[ebb tide]

I answer that, Since faith is a virtue, its act must needs be perfect. Now, for the perfection of an act proceeding from two active principles, each of these principles must be perfect: for it is not possible for a thing to be sawn well, unless the sawyer possess the art, and the saw be well fitted for sawing.

St Thomas Aquinas; Summa Theologica

[Arthur McGowan]

Totally irrelevant. Thomas is talking about the theological virtue of faith. I wasn’t. People can worship God, even though their knowledge of him is defective.

Some people—Jews and Muslims—worship the one, true God, without having the theological virtue of faith, because their knowledge of God is defective.

In your scheme of things, it seems, a person is either a Catholic or a knowing, willing Satanist.

[Arthur McGowan]

I answer that, Since faith is a virtue, its act must needs be perfect. Now, for the perfection of an act proceeding from two active principles, each of these principles must be perfect: for it is not possible for a thing to be sawn well, unless the sawyer possess the art, and the saw be well fitted for sawing. St Thomas Aquinas; Summa Theologica

Note that St. Thomas is talking about a PERFECT act of faith--and people who have the theological virtue of faith.

Since I wasn't talking about people who have the theological virtue of faith, this quotation of St. Thomas is irrelevant. And it indicates that you have not been comprehending what I have been saying.

I have been talking precisely about those who do not have any of the theological virtues and whose worship of God is highly imperfect.