Indeed, I agree with your assessment, dearest sister in Christ.
But this begs the question: justified, affirmed or authenticated — by WHAT??? Or more to the point, by WHOM???
J is what one might call a "lapsed Catholic." I gather she fell away from the Faith because it stipulates certain moral imperatives that she does not personally agree with.
Which is an enterprise widely joined nowadays, captured in the phrase "cafeteria Catholic": People who feel that the Faith is really just a smorgasbord that one can just willy-nilly, selectively choose from in satisfaction of one's own personal predilections. Mainly because whatever shreds of the faith that survive this editing process make us "feel good about ourselves."
Which expectation results in the following: We believe in the Church when its pronouncements concur with our own personal predilections. Ignore all the rest.
Indeed, before our recent conversation took such a bad turn, J and I were discoursing on the idea of "the white lie." J averred that "white lies" were nothing consequential to the future state of a "white liar." Not only that, but that the Catholic Church looked askance at such as a matter of policy.
I took the opposite point of view, averring that ANY lie, whether "white" or "black," is equally a falsification of Reality, and thus not to be entertained by people who loved God, the Creator of Reality....
Since our basic disagreement as to such matters is so profound, how am I supposed to "justify, affirm, or authenticate" her?
Such are matters I definitely want to leave up to God's Judgment. I am not qualified to render judgment of this kind.
I just leave the matter this way: J is a beloved member of my family — until such time as she chooses to take my sister hostage, against the time wherein I fully comply with her will.... whatever the Hell that is.
Since our basic disagreement as to such matters is so profound, how am I supposed to “justify, affirm, or authenticate” her?
Easy; some peoples base is intellectual, others bases are quite groinal..
even heteros..
i.e. intellectual spiritual, and groinal spiritual.. belief or carnal... spirit or flesh.. gender or philosophy.. (maybe)
*** and degrees and mix of both...
What happens when flesh becomes obsolete.?..
unless you’re in HELL.. having proven you’re preference.. as a human..
What a “test” being human is.. a test of your druthers.
A lifetime test of preferences.. proven by choices and actions.. and activities..
A test of WHO you are!........ and AREN’T.. a spiritual test..