Last week Tony Blair urged Pope Benedict XVI to change his views on gay marriage, arguing that the religious leader has an "entrenched attitude" that is in need of a rethink.

The Pope is firmly opposed to any relaxation of the Church's traditional stance on homosexuality, contraception or any other area of human sexuality and he describes homosexuality as a "tendency" towards an "intrinsic moral evil".

In an interview with Attitude magazine the former prime minister said: "We need an attitude of mind where rethinking and the concept of evolving attitudes becomes part of the discipline with which you approach your religious faith."

Historically religion has dictated onto society how people should be living their lives but now the opposite has started happening - society is demanding the church changes to keep up with their modern lifestyles.

Once upon a time when religion and politics were entwined by the monarchy people were punished for not following religion to the letter. As monarchs' powers gradually dwindled so too did the power that religion held over this, and many other countries, around the world.

But does this loss of power mean that religion should now adapt to suit us and our notions of what is right and wrong? Certainly the Pope does not think so.

The whole premise behind religion is that each faith knows it is right. Religion is the most irrationally stubborn belief known to man and so a change of stance will often look like an admittance of being wrong.

Some aspects of religion have been left behind, but often these changes have been imposed on them by serious changes in law. Very infrequently have religions changed to follow society's wishes.

And why is that? If the Pope were to take advice from Tony Blair and change his stance on gay marriage he would effectively be saying Catholicism was not 100% right.  And if it was wrong about gay marriage what else could it be wrong about?