Amos

Sorry about the word I missed.

Yes I understand now and you make a good point. I would say that you are wrong in your opinion but agree that you do have the right to an opinion of your own. Were you not a minor when you were Confirmed?

Shake

Exactly my thoughts.

Proxima Centauri

I think what would most benefit the Roman Catholic Church would be if its members all ceased to be Roman Catholics and became free thinkers.

Bumble Bee Tuna

Other-

Not being allowed to bring children to church, thus ensuring that they would only be exposed to the crazy church at an age when they had critical thinking skills, and only if they chose to do so, would be the thing that would benefit catholics the most, because they might stop believing their superstitions.

I would have said 'abolishing the church entirely' but at least the option I picked could be defended from a catholic perspective by saying the catholic position is ironclad and by waiting and letting people make informed decisions, it will strengthen their faith.

On a slightly more serious note, I'd probably think something like losing the ridiculous wasteful hierarchy from the church. This would in turn eliminate things like the harmful BC ban for some people, because individual churches could choose not to follow that sort of shit.

-B

Sephiroth

That's all I ask for.Yes.

Sephiroth

Since, excommunication only causes the church to see you as a bad Catholic rather than not one at all (they're too arrogant to think anyone would ever want to leave the church), I just don't have the motivation currently. Of course, I probably will do it someday as being seen as a bad Catholic by the church is the next best thing.

Ronin

Peace for a humanity free from suffering.

You would then no longer need any religious system that brutally preys on the hopes of the despondent.

Of course, this would not only benefit 'Catholics'...but all beings.

Hedwig

I went with the abolition of the ban on birth control. A sister of my late grandmother pumped out twelve kids in thirteen years and then (shockingly enough) died of several complications related to her reproductive system before she even got to see all of her children grow up. My family knows how effective the whole Catholic sanctioned methods of birth control are.

themistocles

I don't think the ban on birth control effects the Catholic Church much. I went to a pretty liberal Catholic school and the prevailing thought was that Papal doctrine wasn't much different than what you're parents might dictate to you as a teen. Sure, they'll say "don't do this, don't do that", but they can't control you all the time and you still love 'em 'cause they're your parents. In other words, they were rather selective in following their religion. There isn't much of a rift between Catholics about it, either any given Catholic supports it or they ignore it and that's that.

Personally, I think marriage of priests is the big deal. By not allowing marriage, they automatically cut out a massive demographic (anyone who wants to get married) from their clergy. Really, shortage of priests is the overwhelming percieved problem in the Catholic Church and it apparently is reaching pretty critical levels.

(editted for spelling errors)

Godless Sodomite

I'm sure you're right that American Catholics generally don't care what the official Curch position is regarding birth control. However, in other parts of the world with active Catholic missionaries and less money than the USA, it's a very big deal.

-Jerry