[metmom]

Even IF former Catholics, who spoke about their experiences and what they knew about teachings they had received as Roman Catholics, WERE bitter about the deception they had been subjected to, would it change the relevance about what they said? I don't think it would. The emotional state of the person doesn't change the facts about what happened. So I agree that it is pure subterfuge to attack the character and integrity of the person speaking just because what they state is objectionable.

That is true indeed.

But it's so much easier to dismiss a former Catholic's position if you can paint it as being the result of emotional failure. It's an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. It attempts to discredit the message and the messenger.

[boatbums]

But it's so much easier to dismiss a former Catholic's position if you can paint it as being the result of emotional failure. It's an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. It attempts to discredit the message and the messenger.

And it helps explain why many here absolutely refuse to even read an article - no matter the subject matter - if it was written by a person who claims to be a former Roman Catholic. No amount of educational, theological and experiential knowledge is sufficient so long as the author has left "THE" Church and unashamedly states why it was the right decision. But we are regaled frequently by threads with claims of "former" Protestants who "cross the Tiber" and become Roman Catholics and their credentials are considered sterling based simply upon the fact that they "came home". There certainly does seem to be a double standard and it exposes, as I said earlier, the real insecurity some have over what they believe because they are not all that sure WHY they believe it. At some point, "because that's what we believe", doesn't cut it anymore and that is when the Holy Spirit can start to work. We are living proof that He does!