The Catholic church, already losing members like mad, decides to kick out a whole bunch more members

[Caliman73]

17. Agreed. Plus Catholicism is not Bible based like many Protestant denominations.

What people do not seem to understand is that Catholicism is based on Apostolic tradition as well as the Bible. Catholicism imbues the Pope with infallibility when discussing spiritual and dogmatic concepts so the abortion thing is not about it being in the Bible or not. It is from Encyclical letters.

Within the context of the Bible, before Jesus ascended into heaven he made Peter, the Rock upon which the church was founded. Essentially Peter was the first Pope. Supposedly what Peter and the Church founders held upon earth, would be held in Heaven, meaning that the rules that were made by the Pope and Church leadership were recognized in Heaven.

Of course there were critics of that doctrine, which created the basis for the Protestant Reformation.

I would not be sad if the Church disappeared or made themselves irrelevant. Catholicism served me well for a time, but I too have moved past the need for that kind of structure and belief system.