Posted on 04/28/2009 6:52:12 PM PDT by T.L.Sink
A fascinating Pew report finds that most Americans have changed religious affiliation at least once and that within this dramatic religious churn, Roman Catholicism is the biggest loser. Four times as many Catholics are leaving the faith as are joining it, the study finds. And yet an upbeat E-mail from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops landed in my inbox today, with this important first sentence: "A Pew Forum poll on Americans and their religious affiliation finds Catholics have one of the highest retention rates, 68 percent, among Christian churches when it comes to carrying the Catholic faith into adulthood." How could the American religious tradition that boasts one of the highest retention rates be losing the most members? Easy, says Pew: because Catholicism is attracting so few newcomers. Catholics are leaving the faith at four times the rate that newcomers are joining. "Religious change isn't simply a function of retention; it's a function of recruitment. It's both sides of the ledger," explains Pew Forum's Greg Smith. And yet Catholicism still accounts for just under a quarter of the population, as it has for many years. That's because the surge in Hispanic immigration has offset the steady decline of white Catholics. Hispanic fertility rates are also higher than those of white Americans. Smith said, "In no other religious groups we looked at did we see this high a ratio between people leaving versus joining."
(Excerpt) Read more at usnews.com ...
numbers shmumbers...
I’ll take a Mother Teresa of Calcutta anytime...
“Catholics in name only” are as useless as “Republicans in name only”
The Catholic Church will be better off without them.
Greetings, saints. Apparently the day's news isn't all bad.
Search is your friend.
This is a duplicate: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2239701/posts
In my case, and many others, I traveled many places and tried many things, but I came home to Mother.
And She is always there.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1611173/posts?page=48#48
Your particular judgment is going to be a hoot for everyone but you.
I’ll try not to touch that with a rosary.
LOL.
God is going to be cleaning house in every organized Christian group.
Every one.
Well...search is still his friend. LOL
As useless as those whom are mindfully & outwardly "good Catholics", but put that before or ahead of being actually practicing Christian?
I've met a few of those. Christians in name only. Some of them even hang out around here, claiming themselves to be Catholic, of the only true church, while condemning those whom disagree with them on various points, and rejoicing when their very own congregations lose members.
Seek first the Kingdom of God ( note: His Kingdom is not of this World) then all things shall be added unto [the follower/believer/supplicant].
17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
He scours each and every one [son], as it is written.
If we receive not correction from Him, then we are not one of His. When we do receive it, it can help to give comfort to the scour-ee, in being one of His, even when the "scouring" seems at times more than we can bear. It can certainly be more than a guy wants to bear...
Jesus is clearly coming again soon.
The sign . . . I agree with you.
INDEED. INDEED.
THX.
However, there’s many Vatican org/Roman Catholics . . . and probably no few Calvinists . . .
who construe THEIR group as soooooo holy as to need no such . . . refiner’s fires/intensely purging wash cycles.
THEY are in for some huge surprises.
Yes, I agree. Whatever I say. But you must have had someone else in mind when writing what you did, for my name is not “skippy”.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." -- John 5:24
Besides, from what I've heard of the present Pope's sermons--- they do come across (to me, anyway) as being focused upon the Lord. I don't hear "religiosity". On the contrary I find myself praying that hearing ears will receive the Word of the Lord, and you know me, I'm no Roman nor will ever be. I've no need at this point. It would be almost as bad as converting to Judaism, so that then I could again become a Christian.
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