Posted on 09/18/2002 12:06:01 PM PDT by NYer
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) _ Roman Catholics remained the state's largest religious group, while evangelical Christian churches saw big membership increases during the last decade, according to a census of U.S. religions. The count by the Nashville, Tenn.-based Glenmary Research Center, conducted at 10-year intervals, is among the few comprehensive studies of religious affiliations.
The U.S. Census Bureau stopped asking about religion after the 1940s. Glenmary's 2000 Religious Congregations & Membership study found about 4.7 million New Jerseyans _ or 56 percent _ belong to a religious group.
About 3.4 million of those were Roman Catholics, an increase of 6.7 percent from the previous census. Jews were the state's second-largest group with 468,000 members, an 8.9 percent increase from 10 years ago.
United Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and Lutherans all saw membership drop significantly during the 1990s, but held on to remain in New Jersey's 10 largest faiths.
Smaller, evangelical Protestant denominations, along with the evangelical Mormon church, saw big increases. The Protestant denominations include the Assemblies of God, the Church of God and the Salvation Army. ``Evangelism means the desire to spread the word and the mission to reach out to people, so in a way, the numbers suggest that proselytizing works, that aggressive reaching out brings people in,'' Laurel Kearns, associate professor of the sociology of religion at Drew University, told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Wednesday's editions.
The charismatic Assemblies of God broke into the state's 10 largest denominations. After a 32 percent increase in membership during the 1990s, the church now has 52,000 adherents, according to the survey. ``We want to be flexible and are willing to change our methods so we can bring the message of God to our neighbors,'' said Randy Nichols, pastor of the Assembly of God Church in Belleville. ``We won't change our doctrine,'' he said. ``We still believe the Bible is the word of God. But we're open to change in the way we do business, and that's helped us reach out to people.''
The National Baptist Convention and other predominantly black denominations did not participate in the most recent survey. In 1990, there were more than a quarter-million black Baptists in the state.
For the first time, the survey tried to quantify the number of practicing Muslims, estimating there were 121,000 in New Jersey and 1.6 million nationwide. That's lower by millions than in other surveys.
Muslim leaders criticized researchers for undercounting their members, but researchers said the figure was only a tally of those active in mosques, not the total American Muslim population.
AP-ES-09-18-02 1451EDT
I have found in WNY the cults are VERY active..this largely RC community does not know the word of God and can not easily pick up the "subtle" scripture changes made ..so what they hear SOUNDS like the bible they hear in church
A JW once told me they stay away from the "born agains" ..I believe that is not only because the born again would see the error in their teaching but would also be more likely to evangelize the 'missionaries" themselves
I met a Catholic aquaintance that had become a JW ..I could not believe it..his family was VERY active in the church..but he never knew what hit him..his ear did not hear the "minor changes " that spell false teaching
I am always trying to encourage private bible study so the word of god is known well enough people do not fall for false doctrine
Excellent point!! Since many catholics "hear" the "written word" on Sunday at mass, they don't often feel called to pick up the bible for a good read. When any "christian" comes a knowcking on the door, they are impressed by their knowledge of scripture and categorize them as God fearing individuals.
This is one bad habit the pope would like to see rectified.
We are told to hide it in our hearts for a reason..now I have a VERY hard time with memorizing chapter and verse (I always joke and say it is my Catholic genes, I can quote it I just have to find it :>)..But my ear picks up slight variations easily..that is because I read it and hear it ..
Do the missles still have the readings printed in them? Reading them as they are read would help..but it is still not a great substitute for some consistant pattern of regular study eithor a book ot topical..
Kenny is right it is helpful to read about the cults..but the way agents know counterfit bills is because they have studied the real thing
Do most parishes have bible studies now? I know my husbands has a daytime one...one at night would help..but I do not know how many folks would go (even protestants are lousey study attenders)
ping.....
However, he definitely did put the clarifying word in the German translation (largely because he was exasperated at the RCC for not noticing what the verse was saying anyway).
Well, that is what you have to deal with, when you enlist in the sola scriptura camp.
I got an interpretation.
He got an interpretation.
All God's children got an interpretation.
And a translation.
I believe Luther called it "straw"?
Did your mom ever say to you " If everyone jumps off the bridge are you going to too?"
If they are wrong don you will have an eternity to discuss why you were that dumb...
Bumping that idea!
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