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The book gave the source as “De Pot”. As the index was not included I searched around and found that “De Pot” is...

Quaestiones Disputatae de Potentia in Quaestiones Disputatae. Vol. II. Ed. P. Bazzi et al. (Turin: Marietti, 1965), 6.6. Hereafter cited as De Pot.

The fuller quote given in the book is...

“Nothing may be asserted as true that is opposed to the truth of faith, to revealed dogma. But it is neither permissible to take whatever we hold to be true, and present it as an article of faith. For the truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidel, if any Catholic, not gifted with the necessary scientific learning, presents as a dogma what scientific scrutiny shows to be false”

This is the crux of the intellectual suicide that Creationists commit. They present whatever they hold to be true as an article of faith. Rejecting what they hold to be true, to them, is a rejection of “Biblical authority” when, of course, it is just a rejection of the preposterous things they have unwisely extrapolated from their simplistic view of the meaning of Scripture.

“Nothing may be asserted as true that is opposed to the truth of faith, to revealed dogma. But it is neither permissible to take whatever we hold to be true, and present it as an article of faith. For the truth of our faith becomes a matter of ridicule among the infidel, if any Catholic, not gifted with the necessary scientific learning, presents as a dogma what scientific scrutiny shows to be false”

In Aquinas' appeal not to subject Scripture to secular ridicule, or as you have said "intellectual suicide" - he runs a much greater risk of proliferating disbelief, what might be called "spiritual suicide."

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? – Matt 14:28-31

A Christian's physical senses and reasoning may be screaming to him to "run" - but if God is telling him to stay, he must stay.

The prayers of the one who does not believe in miracles will not be answered by reason of his own disbelief.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. – Mark 11:24-26

Truly, anyone who understands that physical reality had a beginning ex nihilo must also come to terms with the fact that physical reality, or nature, is a supernatural event.

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: - Romans 1:20

To God be the glory, not man, never man!

“Quaestiones Disputatae de Potentia in Quaestiones Disputatae. Vol. II. Ed. P. Bazzi et al. (Turin: Marietti, 1965), 6.6. Hereafter cited as De Pot.”

Thanks for the citation, however grudgingly given. Just the same, I fail to see how your quotes counter or deny the intellectual and religious position so succinctly given in the Aquinas quote I had provided previously.

Nor does it appear that you have, in any way, responded to the point I make in Post #717 that of themselves, scientific findings cannot inspire Judeo-Christian faith, doing nothing more than providing support for faith. Pope Benedict XVI himself supports my view in remarks he made at Lorenzago Di Cadore, Italy on Wed, July 25, 2007 (ironically provided me by you nearly a year ago), wherein he observed that evolution does not answer all the questions, particularly “Above all it does not answer the great philosophical question, ‘Where does everything come from?’”

Precisely so.

Thanks, Alamo-Girl, for your pings from Posts #736 through #781. A lot to digest there.