If demons cannot read our thoughts, how do Angels and Saints hear our silent prayers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter GodHeals
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Just then the devil appeared.

The Lord said to him: “You were created by me and beheld all justice in me. Tell me whether this new bride is legitimately mine by proven right! I allow you to see and understand her heart in order that you may know how to answer me. Does she love anything else as she does me or would she take anything in exchange for me?”

The devil answered him: “She loves nothing in the way she loves you. Rather than lose you she would undergo any torment, provided you gave her the virtue of patience. I see a kind of bond of fire descending from you to her that ties her heart so much to you that she thinks of and loves nothing but you.”

Then the Lord said to the devil: “Tell me what you feel in your heart and how you like this great love I have for her.”

The devil replied and said: “I have two eyes, one of them corporeal, although I am not corporeal, by means of which I perceive temporal things so clearly that there is none so hidden or so dark that it can hide itself from me. The second eye is a spiritual one with which I see every pain no matter how slight and can understand to which sin it pertains. There is no sin so tenuous and slight that I do not see it, unless it has been purged by penance. However, although there are no organs more sensitive than the eyes, still I would much rather have two burning torches uninterruptedly penetrate my eyes than for her to see with the eyes of her spirit. I also have two ears. One of them is corporeal, and no one speaks so privately that I do not hear and know it with this ear. The second is a spiritual ear, and no thinks of or aims at any sin, be it ever so hidden, that I do not hear it with this ear, unless it has been blotted out by penance. There is a certain punishment in hell that is like a bubbling torrent, streaming out of a terribly hot fire. I would rather suffer this to flow in and out of my ears with out cease than that she should hear anything with the ears of her spirit. I also have a spiritual heart. I would let it be ceaselessly cut to pieces and constantly renewed to be punished again just in order for her heart to grow cold in your love. But, now, since you deal straightly, let me ask a question for you to answer me: Tell me, why do you love her so much, and why did you not choose someone holier, richer, and prettier for yourself?”

The Lord answered: “Because that is what justice demanded.”

The Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden
 
Shin said:
Just then the devil appeared.

The Lord said to him: “You were created by me and beheld all justice in me. Tell me whether this new bride is legitimately mine by proven right! I allow you to see and understand her heart in order that you may know how to answer me. Does she love anything else as she does me or would she take anything in exchange for me?”

The devil answered him: “She loves nothing in the way she loves you. Rather than lose you she would undergo any torment, provided you gave her the virtue of patience. I see a kind of bond of fire descending from you to her that ties her heart so much to you that she thinks of and loves nothing but you.”

Then the Lord said to the devil: “Tell me what you feel in your heart and how you like this great love I have for her.”

The devil replied and said: “I have two eyes, one of them corporeal, although I am not corporeal, by means of which I perceive temporal things so clearly that there is none so hidden or so dark that it can hide itself from me. The second eye is a spiritual one with which I see every pain no matter how slight and can understand to which sin it pertains. There is no sin so tenuous and slight that I do not see it, unless it has been purged by penance. However, although there are no organs more sensitive than the eyes, still I would much rather have two burning torches uninterruptedly penetrate my eyes than for her to see with the eyes of her spirit. I also have two ears. One of them is corporeal, and no one speaks so privately that I do not hear and know it with this ear. The second is a spiritual ear, and no thinks of or aims at any sin, be it ever so hidden, that I do not hear it with this ear, unless it has been blotted out by penance. There is a certain punishment in hell that is like a bubbling torrent, streaming out of a terribly hot fire. I would rather suffer this to flow in and out of my ears with out cease than that she should hear anything with the ears of her spirit. I also have a spiritual heart. I would let it be ceaselessly cut to pieces and constantly renewed to be punished again just in order for her heart to grow cold in your love. But, now, since you deal straightly, let me ask a question for you to answer me: Tell me, why do you love her so much, and why did you not choose someone holier, richer, and prettier for yourself?”

The Lord answered: “Because that is what justice demanded.”

The Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden
Click to expand...
That proves nothing.

The writings of a saint are not infallible teaching.

And some of this does not even make sense (translation may be an issue). How can there be a corporeal eye with no corporeal body?

ICXC NIKA
 
Shin said:
Just then the devil appeared…

…I also have two ears. One of them is corporeal, and no one speaks so privately that I do not hear and know it with this ear. The second is a spiritual ear, and no one thinks of or aims at any sin, be it ever so hidden, that I do not hear it with this ear, unless it has been blotted out by penance.

The Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden
Click to expand...
I knew it! 😃
 
OK.

I brought out my Fr. Fortea book (Interview With An Exorcist) and did some research.

I am pretty sure Fr. Fortea when talking about angels/demons NOT being able to read our hearts and minds . . . he means just that.

I am also pretty sure when Fr. Fortea is talking about demons and non-verbal communication with us, he is talking about a different faculty.

Fr. Fortea is talking about purposeful non-physical communication.

Non-physical communication is different than being able to peer into the thoughts of men.
  • Non-Physical Communication Not Equal To Reading Thoughts and Hearts (which only God can do)
A relative of mine also pointed out this out to me quoting St. Thomas Aquinas who also makes the same distinction (I’ll cite it later) as Fr. Fortea does.

Only when St. Thomas does it, he is discussing angel-to-angel thoughts (angels can’t read each others thoughts either) as differing from this non-physical communication.

I’ll get into why angel-to-angel communication is relevant for angel-to-people communication shortly.
What is this “NON-PHYSICAL COMMUNICATION” I am talking about?

There is a type of communication, that St. Thomas calls “angelic speech”. He defines this as “simply the manifestation of an interior word, which we mentally conceive.”

For lack of a better phrase, I suppose you could call it “mental telepathy” or “mental communication”.

How is non-physical communication different than being able to mind a read?

I don’t know but it IS DISTINCT and St. Thomas just matter of factly discusses them as distinct entities too (just as Fr. Fortea does).

For example, when angels “talk” to one another this is how they would have communication–non-physically since they are of course spiritual beings.

The Saints in Heaven (who do not have their bodies yet—which is all the Heavenly Saints other than the Blessed Virgin Mary who DOES have Her body in Heaven, but may communicate in verbal AND a non-verbal fashion—I just don’t know) must communicate in some analogous manner to the angels if not the exact same manner.

I reviewed Fr. Fortea’s book, and he too draws this distinction of angels NOT being able to read a persons mind, . . . .but . . . . if a person directs his/her mind and will to a saint, an angel, or a demon, they can hear you!

These are different faculties (which is why Fr. Fortea is NOT contradicting himself).
  • Non-Physical Communication Not Equal To Reading Thoughts and Hearts (which only God can do)
The question of demons knowing or not knowing the future would seem to arise out of this topic too (“Just how much can those demons really know?”), so I will also include a quote from Fr. Fortea on that issue as well but later.

First Fr. Fortea regarding: “Can a demon read someone’s mind?” The answer is “No”.

Fr. Fortea . . . . they (demons) cannot read our thoughts. With their great intelligence, they can guess what we are thinking—but they can never be absolutely certain. As spiritual beings, they are much more intelligent than we are, and as such, they can deduce things with greater accuracy and with fewer external signs than we can. But we always have to remember that demons are outside our souls; only God can truly read the soul.

Now Fr. Fortea on the non-physical communication that MAY take place with the will of the person . . . .

Fr. Fortea . . . . This being said, **if one directs his mind **and will to a saint, an angel, or a demon, they can hear us. So it does not matter whether our prayer is verbal or merely mental.

Let’s look at the same phenomenon with angels and other angels according to St. Thomas Aquinas.

First regarding: “Can an angel read another angel’s mind?” No.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS . . . .for, as we proved earlier, one angel does not have direct and particular knowledge of what lies hidden in the heart of another . . .

Now St. Thomas Aquinas on the non-physical communication phenomenon that MAY take place with the will of the angel to another angel . . . .

**
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS** . . . an angel must have some way of manifesting his thought to another. This way can be called angelic speech, for what we call speech in our own case is simply the manifestation of an interior word, which we mentally conceive.

But does St. Thomas Aquinas think this angel-to-angel non-physical communication have anything in common with human communication? Yes. There is an analogy so the angel-to-angel corresponding to human-to-angel communication is applicable. Let’s listen to St. Thomas again.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS . . . We can understand how angels manifest their concepts to one another if we study the resemblance their speech has to things in nature, because, as Boethius says, forms in nature are quasi-images of immaterial things.

The next post will have Fr. Fortea’s and St. Thomas Aquinas’ extended quotes and sources for context.

I hope this was helpful for the readers of this thread. It was certainly helpful for me.

God bless.

Cathoholic

(Bold of above quotes mine)
 
Boomerang. The following is the extended quotes from Fr. Fortea’s book, Interview With An Exorcist for context.

(book can be obtained here including “bulk discount” purchases if inclined to give them away to others).
  1. Can demons read our thoughts?
    No. Though demons can tempt us, they cannot read our thoughts. With their great intelligence, they can guess what we are thinking—but they can never be absolutely certain. As spiritual beings, they are much more intelligent than we are, and as such, they can deduce things with greater accuracy and with fewer external signs than we can. But we always have to remember that demons are outside our souls; only God can truly read the soul. This being said, if one directs his mind and will to a saint, an angel, or a demon, they can hear us. So it does not matter whether our prayer is verbal or merely mental. In certain cases of possession I have observed that the demon obeys orders that have been given mentally.
    From pages 34-35
Click to expand...
This is from St. Thomas Aquinas work, “Questiones Disputatae de Veritate”, also called “Truth”. (Net version here, book here)

Whole book online here.
ARTICLE IV
In the fourth article we ask:
Does one angel speak to another?
Click to expand...
There must be some kind of speech among angels, for, as we proved earlier, one angel does not have direct and particular knowledge of what lies hidden in the heart of another; consequently, an angel must have some way of manifesting his thought to another. This way can be called angelic speech, for what we call speech in our own case is simply the manifestation of an interior word, which we mentally conceive.
Click to expand...
We can understand how angels manifest their concepts to one another if we study the resemblance their speech has to things in nature, because, as Boethius says, forms in nature are quasi-images of immaterial things.
Click to expand...
Above from: TRUTH by Thomas Aquinas
Html edition by Joseph Kenny, O.P.

Also from Fr. Fortea’s book on the question of demons being able to know the future (the answer to that in “No” also).
  1. Do demons know the future?
    No. Demons do not have knowledge of future events. In addition, what belongs to human freedom is undetermined; they do not know in advance our free choices. However, since their intelligence is far superior to ours, they can often predict the future simply by observation and deduction. With their superior intelligence, they can see the effects of certain causes whereas we would perceive nothing. Thus, there are times when they can accurately predict what will happen, even though the most intelligent of human beings would not even suspect such a result, no matter how many factors are analyzed in the present. On other occasions, due to the complexities and variability of human action, even the most powerful angelic intellect can be mistaken in its predictions.
    Page 17
Click to expand...
Italics original.

Later perhaps, I will try to get to posting the verses I said I would concerning God reading the hearts and minds of men.
Shin. In post 40 you quoted from The Revelations of St. Bridget of Sweden:

QUOTE:
The second is a spiritual ear, and no thinks of or aims at any sin, be it ever so hidden, that I do not hear it with this ear, unless it has been blotted out by penance.

But this is just quoting satan who is talking. satan who is the pride-puffed father of lies.

I believe St. Bridget of Sweden really heard this dialogue.

But you cannot take this to be Catholic theology satan is teaching. You cannot take this to necessarily be truth that the father of lies is speaking. You cannot take this to mean satan has the power to read the hearts and thoughts of men (or for that matter angels).

You perhaps CAN take this to mean satan thinks he has power to peer into the hearts of men. Self-deluding? Dishonestly? I don’t know.

But notice even also satan admits . . .

QUOTE:
The second is a spiritual ear, and no thinks of or aims at any sin, be it ever so hidden, that I do not hear it with this ear, unless it has been blotted out by penance.

Certainly not equivalent to a Divine observation into the minds and hearts of men.

After all, if he could read hearts like God, WHY could he not be able to remember those thoughts that he “read”? Why would satan not know these sins if a man does penance? Even you and I Shin can recall other people’s sins . . . even when they DO carry out penance!

I think satan is talking about how he cannot use it against the man (perhaps on his death bed to tempt him to despair) as “the accuser” (see Revelation 12:10 to see him accusing the brethren “day and night”) but I don’t know for sure what it means.

But I know what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean satan can read the hearts and/or minds of men in the sense that only God can.

The other question is HOW could satan hear the sins? By peering into a mans mind? Or by deducing from how a man acts what that man is thinking?

Big difference.

The St. Bridget of Sweden post is interesting (thanks for posting it), but offers no insight into angels reading the hearts and minds of men. Something that only God ALONE can do.

CCC 1776c For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. . . . His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths."
 
We are the temple of God… He lives in us… so… why would He not hear our thoughts/prayers…

Demons could do the same thing, if they are in us or we leave room for them in us. Why not?

Also personally I believe in Auras… and what you think and feel is reflected in that Aura…not to mention Demons are and have been around humans for Centuries, they may or may not be able to read our thoughts per say literally… but they have observed how people react to feelings and ideas for eons.

Why can they not read upon reaction?
 
(Bold type of below mine)

Boomerang.

St. Bridget of Sweden merely observed a discussion between God and satan and related that discussion.

I said:

QUOTE:
you cannot take this (statement from satan) to be catholic theology satan is teaching . . .

St. Bridget is merely telling us what he said. She is not stating it is doctrinally true or false.

Your reply also was:

QUOTE:
Nor can we take Fr. Fortea’s or Aquinas’ opinions to be official Catholic teaching, either.

But my point regarding St. Bridget of Sweden had nothing to do with whether or not St. Bridget of Sweden’s writings are “official Catholic teaching”. I just wasn’t addressing that issue.

I was merely pointing out that all St. Bridget is doing here is relating a discussion she was made privy to. That’s all.

You then took the part of dialogue from satan, and suggested that as a reason to assert demons can enter into our thoughts and minds based upon what satan said.

And I am saying, this is not licit to hear of a satanic boast, and use it to try to assert Catholic teaching—that’s all. Not that this is or isn’t “official Church teaching.”

But even if you do take satan’s statement as pedagogical, it still doesn’t say what you are trying to get the writing to say (I gave three reasons why in post 44).

Also when you said:

QUOTE:
Nor can we take Fr. Fortea’s or Aquinas’ opinions to be official Catholic teaching, either.

I have never said Fr. Fortea’s book is “official Catholic teaching” either. Nor did I try to intimate this idea even.

You said Fr. Fortea was contradicting himself. And I showed why he wasn’t contradicting himself.

I also showed that what Fr. Fortea is teaching, is in HARMONY with what the Church teaches (from Scripture and CCC passages) regarding this issue.

Also when you said:

QUOTE:
Nor can we take Fr. Fortea’s or Aquinas’ opinions to be official Catholic teaching, either.

I did not attempt to say St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings are “official Catholic teaching” either.

But St. Thomas is held in such high regard by the Church, that if you are going to reject what St. Thomas teaches, you ought to have a very good reason.

St. Thomas doctrinally didn’t bat .1000, and I have no issue with cautiously rejecting something that he teaches . . . on the condition of . . . having a pretty good authority (the Church) to back up that rejection of a particular doctrinal teaching.

Just listen to how the Church talks of St. Thomas (yes this doesn’t mean St. Thomas is inspired or infallible, but it does mean we should pay close attention to him).

From Aeterni Patris (Pope Leo XIII, 1879) . . . . speak . . . of . . . two glorious doctors in particular **angelic St. Thomas **and the seraphic St. Bonaventure, illustrious teachers of this faculty, . . .with surpassing genius, . . .

. . . . 17. Among the Scholastic Doctors, the chief and master of all towers Thomas Aquinas, who, as Cajetan observes, because “he most venerated the ancient doctors of the Church, in a certain way seems to have inherited the intellect of all.”(34) The doctrines of those illustrious men, like the scattered members of a body, Thomas collected together and cemented, distributed in wonderful order, and so increased with important additions that he is rightly and deservedly esteemed the special bulwark and glory of the Catholic faith. . . . .
  1. . . . indeed, that reason, borne on the wings of Thomas to its human height, can scarcely rise higher, while faith could scarcely expect more or stronger aids from reason than those which she has already obtained through Thomas. . . .
  2. . . . . And we know how in those great homes of human wisdom, . . . Thomas reigned supreme; and that the minds of all, of teachers as well as of taught, rested in wonderful harmony under the shield and authority of the Angelic Doctor.
  3. But, furthermore, Our predecessors in the Roman pontificate have celebrated the wisdom of Thomas Aquinas by exceptional tributes of praise and the most ample testimonials. Clement VI in the bull In Ordine; Nicholas V in his brief to the friars of the Order of Preachers, 1451; Benedict XIII in the bull Pretiosus, and others bear witness that the universal Church borrows lustre from his admirable teaching; while St. Pius V declares in the bull Mirabilis that heresies, confounded and convicted by the same teaching, were dissipated, and the whole world daily freed from fatal errors; others, such as Clement XII in the bull Verbo Dei, affirm that most fruitful blessings have spread abroad from his writings over the whole Church, and that he is worthy of the honor which is bestowed on the greatest Doctors of the Church, . . . . while to these judgments of great Pontiffs on Thomas Aquinas comes the crowning testimony of Innocent VI: “His teaching above that of others, the canonical writings alone excepted, enjoys such a precision of language, an order of matters, a truth of conclusions, that those who hold to it are never found swerving from the path of truth, and he who dare assail it will always be suspected of error.”(36) . . . .
  4. The ecumenical councils, also, where blossoms the flower of all earthly wisdom, have always been careful to hold Thomas Aquinas in singular honor. In the Councils of Lyons, Vienna, Florence, and . . . . But the chief and special glory of Thomas, one which he has shared with none of the Catholic Doctors, is that the Fathers of Trent made it part of the order of conclave to lay upon the altar, together with sacred Scripture and the decrees of the supreme Pontiffs, the Summa of Thomas Aquinas, whence to seek counsel, reason, and inspiration. . . . .
 
One thing I would like to clarify for any non-Catholic readers of this thread.

When I do pray to an angel (for example to my Angel in the Guardian Angel prayer [given below]), that CAN be non-verbal or verbal and my Angel still hears that prayer either way, yet still beholding the face of God.

You have an angel too.

MATTHEW 18:10 10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.

PSALM 34:7 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

ZECHARIAH 1:9b-13 9b The angel who talked with me said to me, ‘I will show you what they are.’ 10 So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, ‘These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.’ 11 And they answered the angel of the LORD who was standing among the myrtle trees, ‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ 12 Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these seventy years?’ 13 And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

CCC 334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.

CCC 335a In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance . . .

CCC 336 From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. “Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.” Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

In my non-verbal to my Angel, my Angel can hear my prayer not because my Angel can peer into my mind/heart, but rather because God conveys it to “him” (my Angel). I explained how this is the case here (in Luke chapter 15).

In non-Catholic theology, we were taught all prayer is “worship”. This was false.

In Baptist Sunday school, we never were taught to pray to angels (at least the Baptist Sunday School that I recall).

You can have prayer that is not worship too.

This non-worship prayer (basically saying “I pray thee” or “I ask thee”) is exemplified in Genesis when Jacob/Israel wrestles with an angel. Then when wearied, Jacob/Israel prays to “him” for a blessing (“bless me”).

(see an image of this event here or here).

In Genesis we see Jacob (Israel) “praying” to an angel, eventually asking for a blessing (“bless me”).

GENESIS 32:24, 26-28, 29b 24 And Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. . . . 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29b . . . And there he blessed him.

GENESIS 32:29 (King James Version) And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

I just thought I’d mention this for any non-Catholic readers of this thread that may not be familiar with ancient Christian Church teachings on praying to the Communion (and we are in “Communion” with them) of Saints including the Holy Angels in that “Communion”.

And we pray for one another in the Body of Christ because God wills us to help one another. Not because God can’t get the job done on His own. As a matter of fact, this is part of the way HOW God “gets the job done on His own.”

He works in and through His Angelic Hosts and in and through His people (even when they are in Heaven). That is part of what grace is.

**
Angel of God Prayer**
Angel of God, my guardian dear,
To whom God’s love commits me here,
Ever this day, be at my side,
To light and guard, Rule and guide.
Amen.

Lord, hear our prayers. Hear them when we pray them DIRECTLY to you God. AND hear them Lord indirectly when we intercede (by your grace) for one other within the Mystical Body of Christ as this is your will we do so also and we want to obey your will Lord.

May our prayers be taken like incense to you in Heaven by your Holy Angels on our behalf.

REVELATION 5:8 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;

REVELATION 8:3-4 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; 4 and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.

TOBIT 12:12a, 15 12 And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; . . . .15 I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One."
 
Cathoholic said:
(Bold type of below mine)

Boomerang.

St. Bridget of Sweden merely observed a discussion between God and satan and related that discussion.

I said:

QUOTE:
you cannot take this (statement from satan) to be catholic theology satan is teaching . . .

St. Bridget is merely telling us what he said. She is not stating it is doctrinally true or false.

Your reply also was:

QUOTE:
Nor can we take Fr. Fortea’s or Aquinas’ opinions to be official Catholic teaching, either.

But my point regarding St. Bridget of Sweden had nothing to do with whether or not St. Bridget of Sweden’s writings are “official Catholic teaching”. I just wasn’t addressing that issue.

I was merely pointing out that all St. Bridget is doing here is relating a discussion she was made privy to. That’s all.

You then took the part of dialogue from satan, and suggested that as a reason to assert demons can enter into our thoughts and minds based upon what satan said.

And I am saying, this is not licit to hear of a satanic boast, and use it to try to assert Catholic teaching—that’s all. Not that this is or isn’t “official Church teaching.”

But even if you do take satan’s statement as pedagogical, it still doesn’t say what you are trying to get the writing to say (I gave three reasons why in post 44).

Also when you said:

QUOTE:
Nor can we take Fr. Fortea’s or Aquinas’ opinions to be official Catholic teaching, either.

I have never said Fr. Fortea’s book is “official Catholic teaching” either. Nor did I try to intimate this idea even.

You said Fr. Fortea was contradicting himself. And I showed why he wasn’t contradicting himself.

I also showed that what Fr. Fortea is teaching, is in HARMONY with what the Church teaches (from Scripture and CCC passages) regarding this issue.

Also when you said:

QUOTE:
Nor can we take Fr. Fortea’s or Aquinas’ opinions to be official Catholic teaching, either.

I did not attempt to say St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings are “official Catholic teaching” either.

But St. Thomas is held in such high regard by the Church, that if you are going to reject what St. Thomas teaches, you ought to have a very good reason.

St. Thomas doctrinally didn’t bat .1000, and I have no issue with cautiously rejecting something that he teaches . . . on the condition of . . . having a pretty good authority (the Church) to back up that rejection of a particular doctrinal teaching.

Just listen to how the Church talks of St. Thomas (yes this doesn’t mean St. Thomas is inspired or infallible, but it does mean we should pay close attention to him)…
Click to expand...
Lets face it. There’s no official teaching on this subject. It’s all speculation. You have your sources, I have mine. This whole argument borders on madness anyway. No one can prove squat whether demons can read our thoughts or not. I think they can, you don’t. Such is life. :tiphat:
 
Boomerang. You said:

QUOTE:
No one can prove squat whether demons can read our thoughts or not. I think they can, you don’t. Such is life. :tiphat:

Thank you so much for the dialogue. Seriously. You helped persuade me into doing some very interesting reading that I may not have done otherwise.

God bless you, and keep up the great work. :tiphat:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top