I can't speak for others, but as for the R. C. Church, it's not a matter of workplace equality, as it would be in nearly all other situations. The ordained life isn't defined as being an occupation. It amounts to more than an administrative post like one held by a bureaucrat or a county clerk.
If one is an adherent to the faith, then one accepts that the priest has special juju from God that allows him to stand in place of God when he's performing various religious services.
The question that has to be answered is whether or not the theology can support ordination of women.
I, myself, would like there to be female ordinations. Women priests. But I want that decision to come from the Vatican. And certainly not from outside pressures. Good fences make good neighbors.
I think it's a workplace equality issue, as well as a theological issue - because money and career choices are involved. Even when the vow of poverty is applicable, both priests and nuns have technically earned a salary and chosen to give their earned money back to the church - which houses and feeds them in return for their service. It gets quite complicated, as not all Catholic priests (diocesan priests, for example) have to take a vow of poverty and are able to buy their own cars and pay their own insurance, for example. Similarly, a religious sister (unlike a nun) is able to inherit property etc. Their vows are less strict. Either way, all are paid for their services in one way or another - regardless of the specific religious order.
If a nun was able to become a priest, she may not be able to buy a car or inherit a property - because of the vow of poverty she had taken. However, what's stopping her from continuing as part of one of the more strict religious orders? Her vows wouldn't need to be compromised and she would be able to serve her community, just as male priests with the same vows do. There's no logical reason to prevent her from becoming a priest. Similarly, if a religious sister was able to become a diocesan priest - there would be nothing stopping her from becoming a priest and earning their standard salary. The only thing preventing these women from following their chosen path, is the Vatican. When your bosses (the Vatican) are refusing to promote you (ordain you), purely because you're female and threaten to fire you (excommunicate you) for even questioning them - there is an obvious equality issue.
In response to the discussion of theology, I'll refer back to my original post in the thread: "The people campaigning for female priests want gender equality. It's as simple as that. Whether or not it technically clashes with their belief system, is ultimately irrelevant. Many religious people already have hypocritical and contradictory beliefs, to fit their particular world view." Entire sections of the Bible are ignored by the religous, in the modern world - because people can think for themselves. Every individual interprets it differently. Over the next few decades, even more sections of the Bible will be ignored by the church and reinterpreted to reflect modern views. If Catholicism, or any other religion wishes to survive - it needs to step into the 21st century and change. There are many serious problems it needs to address, beyond female priests. There will inevitably be a Pope in favour of female priests, one day - because there's no logical argument against it. It's the way of the future. They will find a theological justification and interpretation for it, just as other religions have. Either that, or the church will slowly cease to exist - which wouldn't be a bad thing if it refuses to change.
