It’s never been particularly easy for strong women to use their gifts within the Roman Catholic church’s hierarchical structure and their understanding of the separate roles prescribed for men and women. These days, though, it’s getting even harder — and the debate is not something that affects solely Roman Catholics.

Look at the ongoing health care battle, where the USCCB continues to fight inside and outside the church, to impose their beliefs on the entire US medical system.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote movingly and powerfully about the wave of anti-gay hate that is sweeping his continent of Africa. His words, though, bring to mind the very same attitudes in many of our American religious and political leaders. If only there was an American Nobel Peace Prize laureate who spoke like Tutu. Wait — there is. If only there were two.

Glenn Beck’s rant last week wasn’t an attack on Christians in general, but part of a conversation between Roman Catholic bishops and their potential political allies in evangelical and LDS circles, saying “If you want to ally yourself with the LDS and evangelicals, you better clean up your own house first and deal with all those lefty peace-and-justice priests. We don’t need allies like that.”