baiting, the good and the bad.

Dear mwheat2

The joy of the Lord be in your heart.

Thank you for your post and for stimulating those that for some reason post their question anonymously to continue in their quest of the Holy Grail.

More than once I have had to bow my head and ask forgiveness on this board.

How to treat this kind of questions?

If there is in a recondite corner of the poster's heart a secret, perhaps or probably unconscious yearning for truth let him or her fire away. That's one potent reason for not ostracizing him or her. There is nothing impossible for God. Saint Paul was a lethal persecutor of Christians and look what the Lord has done through him!

There is an other reason to go on answering these questions: Many come over from other boards and have a look at the questions and answers. Why at these provocative questions? Well, these questions are everyday food to believers and unbeliever. The high number of answers is an indication of this situation. Answering these questions you help somebody to sea clearer. He-she wouldn't have read these answers if the baiter wasn't doing his or her job.

Personally I get very serious private anonymous questions that wouldn't have been posted if these "agents provocateurs" hadn't posted theirs.

Now regarding baiting I would like to share a personal experience. I received a big help many years ago. We, the parish priests had our regular reunions in order to coordinate and to help each other. As everybody was very busy we came together for lunch. I miss these lunches. Once I complained bitterly about an obnoxious member of my parish council. One of my confreres told me that he had renewed his parish council. He had such a "thorn in the flesh" too. Well this "instrument of the Lord" wasn't elected. As parish priest you can name additional members as "experts" or "advisors." He named expressly this member as "experts" with a highfaluting title like "coordinator of extraordinary events" or some such. His reason: "Who teaches me to love? Not the other ones. They do everything I tell them. I need this man!"

I noticed that this type of questions is posted when there appear very catholic posts as "potent novenas", "statues of saints." Perhaps these anonymous brethren feel they are baited?

I like to read the answers. I don't know you, dear experts, but you are the cream of the cream. When I see one of your names I expect a very characteristic answer and I get to read it. At the end it's like a symphony: many different sounds and ONE harmonious rousing music! That's one of the many privileges of being Catholic isn't it?

Last not least, this board could become an instrument of mere ponderous objective debate. I like my food with a little spice. Sometimes I burn my tong. But it's fun.

vale

mscperu

PS. An aside: please hurry up my dear Catholic experts! I get posts I wouldn't get if I weren�t in the top ten, I'm sure. My father superior showed me the phone bill. He said nothing. He only raised his eyebrow. I'm connecting by dial up. So pretty soon I will have to answer once a week or so. I have tried to stay on top because there has to be a catholic in order to "capture" the innocent and many times anonymous questions because of second place, you know. I don�t understand the ranking. You are answering away many more posts than "second place". You get good ratings! Why isn�t that reflected in the Catholicism board ranking? To be sincere, "I�m sticking in my spoon" as they say here not only for altruistic apologetics sake. I answer too because it�s fun!