Your approach does not work with them. It drives them further into schism. I disagree. They are not victims. They chose to be in schism. They are adults. Their decisions and the consequences of those decisions ought to be as frankly and honestly addressed as their dishonest characterisations of Rome are supposed to be attended to sympathetically. IMO, their constant badgering of the Pope and The Mgisterium is intended to keep the path to reunion strewn with debris if reunion means they will not get what they desire, a return to the staus quo ante of 1962.
Handle them gently, charitably. Initially, I did. See the thread that Narses began on his first day. But, it didn't take more than a few exchanges to see he was flying the SSPX colors.
Their anger grows from the destruction they see around them. In many ways it is a just anger, but what they see as the solution is not a solution but a dead end. agreed
Pray for them. Their frustration is real, their anger legitimate, but their conclusions are simply wrong. They don't need condemnation, they need help, like a pregnant woman seeking an abortion. Totally inapt analogy. They are abortionists trying to assure any Reunion tween schismatics and Rome is a stillbirth.
Narses is sincere, even if in certain respects he is partly in error. I disagree he is sincere. I have posted my reasons why. He came with an agenda, clearly.
Sinkspur is sincere. agreed. And he acts like a man. He does not mask his intentions or claim to be a neophyte.
You are sincere,agreed I am sincere.
Ascribing motives to narses does not help him. Condemning narses does not help him. It is very helpful to have one with an agenda exposed.
Lay off. No way. Defending the Pope and The Magisterium is my bailiwick. When are you going to lay-on?
If you cannot engage him with charity and patience, you are doing a disservice to our faith, and driving him deeper into the very errors you perceive him to be in. Defending the Pope and The Magisterium, far from being a disservice,is a DUTY. He is spreading falsehoods, lies, distortions, confusion, dissension, antipathy to the Pope and The Magisterium. I am doing the opposite. A "Thank-you" would make more sense and instead I get a caution to adopt quietism in the face of opposition to the Pope and The Magisterium
The teeth grinding frustration of average Catholics is REAL. We're all searching. We all need to step back and stop judging our neighbor simply because he has reached conclusions out of line with our own. I am NOT "searching." I don't even know what the hell that means. I am HOME. He is reaching "comclusions out of line with mine," he is OPPOSING Divinely-constituted authority.
Such judgementalism and vitriol will never bring them home. They must bring themselves back home. They can BEFIN by STOPPING the attacks on the Pope. You seem oddly patient and sanguine with attacks on Divinely-constituted authority yet you seem genuinely moved in your concerns for the preciousness, dignity and feelings of those that attack the Pope. And as for my delicate fellings? Not even a mention
Even if narses is fatally wrong, your approach is just as wrong. Knock it off NO WAY. Hell, I aint even BEGUN yet. Rhetorically, I am just taking off the gloves. wait'll ya get a load of what I have in my ammo dump :)
is how that should have read
The rules here are pretty straightforward:
Please: NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts.
The rules of our Church are pretty reasonable too, at least with regards to conduct in this type of matter:
"2478 To avoid rash judgement, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:
Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable inerpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved."
Well then, fire away. Wisdom ain't your strong suit, despite your impressive vocabulary.
Pity. When we reach the pearly gates, we'll see who won more souls.
You are much better at ascribing motives and judging souls than apologetics, CatholicGuy.
From your profile page:
Thanks be to God, I am Catholic. At one time I had one foot in schism and I credit my wife's conversion to the Faith with helping me to return to Ecclesiastical sanity
While you had your foot in schism, were you yourself trying to assure any Reunion tween schismatics and Rome is a stillbirth???
When you credit my wife's conversion to the Faith with helping me to return to Ecclesiastical sanity did those who aided you in your return use the same insulting and judgemental tactics as you use here, or were they gentle, patient, kind and charitable?
Did your wife and her mentors accuse you of trying to assure any Reunion tween schismatics and Rome is a stillbirth???
If they had, would that have been fair to you at the time, you who at the time were simply searching for honest answers to difficult questions and scandals and lack of catechesis that you could not comprehend?
Look in the mirror at yourself back then.
There you will see narses and the others you scorn here.
Were those who aided you as uncharitable with you and as impatient with you and as judgemental and ascribing motives as you?
I doubt it.
As I said, grow up.
You've received better from those who helped you out of schismatic thought than you are willing to dish out here to others in the same place you were then.
Charity in all things, CatholicGuy, especially when you're trying to bring home souls.