"When the pope speaks out on issues and religion it is just his faith and opinion."

Yes, technically, it is. I understand that..(I understand ex cathedra also...wrote a paper on the 2nd Vatican Council in college), but over & over on various issues, various church leader do not bother to clarify that, and many of their followers rely on their opinions as if they were official pronouncements. (And I seldom see those leaders disavowing the idea.)

"When those who question ....then they are Christian bashers or biased."

Yep...biased....I am biased in favor of clarity and reason and honest disclosure. Way too many about who I am biased do not understand their own subjective biases. Here, in these discussions, we get many who DO, and it is easier to at least compare notes with them, whether we agree or not. When I lived in the Bible Belt, I was around far too many who were nothing but sheep about beliefs & issues...but aggressive, dangerous sheep.