Catholic Church spending big money fighting marijuana legalization

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/10/28/archdiocese-spend-against-marijuana-legalization/qtCwVY4ViWjRFwOvcyveeK/story.html

Wrong side of history, again.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

All of which justification for their opposition is, obviously, highly discouraging. There's not much indication of a realistic attempt to grapple with the relevant costs and benefits of legalization - e.g. strong evidence that alcohol consumption has declined in states with legal recreation marijuana, and more limited evidence that they have reduced their rates of opiate addiction and overdosing.

Someone should point this out to Tony.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Honestly though this is a valid reason to not be Catholic: I wouldn't want my tithes funding this.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

To be fair, it's better than spending money defending pedophiliac clergy.

Well, yeah--that was a massive moral failing and this is just an incredibly stupid prudential decision.

Both are just symptoms of the ultimate fundamental issue: Having such an influential and powerful hierarchy in a church to begin with. If they start doing things that are either foolish and that one disagrees with (like this) or are extremely morally repulsive (like that), then you're stuck in a very difficult position with the people who are in theory supposed to be your moral leadership.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Shocking that an incredibly powerful, all-male (at least, at the levels that count - in terms of power), genuinely unaccountable religious-political institution that is obsessed with upholding Tradition (specifically as defined by itself) is in fact, completely out of touch with American society (indeed, seems to be outright contemptous toward actual human beings).

FTR, I have nothing against Catholics. But the Church as an institution is awful (BRTD, this is why "cultural Catholics" or indeed, ordinary practicing Catholics are infinitely better than the Church hierarchy. Surely you agree with that?). 

Of course, I never disputed that. What I've been saying and wondering is that if you don't want to be associated with this, it's quite easy--you can leave. Why not downright perplexes me.