I see this as a topic to be debated for Catholics only as it only affects them.
I vehemently disagree on this.
I'm not a Catholic, but my entire family is Catholic. My wife and her family are also Catholics. My wife currently wishes to baptize and raise our children as Catholics.
So I
absolutely have a vested interest in what the Catholic church decides because it directly affects me in a very real way.
Trust me, one of the biggest points of contention in our marriage is that idea of raising our children to trust the Catholic Church.
I have no problems raising our children as Christians who believe in God, because I would like them to have the spiritual comfort that comes from religion.
But what I
don't want is for them to be raised in any church that has proven itself to be a danger to children and that has misogynistic ideals.
I've granted multiple concessions regarding the Church in my marriage thus far, including getting married in a Catholic church even though I felt it was a compromise of my own ideals to do so.
I was willing to make a compromise in that regard because it only affected myself. But with **** like this being spewed by the Church, I flat-out
refuse to give ground regarding our children.
I will
not raise my son to think it's safe to trust a Catholic priest. No way, no ****ing how.
I will
not raise my daughters to think that they are not fully and completely equal in the eyes of their God. No way, no ****ing how.
I've done what Kori was asking about earlier. I found the Catholic doctrine morally disagreeable and that's why I'm not Catholic.
If I were to suddenly rediscover a faith in God, I would
still never return to the Catholic church because my disagreements with that Church are not due to my lack of belief in a god. I will never be a part of the Catholic Church again, regardless of any future circumstances or beliefs I have.
So, while I understand your sentiment, the truth of the matter is that Catholic doctrine
does affect non-Catholics as well.