HaLeiVi: The issue here is obvious. Judaism believes that Tzadikim and Talmidei Chachamim can affect this world in ways that the average person can’t. That much is obvious to anyone who learns.
On the other hand, what we see is a reaction to the hero-worship of “Gedolim” that sometimes borders on near-deification. The reaction is to deny any sort of non-Halachic authority to said Gedolim. The proper response should be to learn Torah and learn what Chachamim can and can’t do.