As you can see from some of these posts, Republicanism in the United States is becoming a religion, and Catholics are subordinating their faith to their Republican religion. This accounts for your confusion of Catholicism and political conservatism.
In fact, both political parties have been radicalized due to a number of factors. We have lost sight of the fact that we are all American at the end of the day, and that we must work together. Instead it has been replaced with the idea that the other guy is the enemy, and that there’s only room for one of us in this nation.
If “republicanism” is a religion, “deomcractism” is no less a religion
You’re a Catholic the moment the water is sprinkled on your head. You cease to be a Catholic when you’re excommunicated.
False, excommunication is a disciplinary measure used to encourage the believer to repent of some grave heresy or public sin. It does not make you “not catholic”, you are not disallowed from attending Mass (as per usual, you are encouraged in fact). Rather, you are cut off from the Sacraments, so you can attend Mass, but you can not receive the Eucharist and you can not even receive reconciliation until the excommunication is lifted.
At no point are you ever made “not Catholic”, this is not possible.
In the meantime, either you are a good catholic or a bad catholic. Bumper-sticker slogans can’t kick you out of the church.
No, but one can not knowingly disregard the non-negotiables, this would be abortion, the right deffinition of Marriage in particular, and perhaps some other issues.
Holy Mother Church is all for social justice, and in that light one migth find more sympathy for democrats. But it is the violation of the non-negotiable that, more often than not, breaks the deal. I have seen some genuinely pro-life Democrats, and ones who support proper marriage. The problem is, hardly any of them will ever make it to high elected office, let alone run for the presidency.