wow, just saw your reply to me brought havoc on you. Sorry about that.
I respect the Catholic Church and its absolute right to set the rules for its members. And I respect those who observe those rules, however much in the breach. If one doesn’t like it, one can practice their faith elsewhere (or nowhere), as far as I’m concerned. So I’m not at all challenging, but rather trying to figure out how what appears to be pretty identical circumstances can be perceived quite differently, that’s all.
I don’t know why at FR people can’t have civil discussions on religions without the sniping. I tend to avoid the religious threads for that reason.
It’s not a big deal. But thanks.
Here's a bad example:
Suppose you're a US citizen and decide to abandon your citizenship. There's a way to do it but the US government doesn't recognize you just saying "I quit". It's almost like that with the Catholic Church, but more so.