their organized church services. I stop going because they are getting into politics way to much.

It must be the psychological comfort of the familiar and the really cool system which allows you to break all the rules and get a GET OUT OF JAIL FREE card by going to confession.

Then you are supporting an organization that the defends child rapists

You are supporting an organization that refuses to have a zero tolerance policy on child rape for the simple fact that they tolerate child rape

My husband stopped when they started passing out "Voter's Guides" with the candidates' stance on only three issues listed.

The only three issues the bishop felt were important that election year?

Prayer in school
Vouchers for religious school
Abortion

Of course this was before gay marriage was even a possibility politically, or that would have been their fourth issue voters needed to consider.

The church defends serial child rapists for decades and doesn't cross the line but put a second collection plate in for defeating gay marriage and that's it

Jeeesh

... so it is very perplexing to me that there are those who disagree with about 80 percent-plus of what this church stands for, but will not leave.

Is 'tradition' so strong that they cannot leave an organization as bad as this one? Or do they still believe somehow that this is the 'true' church and if they depart they will burn for eternity?

Since this church is certainly not democratic and is an authoritarian institution, nothing the dissenting members do will ever fundamentally change the organization. Hey, even the great reformer Martin Luther was kicked out after all he did to try and change the church from inside.

Seems to me that the only thing to do would be to quit so that the decline in membership and finances makes the church increasingly irrelevant.

...when I was in HS, there were priests that supported the Vietnam War. That did it for me.
To be fair, there were some that did not, and did work for peace and supporting the poor.
At least one that I know of is no longer a priest.
The Catholic church, as pointed out in the OP, IS a wing of the republican/taliban party.

before leaving HS. Same era as you.
Vietnam really pointed up the lies that the church was more than happy to spew.

I was sent to Catholic Schools from first grade through high school. Stopped attending non-school services at age 16. Stopped attending completely after graduation. Now I only set foot in Catholic churches for other people's weddings or funerals.

...how can any decent person continue to follow this evil, corrupt, hate organization blows my mind.

...how can any decent person continue to follow this evil, corrupt, hate country blows my mind.

I was born here. The country still is a republic, even if in a terrible condition.

I can still hope to change the nation by who I decide to vote for, by being politically active, speaking for my point of view, trying to persuade others, etc.

The Roman Catholic church on the other hand is not a democracy -- it is authoritarian, you cannot change it as a lay person -- only the pope and/or his minion cardinals can change it. However, you can just quit ... you don't have to move, get a passport or visa, seek citizenship in another place ... just quit.

That's the difference.

It's time to abandon it.

in order to change it. There are many organizations working to bring about that change. .

Homophobia and sexism reign supreme in the Catholic Church.

My husband and I held on for years thinking we could help change things from the inside. I was heavily involved in the parochial school my kids attended, my husband was president of the parish council. We both worked hard for the social concerns committee. We spoke out when our diocese tried to foist the blame for the child sex scandal on the laity with their mandatory "Protecting God's Children" series. We pointedly ripped up the petition cards we were presented and given time to fill out during Mass, designed to be sent to Congress on such matters as gay marriage and health care. We also challenged our priest when he said he would deny communion to Dick Durbin.

We have very hard heads, and it took us a long time to realize that we were 2 people fighting against the tide. Our church won't change, so we had to leave.

in the middle of the Archdiocese's approved hate speech-instead-of-homily "protecting" marriage. It was a beautiful site to see at least a couple of other people get up in the middle of the hate and walk out.

Wasn't that a very liberating experience? I thought it was. What a relief.

But to me, the larger point and the bottom line are that you're still supporting the Vatican & the bishops & cardinals and all their evil doings.

after trying to get an annulment of my first marriage. At that in my life (I was very young), I was still very Catholic and when my husband ended up being gay, I filed for an annulment. I won't go into details, but it was a horrible experience which left me deeply saddened and destroyed my faith. The annulment didn't happen and according to the Catholic church, I am still married to that man. When I think about it now, it's absurd such a 'rule' exists and that I was so devastated by it.

he just had to pony up about half of what he owned, an incredible amount for a relatively poor person. But he did so happily.
And the church in their turn ignored most of their teachings on marriage for that chunk of money.

Just as it ever was.

all left The Italian-American version of the Catholic Church over a woman's right to chose and contraception....in the early 70's.

I would like to leave this decision to the Catholic women in question.

Can we please not demean them?

explain?

I was raised Catholic, but got to thinking:

1) I don't believe birth control is a sin.
2) I don't believe the Pope is infallible.
3) I don't believe you should pray to Mary.

So, I thought, "What's the point?", left and haven't looked back. As we've moved, I've belonged to Methodist and Presbyterian churches, and currently belong to an ecumenical church made up of Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and Lutherans.

I love it, and nobody talks about politics or abortion.

I was on the verge of a separation/divorce and had recently gone to the March For Womens' Lives. Friends had invited me to go and I did, very much against my ex's decree. I was very moved by the event and made up my mind that I would not live a lie. Went back one more time, to sort of say goodbye, with the "Stop The War On Women" sticker on my car that I bought at the march. Sat through the service and couldn't wait to leave. Walked out the door, drove home and never went back. A couple of my friends, who thought I was crazy at the time, have since left over contraception/abortion issues.

That's when the pill became available and I wasn't about to just say no. Unfortunately, there are the ranks of the indoctrinated who never will cause they are afraid of going to Hell.

Ahead of your time, for sure. Good for you. Many are following in your footsteps today!

of woman hating.

a friend of mine who is a church-going Catholic told me she is seriously considering quitting the church. She was very offended that the priest used his sermon to rant against the same-sex marriage proposal here in MD. She said the only reason she hasn't is the effect in will have on her devout, elderly and ailing parents and the reaction of her Catholic family in general. She knows I got some serious blowback from my family when I quit in 2004 and took my (then) teenage daughter with me. I told her gently I think it is time for her to find a faith more tolerant and in touch than the Catholic Church.

If SHE is considering leaving, the Church is serious trouble. Soon there will be nobody at mass but a bunch of cranky old men.

so the Catholic church can pay their sex abuse lawsuits . . . while the guys in the funny hats tell us what is and is not moral.