Sam4: That’s an interesting Tzitz Eliezer. I hadn’t seen it before. I guarantee you that if anyone here said that S’vara we would immediately be branded as Apikorsim or, worse, “MO”. 🙂
Also, see the parallel Bavli of that Yerushalmi (around Yoma 67, I think) which gives a different reason why R’ Elazar wouldn’t answer her. (Interestingly, the Yerushalmi is the Tanna R’ Eliezer but the Bavli is the Amora R’ Elazar, if I recall correctly. The stories are very similar though. I don’t know what the overall P’shat is.)