Posted on 03/01/2008 7:26:21 AM PST by Alex Murphy
WASHINGTON In the marketplace of American faith, Catholicism is the big loser.
No other religion in the United States has lost more members to other faiths, or to no faith at all, than Catholicism, according to the new survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The survey, conducted in 2007, found that 31 percent of Americans were raised Catholic, but less than 25 per cent of them still identify as Catholic.
Roughly 10 percent of all Americans have strayed from Catholic roots, the study reported.
Despite the loss, the survey shows that Catholics still represent nearly a quarter of the American population just as surveys conducted in the early 1970s found.
So how does a religion lose so many members and continue to break even?
It may well be that a factor in the Catholic numbers are the repeated waves of immigration, said John Green, senior fellow at the Pew Forum.
The study found that almost half of all immigrants coming into the U.S. are Catholics, most of them from Latin-American countries.
The wave of immigration is changing the make-up of Catholicism. Latinos represent 45 percent of all Catholics aged 18-29 years, while only accounting for 20 percent of Catholics aged 50-59.
Much of Catholicisms loss can be chalked up to previous generations of immigrants assimilating into American culture and remaining less faithful to their ethnic identities and religions, Green said.
That kind of assimilation is typical for any ethnic group, said Mary Gautier, senior research associate at the Center for Applied Research and Apostolate, at Georgetown University. And it affects all religions not just Catholicism.
Her research indicates the Catholic Church is positioned in a dynamic and vital place in time, Gautier said. But there are challenges to keeping the faithful in the pews. Intermarriages, dwindling numbers of priests, and insufficient church facilities are reasons why people might go elsewhere, she said.
The Rev. Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., was not surprised by the studys findings.
The Church is falling behind, said Deck, executive director of cultural diversity for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. We dont have enough foot soldiers.
The Churchs teachings are not out of place with the times, Deck said, but there is a shortage of priests and lay ministers to spread the word, and effectively link parishoners to the Gospel.
Its our mission to evangelize and we are failing that, said Deck, explaining that the term evangelize includes the conversion of the human heart and the promotion of social justice.
The Catholic Church also struggles to reach out specifically to the needs of minority communities, such as blacks, Asians and Hispanics, said Deck, who has spent his career in the Hispanic ministry. And the assimilation of immigrants into the Church and also American culture is a tricky balance, he said.
We have to be very careful, Deck said. Our role is to promote the Gospel, not any particular culture not even American culture.
The RC edifice singles ITSELF OUT for note and response hereon
abundantly in a myriad of egregious ways.
Help? Who’s askng for help?
Courtesy pings are for interest or to share the joke or some such.
I don’t feel ill or otherwise in need of help. Last I checked my 80-90nwpm fingers were doing just fine.
Of course, if they want to chime in with their own observations, that’d be fine, too.
Popes and accounting fraud . . . OHHHHH, that’s a rich one. I’m tempted to use my new favorite emoticon. ROTFLOL GTTM!
Evil wars of conquest don’t count, I guess.
Idolatrous rituals and idols in the interest of greater contributions don’t count, I guess.
Indulgences for money don’t count, I guess.
Stealing other people’s property and substance and rendering them hounded and homeless doesn’t count, I guess.
Pretty slick gig, if you can manipulate your way into it successfully enough. What polished power mongering has been so on offer for 1600 years. Amazing.
I pray not.
Lots of insights can occur in lots of situations.
Who knows the precise contingencies of such things, but God alone.
I only know that the insight will occur.
Slick personal assault there, Petronski. Very slick.
Congrats.
Clearly the awareness and knowledge about my degree, quality, robustness of my personal confidence is a mystery to many.
And for your kind drop-in.
But I need to get to the AG post and quit having so much ‘fun’ at this. LOL.
Please do not use potty language on the Religion Forum.
Don't congratulate yourself. It's unbecoming.
THIS is one of many problems: Executive Director of Cultural Diversity. In other Words, Jerome, You are not a Christian you are a Liberal. And just as the left was not concerned with keeping "religion" in its place but keeping Christianity out of the public square, multiculturalists are NOT concerned with promoting ANY culture but merely in attacking American culture at every turn. There are simply too many ironies in Mr. Deck's vocation and words to list them exhaustively.
The Churchs teachings are not out of place with the times, Deck said, but there is a shortage of priests and lay ministers to spread the word, and effectively link parishoners to the Gospel.
The Church's teachings are universal and meant for all time. In season or out of season.
Its our mission to evangelize and we are failing that, said Deck, explaining that the term evangelize includes the conversion of the human heart and the promotion of social justice.
Social justice too often means people believe that evil is someone ELSE's problem. True disciples of Christ realize that evil is OUR problem. Chastity is just as important as almsgiving.
The Catholic Church also struggles to reach out specifically to the needs of minority communities, such as blacks, Asians and Hispanics, said Deck, who has spent his career in the Hispanic ministry. And the assimilation of immigrants into the Church and also American culture is a tricky balance, he said.
That is too bad. Christ did not target certain people to evangelize or heal, he was notoriously NOT class-conscious either, much to the chagrin of the various and sundry liberation theologists who love to prattle on about social justice but Never about moral justice. Christ did NOT come into the world to make it safe for democracy or free the slaves or establish an egalitarian Utopia; He came to bring the dead to life.
Actually, I would love to see a conversion of Catholics WITHIN the Church. I have kids in grade school telling me how their classmates watch R rated movies. Daughter of one EEM at our church wears mini miniskirts to church every Sunday, as Catholics we get the same number of abortions as secularists so where to begin? Numbers won't mean anything without a conversion of the heart.
I used to sail races on Lake Michigan. That's where I got the name I use on FR.
There's nothing like being under sail, except maybe hot air ballooning. But, I haven't tried that yet.
Sorry folks.
Tsk! Tsk!
But “ass” is in the Bible.
“rat’s ass” could mean a donkey belonging to a rat.
Come to think of it, ‘Rats ARE Donkeys.
I thought I was congratulating you!
Have we fallen down another RC edifice ALICE-IN-WONDERLAND rabbit hole where left is right and up is down?
What a timely, fitting, thought-provoking post. Thanks.
Ahhhhhhh . . . the one time I went sailing was a real trip.
Alas other priorities and locales have taken over.
And that DNA T-factor rises up again! LOL.
Jesus was NOT AT ALL interested in rebellion either but in submission. Rebellion does not come from God, but from Satan.
Peter comes to mind.
QUITE SO . . .
REBELLION AGAINST WHOM OR WHAT????
AGAINST GOD!
Corrupt RELIGIOUS, blasphemy encouraging, idolatry encouraging EDIFI are an entirely different matter.
‘Rebellion’ against satan and all his works is encouraged.
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