Wake the Kids, Phone the Neighbors

In what might be the first documented case anyone changed their mind about anything after debating it on the Internet, we have this surprising case (in the thread, not the post).

The general rule in Internet debate is that the vitriol slung against the side you were leaning towards only solidifies that side for you.

I'd felt sure that Zippy's "Jonathan: This is the part where you say 'OK, that seals it.'" would be sufficient to provoke a negative reaction in Jonathon, but lo & behold the latter had enough humility and respect for the truth that it allowed him to say:

OK, that seals it, at least with respect to Fr. Harrison's argument, which is all I had in mind. I don't see how his position can be saved if he doesn't make the distinction between ancient practices and medieval practices, because I can't make out any coherent distinction on his account between confession-extracting torture and information-extracting torture... On the Catechism alone, one could make the distinction that I have outlined, but given Fr. Harrison's take on the Catechism, I can't see any consistent way for him to make it out.

I'm convinced. Fr. Harrison appears to me to be relying on special pleading.

Humility is sort of charismatic.