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It seems that one person's ‘discussion’ becomes another’s ‘viciousness’ as soon as a post is answered in disagreement.

My experience here is quite different. I have friends here with whom I disagree, though many have quit posting because of the tone of the conversation.

Even though Scripture is provided, the message is lost ...

Well, that sort of exemplifies part of the problem. We, or at least I, am familiar with the Galatians account. Why, when I was not a Catholic I lectured on it at a Catholic College.

But we look at the meaning of it and at the trend, so to speak,of the Apostolic Church in another way.

So somebody presents a passage as conclusive but the other person, who knows the passage and has thought about it long and hard, does not think it does the work the first person thought it did.

Then you say, "The message is lost," while I think "The case was not made."

But if I say what I think, I am told I am reasoning according to me own understanding while my interlocutor says he is reasoning according to God's understanding.

Yeah, well, I already knew the other guy thought I was wrong. I am just surprised and disappointed when an inconclusive argument is presented as doing the work it does not do and when my trying to point that out leads to rebukes about my spiritual state or whatever.

Scripture is provided

Yes. Exactly. In fact it was provided to a whole lot of Catholics just a few weeks ago. The very passage. And we draw a different conclusion.

On a subjective level, it was prayer, reason, study and experience that led me to become a Catholic. I didn't start out thinking, "Well, the Catholic Church says so so I have to believe." I read, re-read, and read again. I thought, I observed, and I drew a conclusion.

So when the very things I read and prayed over are brought up with the air that I can't possibly have thought and prayed over the before, I get impatient.