So if we put up a thread about a charge that Padre Pio was faking it, what is the purpose (if I may ask) of calling into question many aspects of Catholic piety having to do with saints and their intercession if it is not to defend the truth, somehow? (I was speaking loosely about "honor") Why not let chattering dogs chatter?
I only get into these threads in a contentious way when what looks like a fallacious argument or a falsehood is used to attack Catholic dogma. I remember once particpating in a Protestant thread about whether the notions of predestination and election made one lazy. It seemed to me to be an open question, and I didn't attack or pick at the ideas. I did say that I did NOT think they would make one lazy. I think they'd be energizing, usually.
But let us say in an open thread something positive about the BVM and her intercession and it seems that half the time we'll end up being told that it's all so Rome can make money and control us and because we hate sex.
What do you think that's about?
God planned for us to have these types of discussions simply so that we can distinguish the truth from untruth. We are to search things out.
I get into these discussions because it bothers me that people don't carefully read what is written in front of them. There is ABSOLUTELY nothing more valuable to God than His word. The longest Psalms in scripture (119) is devoted entirely to the word of God. Our Lord Jesus was the WORD incarnate. And until I became a Calvinist I couldn't figure out half of the things the scriptures were talking about simply because I was reading the scriptures the WRONG way. I appreciate people telling me where I'm wrong because I would like to take an honest look at it, compare it to scripture and see if I'm wrong.
Each of us are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, not hugs and kisses. People are free to ignore me-many do. But I would caution people that they need to take a real honest look at what the scriptures are saying in light of their own theological viewpoint.