If Catholics stopped being welcome in the Democratic Party, rightst fundies would soon go unchecked.

[MellowDem]

1. DU is not the Democratic Party...

which, as a whole, is a lot more conservative than DU.

I don't see people saying Catholics can't be liberals, or part of the Democratic Party, or on DU, I just see people asking legitimate questions and criticizing people for associating and identifying with a homophobic and misogynist organization. Such criticism wouldn't cause any controversy on here if the organization was a secular one, but religion still gets special treatment.

It isn't friendly fire, or a purge, it's asking sincere and honest questions and making legitimate criticisms.

When an organization that discriminates against you and your friends, and lends monetary support to those who would take away yours and other's rights appoints a new leader, and there is a thread on DU congratulating members of that organization for their new leader, who holds the same bigoted beliefs, try to imagine how that feels. Just because it's a religion doesn't mean it or its members should get a pass.

DU is a great place of all to have these sorts of discussions. No, this isn't saying that the Democratic Party should begin a purge of purity. It's being able to have deep and relevant discussions on the issues that oftentimes is not possible anywhere else, because of the realities you cite.