[dangus]

Incidentally, all those Mexicans in the news lately are not counted as Catholics unless they are registered with their parishes, so they are not likely to be the predominant source of the Catholic Church's growth.

[thoughtomator]

Catholics keep out-and proud homosexuals out of the clergy, don't they?

[John 6.66=Mark of the Beast?]

Where’s Farrakhan? These numbers aren’t true we need to march! (Sarcasm on)

I n all honesty how many nondoms are there in this country, many who have left the traditional denominations for various reasons and have gone to the non denominationals churches are not being counted.

[Pontiac]

The Catholic Church is the largest and numerically fastest growing church in America, with 67.8 million members, a growth of about 563,000 members.

And yet the Bishops are closing and selling a huge number of small and midsize parishes to raise money to pay off lawyers.

[txrangerette]

What is posted here fails to mention the Churches of Christ (go to the site to find it), which list 1,500, 000 members and reported holding steady...no statistical decrease or increase. Note that this is NOT the United Church of Christ, which IS mentioned in the posting as having suffered a big decline and is known among other things "for being gay friendly". The Winkler family are members of the Churches of Christ, NOT United Church of Christ, NOR the International Church of Christ(not on the list).

[AlexW]

I just posted the following on the thread about Savage.:

I have no doubt, since the Episcopal church went down the toilet. After being raised as, and a life long Episcopalian, I left them over six years ago.

Here in Slovakia, the Catholic Church is very strong.
In Bratislava, I have a choice of over 10 different beautiful Catholic churches, all within a 5 minute walk of each other.

[PetroniusMaximus]

Salvation is not about numbers.

[redgolum]

Part of the problem with the LCMS is pure demographics. Many of the parishes were immigrant churches in rural areas. Now most of those have declining membership and few young people to replace those who are dying off. My own home church is probably going this way, since there just aren't enough farmers to support a rural church in that area.

The LCMS parish in town is growing rather fast. Partially because of the school, and partially because a lot of angry ELCA and medium church Episcopals are heading in.

Don't know about the reported numbers, they seem off to what I have seen internally. Kind of like inflation numbers, I am not sure what the criteria is to determine if someone remains on the roles or not.

[Clemenza]

OK, but what about us non-religious? Are we growing? Am I still counted as "Catholic" by this unofficial religious census because I was registered at a Church as recently as five years ago?

[wmfights]

"Many non-denominational churches, not listed in the report, have been growing rapidly in the recent past."
_____________________________

Enough said.

[old and tired]

I don't think membership numbers are an accurate portrayal of actual Catholics. In my experience with people I am not related to, most people are baptized Catholics for cultural or practical reasons, not religious ones.

Naturally, I know many actual Catholics from my parish, but the self proclaimed Catholic people I've worked with, or live among in my neighborhood, will have their children baptized so they can get into the parish school, or because their parents are Catholic and it is just something one does when one has a baby.

I think Jewish people also have a cultural component to their self proclaimed religious affiliation, but you rarely hear that one is a Methodist or Lutheran for cultural reasons.

[marshmallow]

Didn't Savage just say that the abuse scandal had prompted a wholesale exodus?

This can't be right.

[lastchance]

Notice that the Churches that are disappearing are the ones which have bowed to secular culture and done everything to be seen as a part of it. Those Churches Catholic and Protestant that do not compromise the Gospel and are willing to stand against secular culture are growing.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Unam Sanctam]

The UCC is not just "gay-friendly", but puts on obnoxious TV ads criticizing other religions for having different beliefs on the morality of homosexual activity.

[escapefromboston]

I don't know much about the Assemblies of God church but why wouldn't they be considered Protestant???

[big'ol_freeper]

Ping

[TexanToTheCore]

I would question these figures. The lack of nondems leaves a gigantic whole in the number series, and I am not sure that the SBC has lost members.

I don't see any entry for Pentecostals either, who are growing rapidly, particularly among Hispanics.

I would suggest that this study is incomplete.

[TexanToTheCore]

My bad, the Pentecostals were mentioned as a fast growing church.

I'm still not comfortable with this methodology.

[infidel dog]

"...what few Orthodox are remaining are switching to the more generic Orthodox church..." "Generic" Orthodox Church?? Exactly what Church does this refer to?