Originally Posted by SSbyG

Believing in Mary and the saints are one thing. Praying to them and holding them up for undue adoration and even worship is another. You can have a life based on faith but it can be faith in the wrong thing or person. The Bible is the final authority for many Christians and we're supposed to compare teachings and doctrines with what God says just as the Bereans were commended for doing. The Catholic beliefs about Mary are unbiblical. They give her a place that it doesn't give her. It's not a question of not respecting someone, it's a question of what is the truth about any particular doctrine.

Originally Posted by Polycarp1

Believe it or not, that's all I was trying to say: the point you yourself made in the part of your post that I underscored above. You did serious emotional injury to someone who was trying to be your friend, by refusing to accede to her (courteously worded) request to back off on arguments with her while she was dealing with two real-life non-Internet crises involving dear friends of hers. I honestly don't want to beat this one into the ground, but trust me that whatever witness you were trying to make was completely undermined by your refusal to act in His spirit there. And the funny thing is, I have a LOT of respect for how you will stand up for your beliefs, even though I disagree with a lot of them. It's that trick of judging when to be outspoken and when to back off, that's the problem -- and I may be guilty of poor judgment by even bringing it up here, myself, so don't feel singled out; I may well be in the same dock as you on this. (And lel or seebs will assuredly let me know if I am.)

But because she matters immensely to me -- that "sister-in-spirit" is not just a glib phrase, but describes a very deep relationship that God brought us to, for our mutual support and spiritual growth -- it became an issue between you and me. I have to be the "big brother sticking up for his little sister" here, and I hope you as the other party can understand the feelings that motivate that.

Think that over, and let me know how you feel about it after letting it settle for a while, huh? I'm not looking to be belligerent, but I have a duty towards her that calls me to confront you about the problem.

Originally Posted by Lel

Nobody's perfect