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Yes, I am a practicing Catholic. I belong to a full Latin Mass parish and also frequent a very traditional Novus Ordo parish. I am one of those eeeevil "traditionalists". I've been to an SSPX Mass or two in my day, although I would not go to one anymore except in an emergency. I've written for the Remnant and Latin Mass magazine. I run a Catholic-oriented publishing company. I am all over the place in this forum (check my post history) tangling theologically with Mormons, fundamentalists, Presbyterians, and even Eastern Orthodox when need be--hopefully charitably. May God forgive me when I am not.

I'm just this side of hard-core Catholic.

I'm really trying to respect your zeal here. But you must understand how frustrating it is for those of us--and there are many--Catholics on FR who try their best to be Christ-like in all our dealings with non-Catholics. We try to slowly, patiently, chip away the prejudices that have grown up around our Church. When people are nasty to us--and they are--we try to be kind and patient back. We might never convince that person, but we hope that someone reading might think to themselves a) those Catholics can take a punch and b) they can do it graciously without getting nasty...so maybe these Catholic guys aren't so bad after all.

We fail miserably in our goal of course, and we struggle painfully every day with the realization that *if we really were the disciples of Christ we claim to be* then there would be no *need* for theological disputes, because everyone would be beating down the doors to get in and spend time with such holy, loving people. But alas, we are sinful wretches and have to rely on our puny human intellects instead of hearts on fire with God.

Our miserable efforts to show the divine authority of the Church are pathetic as it is. If we add insulting honest people to the list, then God have pity on us if we expect anyone to take Catholicism seriously.