Is it not true that most Catholics don't accept all the doctrine of the Church anyway? That is what I have always heard.
Very few of the Northeast Catholics do. It started when the pill came along in 1960. After that first step, it became easier to defy the Church on other issues. As the rest of America became more religious and conservative in the 1970's and 80's, Catholics were moving in the other direction.
As a former Catholic, I disagree with the church on social issues, but I believe that it is more liberal than many give it credit for. Until his last few years, John Paul II was compassionate towards, though not accepting, of gays. I understand that the Church moves slowly and can't cast aside centuries worth of dogma in just a few decades.
I'm worried that if the Anglican communion breaks up over one gay priest, some American lapsed Catholics will join the Episopalian Church more as a political statement rather than being true believers.
The main reason I don't go to church has nothing to do with faith or values, its that I am a late sleeper and don't like getting up early on Sunday mornings. I still believe in God, I just don't need to sit in a roomful of homophobes once a week to acknowledge that.
