.
Millions. Of. People.
Do TRY to deal with it.
“Lol, you just cannot help yourself.”
Again, from your own comments:
“You’re gone.” (post # 40)
“Pissed me off, too.” (post # 48)
“I’m done with you here.” (post # 48)
“I find you nothing more than a waste of time.” (post # 48)
“So goodbye, Silas.” (post # 48)
So, who is unable to help himself here, Karl? You have repeatedly said you would stop posting and you keep doing it. It can’t be healthy - either spiritually or mentally - for someone to say he’s going to do one thing and then do another.
“But then, you’re still furious that I respond at all.”
Nope. But I know who is “furious”. You are, Karl. Here’s what YOU wrote: “Pissed me off, too.” (post # 48) So, once again, we see what sure looks like the usual anti-Catholic projection.
“After all, your job is to silence dissent, and that’s just not working very well with me, is it Silas?”
Karl, you asked a question. I answered it. Since then you have been on this bizarre rant. You have invented things out of thin air. I didn’t call you a “heretic”. You claimed I did. I didn’t say your post was “devious”. You said I did. You claimed I said or believed your prayers were not worthwhile. I never said anything of the kind. You accuse me of being “furious” when I am not even remotely angry. You, on the other hand, said flat out that you’re “Pissed...off”. You’ve been flat out wrong each and every time. You need help, Karl. You really do. Now you’re saying my “job is to silence dissent” when in reality - if I have any “job” here at all with anti-Catholics - its just to help you show who and what you are. All I have to do to make that happen is post the truth. Anti-Catholics must post falsehoods because that’s all they have. My “job” therefore is easy. Let Karl be Karl and Karl will follow through and show who and what Karl really is. That’s why, for instance, it’s almost always easy to know what an anti-Catholic is going to say or do while an anti-Catholic will keep getting things wrong in one post after another and another and another.
“Your paymasters will not be pleased with you.”
Nope. My “paymasters” could not be more pleased with me. And they have nothing to do with Freerepublic and probably don’t even know it exists. Remember when you were ranting on about paranoia? Looks like projection yet again. Seriously, Karl, get help.
“On the other hand, what can you possibly say to the CATHOLIC issues I addressed?”
Karl, no matter what I say, you’ll still need help. You asked a question. I answered it. You have been posting bizarre rants ever since. You can’t seem to stop yourself even though you have repeatedly said you would or should.
“That you don’t agree with them? Lol, we all get that, Silas. That you have your own personal OPINION about them? We get that too - you’re the only one who doesn’t recognize them as merely your own personal opinions.”
Karl, you’re the only one who “doesn’t recognize” your question was answered. You ran away from the “issue” almost immediately thereafter.
“That’s why I keep replying, Silas.”
Nope, apparently not. But if you want to tell yourself that to make yourself feel better, Karl, no one can stop you from doing it.
“Because you don’t represent the Church, and that needs to be said as many times as you won’t admit it.”
Karl, you don’t represent the Church. And you won’t even say you’re Catholic when asked by someone else - even though you’re posting in a Catholic Caucus thread. Anti-Catholics and integrity: never shall the twain meet.
“Your cover is blown, that’s what’s happened here.”
Other than using the name vladimir998 I have no cover and need none. Again, we see what sure looks like anti-Catholic projection on your part, Karl.
“That’s my point.”
You have no point. Remember how you insisted how you had a question and almost immediately after it was answered you abandoned it? Yeah, Karl you have no point.
“That’s why I reply to you - you don’t represent the Church as it’s understood by millions of people.”
No, Karl, I don’t think that’s why you keep going against your own words because you’re really just getting around to this latest off topic nonsense so late after just posting one bizarre rant after another.
“Millions. Of. People.”
One Karl/Talisker:
“You’re gone.” (post # 40)
“Pissed me off, too.” (post # 48)
“I’m done with you here.” (post # 48)
“I find you nothing more than a waste of time.” (post # 48)
“So goodbye, Silas.” (post # 48)
“Do TRY to deal with it.”
I have no problem with it, Karl. It’s your integrity. No one else is responsible for what you do do it but you. Only you, Karl.
Anything else, or is that it?
“Anything else, or is that it?”
Karl/Talisker earlier wrote:
“You’re gone.” (post # 40)
“Pissed me off, too.” (post # 48)
“I’m done with you here.” (post # 48)
“I find you nothing more than a waste of time.” (post # 48)
You can follow through on your own words any time you like.
Ah, I thought there’d be something else.
You done now, or is there still more?
Come on, get it all out.
“Ah, I thought there’d be something else. You done now, or is there still more?”
You can stop posting at any time. No one is stopping you from stopping yourself.
“Come on, get it all out.”
I think you’re the one who needs to get it all out:
“LOL, you know, I was raised in the Church and left it because of the unbelieveable level of arrogant, contemptuous jackassery I had to deal with for asking the simplest of questions.” (post #14)
- BTW, there you just admitted you are no longer Catholic but later you could not apparently simply say as much when asked if you were Catholic by someone else. Anti-Catholic courage apparently is as fleeting as any attempt at an argument.
“And you never fail me - rushing out of whatever priest hole you live in, to spew invective as hard and fast as you can, utterly blind to your own hatred - and yes, you portray real, genuine hatred. It rolls off of you like a black cloud of filth.” (post #14)
“Once again, you have absolutely confirmed my decision to leave the Church, and I think I’m pretty much done with any more reality checks, because you ARE the reality of the Church, and I need to just accept that.” (post #14)
“Also, recognizing her sainthood (even by my morally reprehensible, mortally erroneous and satanic inclusion of an extra “n” in her name) would lend an extra power to her restriction against contextual leeway in interpretation.” (post #38)
“In your fervent effort to erase the legitimacy of every aspect of my personal spiritual life, you’ve given no evidence of recognizing the actual subject under examination at all. In fact, your belief in the “power” of your “question” just shows how sophomoric and facile your so-called understanding really is.” (post #38)
“What’s really appalling, however, is your intense desire to use your limited beliefs to create and destroy enemies who literally only exist in your own mind.” (post #38)
“Because that’s not an expression of your deep Catholic faith, nor your profound spiritual understanding, but rather a primitive and truly satanic desire to just flat-out hurt people while defending your claims to the moral high ground through abuse.” (post #38)
“You’re gone.” (post #40)
“You could throw a pile of crap against my front door and I’d think about you all night, too.” (post # 44)
“Or is it simply paranoia, the belief that anyone thinking differently than you is floating a devious “straw man”?” (post #44)
“You remind me of “Silas” in “The Da Vinci Code”.” (post #46)
“Or is it that you’re obsessed with me personally? You got a twitch for me, Silas?” (post #48)
“But I get your special care, don’t I? For me, there is the hatred and the obsession. Why is that, Silas? After all, I didn’t call you out - you attacked me personally over my question.” (post #48)
“Pissed me off, too. I really wasn’t in the mood for the descent of malicious insanity - I was in a good mood, a contemplative mood. And then - you showed up.” (post #48)
“I think though, in my irritation over you (and that’s really all you are, an irritant) I overreacted against the Church.” (post #48)
- The Church you admitted you left. . . and then refused to admit you left when asked if you were Catholic.
“They are as far from you as Christ’s love and compassion - literally. You know them not.” (post #48)
“I’m done with you here.” (post #48)
“As enamored as you are in being a snarling mad dog for the Church, sniffing out devious straw-men that no one else but you can see, I find you nothing more than a waste of time.” (post # 48)
“So goodbye, Silas.” (post #48)
“Oh hi, Silas. Long time no see.” (post #53)
“Thanks again, Silas.” (post # 53)
“My reply was to Vlad, aka Silas, not you. He just used you as an excuse to attack me again anyway. It seems I live in his head rent-free. Lucky me.” (post #57)
“Wow, what a tour de force of contempt, aggression, hatred, even dehumanization. In fact, it’s literally rage. You really are Silas.” (post #61)
“You don’t have to deal with particulars, just the labels - and oh, how you hate those labels! Anti-Catholic, straw man, heretic...” (post #61)
“Add them together and you can just dispense with respect, consideration, all of it, and just go to war. And that’s what you share with Silas - you’re both at war.” (post #61)
“That’s why you need to get help, Vlad - so you can stop acting like Silas. So you can stop needing the hatred so much.” (post #61)
“You know something is wrong with you, and you’re obviously intelligent, so use that intelligence to get the help you need to heal. Stop indulging in contempt and rage - it’s like a drug that you’re addicted to, destroying you.” (post #61)
“I will pray for you. Even though you no doubt believe my prayers are worthless, I think God will accept them anyway to help you.” (post #61)
“Apparently I’m a devious heretic, undermining Catholic beliefs with satanically calculated straw man questions which will shatter your faith if you even consider them. So you’re warned. Beware...” (post #64)
“What’s a Catholic?” (post #71)
“What I don’t do is answer to you about the status or legitimacy of my faith.” (post #80)
“Caucus threads are meant to be a safe space for a specified faith, not an allowance for an egomaniacal inquisition.” (post #80)
“Am I a Catholic, Vlad?” (post #81)
“Well Vlad, I can agree with you on one thing - whatever you believe in, I don’t.”
(post #83)
“Whatever Church you think you’re a part of, I’m not. Whatever definition of Catholicism you have, I reject. Clear enough?” (post #83)
- And yet you refused to simply answer the question as to whether or not you were Catholic when someone else asked you even though this is a Caucus thread and you as a non-Catholic can’t post in it. Typical.
“Now stop following me around, crazyman.” (post #83)
“We have nothing in common, and nothing to say to each other. Quite frankly, I consider you a heretic in your assumption of priestly authority and judgements against me. If nothing else, your complete lack of humility renders any religious discussion with you pointless.” (post #83)
“So stop chasing after me like a hungry ghost. I can’t help you, and I have nothing you want.” (post #83)
“But then, you’re still furious that I respond at all. After all, your job is to silence dissent, and that’s just not working very well with me, is it Silas? Your paymasters will not be pleased with you.” (post #85)
“Your cover is blown, that’s what’s happened here. That’s my point.” (post #85)
“Anything else, or is that it?” (post #87)
“Ah, I thought there’d be something else. You done now, or is there still more? Come on, get it all out.” (post #89)
So, Karl, “You done now, or is there still more?”
Keep going. That can’t be all.
Tell me what you really think.
“Keep going. That can’t be all.”
Oh, I’m sure it isn’t, but you’ll keep posting similar nonsense - they are your words after all - so I feel no need to re-post everything.
“Tell me what you really think.”
Already did: “Jesus was talking about setting a man against his father in His own day and metaphorically later on. He was not discussing what Catherine said. Jesus was talking about faith in Him setting a man against his father. Catherine was talking about a man being obedient to his father because of faith in Christ.” And, of course, that was all.
LOL, coulda fooled me! You've posted about a hundred pages on this thread!
And what's your bottom line? That I didn't accept your opinion about my question. That's it. And for that crime, you've called me a hundred pages of lowlife. Oh wait, I'm sorry, you didn't actually use the term "lowlife." So of course, you couldn't possibly mean that. LOL!
You a comedian, but you don't know it.
“LOL, coulda fooled me!”
Well, certainly no one was trying to fool you, but I suppose that wouldn’t be hard if someone tried.
“You’ve posted about a hundred pages on this thread!”
No. And you have certainly posted many pages. And pages of what exactly? Rants it seems.
“And what’s your bottom line?”
It was obvious from the start.
“That I didn’t accept your opinion about my question.”
I don’t care if you accept my “opinion”. Your question was accurately and precisely answered from the start. What else would matter after that?
“That’s it. And for that crime, you’ve called me a hundred pages of lowlife.”
Nope. I never did. There you go again with these bizarre claims that are completely out of nowhere. I posted quote after quote from you - and not nearly everything you posted - that shows you made utterly bizarre statements and claims. Seriously weird and unhinged sounding stuff. All yours. None of it mine.
“Oh wait, I’m sorry, you didn’t actually use the term “lowlife.” So of course, you couldn’t possibly mean that. LOL!”
I say what I mean and mean what I say. Every once in a while I make a typo as we all do. What I have never said, and have never done, and do not believe, could only be used against me by someone who cares nothing about the truth. When a man says - completely untruthfully - that I believe his prayers to be worthless or some such thing when I have never even imagined saying that to that man nor believed it, it clearly tells everyone more about that man than about me.
“You a comedian, but you don’t know it.”
1 Corinthians 4:10. I would rather be a fool for Christ than someone who makes up false things against someone else.
More! More! More!
Don’t stop now - you forgot to spit on the memory of the dog I had when I was ten! You can do so much more if you just try!
“More! More! More!”
You’re posting it now.
“Don’t stop now - you forgot to spit on the memory of the dog I had when I was ten! You can do so much more if you just try!”
But apparently you can’t.
All you have to do is post something respectful to me, and I’ll stop replying. Just something without contempt or degredation or mockery or viciousness or cruelty. You know, pretend like this is a religion thread. Something without a personal attack in it.
Go ahead, let’s see you try. And as a reward, you’ll have the final word, and I won’t reply.
Betcha can’t do it...
There's plenty of doubt, at least from me, yet my faith remains safely intact. I discuss my Catholicism on another thread. This thread was far too hostile towards me to discuss it here.
“All you have to do is post something respectful to me, and I’ll stop replying.”
Something respectful? Lest you forget, Kettle Karl:
“And you never fail me - rushing out of whatever priest hole you live in, to spew invective as hard and fast as you can, utterly blind to your own hatred - and yes, you portray real, genuine hatred. It rolls off of you like a black cloud of filth.” (post #14)
“In your fervent effort to erase the legitimacy of every aspect of my personal spiritual life, you’ve given no evidence of recognizing the actual subject under examination at all. In fact, your belief in the “power” of your “question” just shows how sophomoric and facile your so-called understanding really is.” (post #38)
“What’s really appalling, however, is your intense desire to use your limited beliefs to create and destroy enemies who literally only exist in your own mind.” (post #38)
“Because that’s not an expression of your deep Catholic faith, nor your profound spiritual understanding, but rather a primitive and truly satanic desire to just flat-out hurt people while defending your claims to the moral high ground through abuse.” (post #38)
“You could throw a pile of crap against my front door and I’d think about you all night, too.” (post # 44)
“Or is it simply paranoia, the belief that anyone thinking differently than you is floating a devious “straw man”?” (post #44)
“You remind me of “Silas” in “The Da Vinci Code”.” (post #46)
“Or is it that you’re obsessed with me personally? You got a twitch for me, Silas?” (post #48)
“But I get your special care, don’t I? For me, there is the hatred and the obsession. Why is that, Silas? After all, I didn’t call you out - you attacked me personally over my question.” (post #48)
“Pissed me off, too. I really wasn’t in the mood for the descent of malicious insanity - I was in a good mood, a contemplative mood. And then - you showed up.” (post #48)
“I think though, in my irritation over you (and that’s really all you are, an irritant) I overreacted against the Church.” (post #48)
“As enamored as you are in being a snarling mad dog for the Church, sniffing out devious straw-men that no one else but you can see, I find you nothing more than a waste of time.” (post # 48)
“Wow, what a tour de force of contempt, aggression, hatred, even dehumanization. In fact, it’s literally rage. You really are Silas.” (post #61)
“Add them together and you can just dispense with respect, consideration, all of it, and just go to war. And that’s what you share with Silas - you’re both at war.” (post #61)
“That’s why you need to get help, Vlad - so you can stop acting like Silas. So you can stop needing the hatred so much.” (post #61)
“You know something is wrong with you, and you’re obviously intelligent, so use that intelligence to get the help you need to heal. Stop indulging in contempt and rage - it’s like a drug that you’re addicted to, destroying you.” (post #61)
“I will pray for you. Even though you no doubt believe my prayers are worthless, I think God will accept them anyway to help you.” (post #61)
“Caucus threads are meant to be a safe space for a specified faith, not an allowance for an egomaniacal inquisition.” (post #80)
“Now stop following me around, crazyman.” (post #83)
“But then, you’re still furious that I respond at all. After all, your job is to silence dissent, and that’s just not working very well with me, is it Silas? Your paymasters will not be pleased with you.” (post #85)
“Your cover is blown, that’s what’s happened here. That’s my point.” (post #85)
Now, with all that said - by you and you alone I might add - it is clear who here is not showing any respect. You made up things out of thin air. I never did. What I said was true. You launched bizarre rants that were nothing but personal attacks. I never did. You made objective error after objective error while I never did. There is simply no way any objective person could say my posts to you were NOT more respectful than yours to me.
“Just something without contempt or degredation or mockery or viciousness or cruelty.”
None of my posts contained contempt like this: “As enamored as you are in being a snarling mad dog for the Church, sniffing out devious straw-men that no one else but you can see, I find you nothing more than a waste of time.” (post # 48)
None of my posts contained “degredation” (degradation) or mockery like this: “LOL, you know, I was raised in the Church and left it because of the unbelieveable level of arrogant, contemptuous jackassery I had to deal with for asking the simplest of questions.” (post #14)
None of my posts contained “viciousness or cruelty” like this: “Wow, what a tour de force of contempt, aggression, hatred, even dehumanization. In fact, it’s literally rage. You really are Silas.” (post #61)
“You know, pretend like this is a religion thread. Something without a personal attack in it.”
You’re the one making personal attacks in post after post. Everything I have said is true. What you have said is not true. You literally made up things in your attacks on me that are objectively false. I never did that even once. Everything I said was true.
“Go ahead, let’s see you try. And as a reward, you’ll have the final word, and I won’t reply.”
Most likely you’ll view posting your own words as a personal attack. Perhaps you’re embarrassed by them. Shouldn’t you be? And to think, all of this happened simply because I dared to conclusively answer your question in my first post and showed the error of your thinking. You’ve been attacking the Church or me (in personal attacks) ever since in post after bizarre post.
“Betcha can’t do it...”
According to your own words - your own admission - you’re not Catholic and should not even be in a Catholic Caucus thread. What I posted is true. If that bothers you, then you have a problem that is all your own.
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