General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Stop Fawning Over Pope Francis at the Expense of Women and Gay Rights [View all]treestar
(82,383 posts)People in KY aren't going to vote him out because liberals hate him. KY is a much smaller venue, too. But the voters there have a Senator who reflects a lot of their views. They won't feel powerless and excluded.
Women can be priests in the Catholic Church and have it recognize them as more equal when the women in the church convince the rest of the church. And their allies. The Church won't change because outsiders hate the Pope due to the church's current anachronistic teachings.
Trying to get people to agree out of fear of exclusion only works if you've already crossed the line where society expects a behavior. And that's all we're doing. To hate a bigot means you have to be lowered to his/her level. The Pope especially would be able to look above that.
I don't see a point in zeroing in on the Pope, either. He's not alone responsible for Catholic doctrine. And it has changed over time when the people in the church wanted it to. We aren't still going to confession, being excommunicated, etc., so it has mellowed out over time. Francis' attitude promotes this.