I appreciate your thoughtfull comments. I’m sure you are also amazed at the misunderstanding people have of our Catholic faith. I think we have to remember that there are those who just don’t really know us, other than from negative comments of perceptions they recieved from others, and there are those that are simply not well. We shouldn’t confuse the two. I wouldn’t bother to engage in debate with the latter. The temptation to fall into sin, along with them, is just too great. LOL
While there can be doubt in few people's minds about my rejection of the Church of JC of LDS, I was able to have quite an informative exchange with an articulate Mormon who helped me understand their attitude toward systematic theology.
And in a less hostile arena, my favorite Episcopal nun (who may be Catholic now, or have joined one of the splinter groups -- we haven't communicated in decade and she was the superior then and very busy) generally preferred most of the Baptist guests at the convent retreat house to many Episcopalians, because she found she shared with them a great love of our Lord. My impression was they had wonderfully mutually supportive conversations in which they shared what they had in common and examined with courtesy and charity where they differed.
I have ZERO problem with people not knowing what the Church teaches. it does not throw me (though it amuses me still) when people say that we pay divine honors to Mary. And going the other way, I am edified by my exchanges with Alamo-Girl and betty boop.
I attended for three or four years a very edifying get together with leaders who were Catholic "religious" from several orders, Quakers, Orthodox, A Vajrayana Buddhist, A Rinzai Zen Buddhist, and a Theravedan Buddhist or two.
We explicitly stated that we had widely divergent views, but still sought ways to converse and to find similar or analogous "ideals", "values", and thoughts and experiences about what we would call the life of prayer and they would call the Dharma.
It can be done!
But here the enterprise seems dominated by a "zero-sum" mentality in which one side must not only lose but be shown to have lost.
I would think Christians, gathering in such a forum, would be at pains to show a more excellent way to disagree. I don't think I am thin-skinned, but maybe I am. I DO think that when the actual gentle and delicate stroking of a sharpening steel on a blade is turned into hammer and tongs in the name and with the rationalization of "Steel on steel", what we have is a contentious disposition using religion as an outlet.
We did not so learn Christ, IMHO.
Thank you.
Your vote of confidence in my mental and emotional health is very touching.
/s