metmom: I made no such claim that the Catholic Church was growing in numbers. My point, my overall point, was that there is trend towards secularism in this country. The Catholic Church’s % of the population stands around 22% and is largely holding steady due to immigration. Protestant Christianity is not growing either. When I here that hey my local First “Fill in the Blank with whatever” Protestant group you want is a growing church. The members are all from some other Christian confession. These Churches are not attracting secularist liberals and converting those types, what they are getting are folks from other Protestant confessions, for the most part, and some fallen away Catholics.
Simple Math tells you that if the % of Americans who express belief in God now stands at 74%, down from 82% just 4 years ago, there is a decline across the board, not just in the Catholic Church.
My point was to point out the data, not turn this into a polemical thread. If you want to do that, take that manure somewhere else, I am not interested in it.
My bad. You were right and I did not address that.
I agree with you on that.
It is not only affecting the numbers in churches but the quality in churches. Entitlement mentality is running rampant among even those who profess faith of some kind.
Not necessarily welfare, government support kind, but directed at God. The name if and claim it theology. God owes you __________. (Good health, good relationships, pain free living, prosperity.... whatever. All you have to do is speak it and it's yours)
It's subtle and I daresay most believing that don't even recognize that they are thinking that way cause it's all dressed up in spirituality and a few Scripture verses.