Well I did laugh when reading your rendition of dialogue’s which occur now and then....it is commical. :)
Maybe that’s how we should all look at the dialogue when it goes that direction instead of taking it so personally...laughing at ones-self is healthy when it gets silly and confloggled.
But I don’t think the non-Catholics misstate catholic teachings for they generally use catholic literature and various other information available from catholic sources.
I think the problems arise when the scriptures are presented which clearly do not support catholic teachings... which then puts catholics in the position to defend those teachings... that defense generally comes fom traditions, authors of old, Popes and what they state, rather than using Gods word to support their defense....
...and The seldom times scripture is used the context is often lost and the defense is framed to support what one wants to belief rather than letting the scriptures determine what God wants us to believe. Then all kinds of “stuff”...streams of literature, quotes by this one and that..floods the threads and the real issue gets buried under all that debrie.
However when the topic remains at hand and debated there is not a better site on the net for dialogue. I understand “why” catholics belief as they do, even if I see that they are in error as the dialogue continues, it’s revealing much about the catholic faith and where they are coming from and why.
I would hope that if catholics could get off their “ant-this and that” and just look at what’s being stated and stay the course by fdefending their position with scripture things might go much smoother...but then this would be almost impossible until the issue of “traditions” is settled..and that is something catholics are “stuck” in...traditions.
I would advise you to take Gamaliel’s Counsel. Heresies have come and gone but Catholicism has been around for nearly 2000 years. If we are wrong nothing we can do will cause us to prevail. If we are right nothing you can do will cause us to fail or fade away.
"So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.” - Acts 5:38-39