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Any opines? Discussion?

6 percent is not big enough to have any clout? Tell that to the gays.

I agree with B16 -- better a Church that is faithful to Christ and the apostolic teachings of Scripture and Tradition than a Church with big numbers nominally but of doubtful fidelity.

In my opinion the Catholic Church is growing in the United States.

Catholic Parishes Flourish in Southern U.S.

Bible-belt Catholics

Number of Catholics Rises by 15 Million (Diocesan Priests Increase; Religious Decrease)

Spanish Catholicism still very robust (3 shrines and The Sagrada Familia)

Catholics outsource praying to India

Catholic Priests in India 'Outsourced' to Meet Clergy Shortage in West

Christian Coalition head (in Ala.) becomes Catholic

Church growth continues for Catholic and Pentecostals; six mainline denominations decline

Young people turn against their parents' 'church lite'

Pope calls US Church to repentance and renewal

A father for the 11th time - Widower becomes Catholic priest

Number of Adults Who Don't Attend Church Service Doubles

Huge Christian growth shocks China's leaders

Church Attendance Increased : Protestants have now clearly overtaken Catholics in church attendance

Catholics Trail Protestants in Church Attendance [Gallup]

Church Attendance Linked to Longer Life

Church Growth and Eveangelism

Dozens of Episcopalians Follow Leader into Catholic Church

Thousands prepare to join U.S. Catholic Church this Easter

Where Have All the People in the Pews Gone?

More Than 150,000 People to Join Catholic Church Holy Saturday

Spirituality on the rise on college campuses

Analysis: Rome up, Protestantism down?

Benedict's Logic: A Church Contracting & Expanding Simultaneously

CHRISTIANITY EXPLODING WORLDWIDE; 3RD WORLD SENDING MISSIONARIES [V ENCOURAGING DOC]

Christianity taking over the planet?

Local pews straining to hold increasing Catholic population

Catholic Church is losing sway in Europe (Opinion from Ireland)

Has the Catholic Church given up the Ghost?

Statistics Reveal Africa Is (Catholic) Church's New Hope

Chicago Ordains Largest Class of Priests in a Decade

Foreign priests want to fill a need- if Americans let them

Reviving a dream: Big hopes of little congregation growing for Orthodox church

Ancient rhythm: Converts to Orthodoxy growing in America

Catholic Church Prepares for Cold War With Evangelists

IS THE CHURCH LIKELY TO SHRINK--AND SHOULD IT?

As a non-Catholic, I would have to question his numbers. There has been a huge increase in the number of Catholics in this area. Sure, many of them speak Spanish, but a few generations ago you could have made the same comment but said Italian, or before that, commented on an Irish accent.

I googled up some numbers and tables here:

http://www.frinstitute.org/southern.htm

A few years back the Moral Majority was established to bring Christians together over moral issues. We know what happened to them. They went down the tubes. (Oh, they're still around-I think.) But I remember the biggest complaints about the Moral Majority didn't come from the secular communities. It came from the "Christian" churches who didn't wish to aligned themselves with moral issues.

The decline in moral standards is a reflection on the church itself. There are too many tares and not enough wheat. Unfortunately many of our spiritual leaders could be lumped into the tares category. I say get them out of the church. The church would be far more effective going back to the word of God. It is better for the church to have God on our side then 10,000 ungodly theologians. Give us smaller but more committed churches.

Here's an interesting verse I was meditating on today:

"From the ends of the earth we hear songs, "Glory to the Righteous One," But I say, "Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me! The treacherous deal treacherously, and the treacherous deal very treacherously." Isa 24:16

Something to think about.

It's not about shrinking or growing the Church. It's about righting it and regaining equilibrium.

Christianity has always flourished under active persecution that prunes out the dead wood, the faux Christians. The worst conditions for growing a vital Christianity are in times of lazy prosperity when worldliness takes over the church and weakens the preaching of the Law and the Gospel.

I think a fair number would leave it, and in the long run that would be good for them and for the Church.

I think that a strong move on the part of B16 would cause some formal schisms, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing because de facto schism already exists. Getting the "dead wood" out of the Church would certainly help in the long run.

As an Eastern Orthodox Christian I would be grateful for a Catholic Church that recovers its sense of being "catholic" by reaffirming its core values and getting rid of the dead weight (especially among its teachers and academics).