Matt isn’t interested in learning about the Catholic Church, in fact he probably hopes it would blow up and turn to dust. His minions probably are the same. Their debate tactics are low life, hurtful and ashamedly wrong both in fact and in spirit. But, they are smart, smart enough to make truth untrue, light darkness and how to explain their own darkness as light (to the blind and to themselves). If in fact these were the only people participating it wouldn’t be worthwhile. However, there are a number who read the posts who never submit a post themselves; looking for answer or support for their own belief systems.
These unseen and unheard are can be detected in the number of views, the number of posts and the number of posters. Sometimes, it is easy to detect during a conversation that there is a large interest among these unheard voices. With Catholic participants they are confronted with two view points, one reasoned the other … well not so reasoned. Without Catholic participants the non-Catholic respond for Catholic in a most unflattering way; we are pagans, eat human flesh, and pedophiles, etc. - the vitriol is horrific. This is all the unheard voices hear, and of course they hear it in the most perverse logic.
Those Catholics that participate don’t do so for ‘work points’ or to save sinners, we do it so that truth can be heard; at least once. A voice not heard in not a voice of truth; a voice that cowers is in fear of deprivation. A good many of our Early Church Fathers participated in debates with some of the foulest of heretics. In so doing they painted grew a beautiful flower of faith and reason in a desert.
JoeT