"...they're suspicious, skeptical, and fearful of the rest of us."
THEY | THEM | THOSE PEOPLE
You appear to imply that Catholics are all authoritarians.
I'm quite suspicious of authoritarians - and rightfully fearful. Stable democracy needs an educated population to succeed. That is especially the case with our type of democracy which is flawed, on its last legs and in need of structural reform (like getting rid of the electoral college) However, that won't serve the money interests, so it likely won't happen anytime soon. Couple that with millions of citizens lacking a basic knowledge of civics, ignorant about the scientific method, who don't read, and you have a population easy to manipulate. When you see people voting in a democratic election to put into office an ostensibly "anti-democratic" politician like Trump, that is still democracy in action - but maybe we should call it zombie democracy?
If to have a better more stable democracy that equitably served all citizens would you support employing undemocratic means to get there? In other words, what if the flaws in our democratic system are so entrenched that we are doomed to authoritarian rule by corporations and billionaires unless we break the rules to get power, to change the fundamental rules of the game? There are countries where people participate in democracies that are so flawed that nothing ever changes. Democracies in name only. Rich get richer, poor stay poor. Is violence ever a solution to a democracy in name only? Many on this board opine it isn't. Some will concede that violence may be a last resort. When do you get to the last resort?
Also, I'm a lapsed Catholic. Lapsed because of the rightward tilt the American church has taken in recent decades. Even so, there are both liberal and conservative strains within the church. While Roman Catholicism has its dogma and lays out guidelines and ethics to live by, it does not have the hold on the imagination that you seem to imply. There is a healthy debate in Catholicism on an wide range of topics. I was into Liberation Theology - the opposite of authoritarianism. You might look that up if you're at all curious. Most of the Jewish posters on DU, I would guess come from a background of non-practicing or Reform Movement, with a smattering of Conservatives and that is the viewpoint reflected. Really, if your sister wanted to be a part of a religion that tells a woman what to think and how to act, she could have converted to an ultra orthodox branch of Judaism. It is projected by 2065, the Haredi population in Israel will make up about 40% of the total population. My point is we should be careful broad-brushing certain religions as leaning authoritarian because the accusing finger points both ways.
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