U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops worried that their religious liberty is being threatened because they no longer dictate terms of civil marriages everywhere

Starchbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, has warned that Obama's decision not to defend ban on gay marriage could "precipitate a national conflict between Church and State of enormous proportions."

Apparently this is because the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, meeting in Baltimore this week, still thinks its church should be able to dictate the definition of civil marriage to the government or else they somehow will be "victimized," even though the government doesn't tell them who they should marry in religious ceremonies.

Critics of the bishops, point out that while Catholic bishops are making a big show of fighting the state over same-sex marriage, abortion and contraception, more lay Catholics are assuming a liberal attitude toward the same issues. Critics say, also, that the focus on confrontation with Obama is a strategy to divert attention from the sexual abuse crisis that has plagued the church in recent times.

Huffington Post reports that many Catholic academics, activists and parishioners say the bishops are overreacting.

The National Catholic Reporter's annual survey now says only 16% of Catholics say church leaders should have the final say about the "morality" of homosexuality and only 35% say opposing gay marriage is important to them.