General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why the announcement of a new Pope sparks contempt among some. [View all]MineralMan
(146,286 posts)Despite everything else, the Church has a lot of influence with people. That varies from place to place, of course, but where there are many Catholics, the RCC does have influence. And it is used to sway people's opinions.
Fortunately, that influence often fails. In Minnesota, the Catholic Church spent a great deal of money and energy promoting last year's constitutional amendment that would have permanently banned same sex marriages. That measure did not pass, but it was a close, close call. It was another example of the Catholic Church attempting to control everyone, not just Catholics. Their effort failed, but it doesn't always fail in these situations.
No organized church should be allowed to campaign for or against any measure that affects people who are not Catholics. Period.