Obedience is loyalty, not faith.  Following formula is white magic (there is an interesting book on that on the lives of the saints if you are so inclined - I suspect that Thomas' real accomplishment was beginning to move the Church away from superstition.  He did not move it far enough.

As I wrote in MSW's column yesterday, the Church has talked itself into a pickle on original sin and first parents.  It needs a bit less infallibility and a bit more creativity and faith to not look retro (and not in a good way).