Catholics for a Free Choice

An organization of Catholics who are lobbying the United Nations to have the Vatican removed from their current status as Nonmember State Permanent Observer, as they feel it is inappropriate for a church to have this state, even if they are a tiny country-like thing.

Many of the members feel that the Vatican has too much influence by having this position, accusing it of preventing efforts at birth control around the globe, resulting in the deaths of "600,000 women", and the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic to up to 5.8 million people, including an incredible percentage in Africa.

Over 450 organizations worldwide have joined in the movement.

I too disagree with the Catholic Church's antiquated stance on birth control. It's a pointless and dangerous position, but...

The last time I checked, the Catholic Church was not in any way shape or form a democracy. It's members are to believe what Church dogma tells them -- unquestioningly. Birth control, abortion, and the death penalty are all dogmatically declared a sin by the Vatican; thus you cannot support any of those and still be a Catholic in good standing with the Church. (Is it any wonder why there are so many of us lapsed Catholics around?) Where do these organizations get off calling themselves Catholic?

Anyhoo is having the Vatican theocracy in the UN any worse than having the fundamentalist Muslim theocracy's of Afghanistan and Iran as voting members? Heck what about Israel? Most of the other big five have some sort of UN mounthpiece, why shouldn't Christians?