Medjugorje.

What is it about the place that illicits such strong feelings - both for and against?

I have a friend who is Croatian. As such he has a love for the apparitions. I understand this. When I told him via e-mail that I had been doing some research and wanted to talk with him about it. I asked if we could meet for coffee as there were some things I'd found that might hurt him and shouldn't be said via e-mail. He shot right back calling me judgmental and disparaging.

When I asked him how he could say these things to me without even hearing what I had to say, he apologized. When I asked him to pray for the Franciscans there he called me ignorant.

Spewing accusations is not of God. If he ever wanted to convince me that the apparitions are valid - he totally blew it. He knows me well enough to know I am none of the things he's called me. I do my homework. A year's worth before even attempting dialog about it.

And my attempt at dialog is rebuffed. Viciously. So not of God.

But this is what you find when examining Medjugorje very closely. The surface layer is all fluff and nice. The next layer is dirty. The layer below that, down right vile.

Medjugorje supporters state that Pope John Paul II was in support of them and called the apparitions the completion of Fatima - yet this is an outright lie. What happened to Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness??

Pope John Paul himself called for the removal of one of the stray friars at Medjugorje. Some 40 friars at Medjugorje refuse to be obedient to the pope. Surely if the Blessed Mother was appearing there - she would tell them that this is a great evil. God loves obedience over all things. And yet, the apparitions tell the friars to do as they please. It's all good...

Medjugorje supporters will say their fruits lay claim to validity of the apparitions. But think about it. Wouldn't the devil advocate the "conversion" of a few lost souls to aid in bringing down 40 of God's most faithful? At the risk of sounding very very vain - it has long been said the Franciscans are God's most favorite order. Hence it would seem they are a prime target for the evil one.