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I doubt this has anything to do with America or its culture. The same trend is occurring in Hispanics' native countries in Central and South America. There has been a movement away from Catholicism.

Opinions will no doubt differ as to whether this represents progress or spreading confusion and apostasy.

Opinions will no doubt differ as to whether this represents progress or spreading confusion and apostasy.

I wasn't looking at this as the age old my "church is better than your church argument". It is characteristic of Americans to determine which church they choose to be a part of rather than just staying in a church because that's what their family has always done. We still have high numbers of people who attend church compared to Europe where they just don't go.

If the Hispanics that are coming here are becoming more American in their behavior that's a good thing. We want them to be a part of us not separate.

Bingo. As an hispanic, I do not believe it has anything to do with American culture. For example, in the early 90's in El Salvador, you would have to go far and wide to find a protestant church which was not connected to a medical mission. Nowadays, you can't throw a rock without hitting a pentecostal or evangelical church. Even in tiny villages they've popped up everywhere.

Another anecdotal observation. Of all the other hispanics I know, in my family and out, those who have been here longer are usually Catholic or non-attending Catholics in name only. On the other hand, in my city, there are so many small, charismatic Spanish-speaking churches it's almost unbelievable and they are full of later arrivals (past 5 years or so). By unbelievable I mean that if someone had told me 20 years ago that Latin Americans would be moving en masse to charismatic churches, I probably would not have believed it.

I guess what I could have said in much fewer words is this...in my 'hispanic experience', naturalized hispanics who stay here and speak English are generally still Catholic, while the smaller protestant churches are full of the more transient, sending money back home, usually illegal type hispanics.

(This post is not about theology)