News: Losing more members

“Roman Catholic Church in the United States is losing more members than any other group”

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently conducted a survey of more than 55,000 adult Americans that revealed some interesting results. For one thing, it demonstrated reliably that the Roman Catholic Church in the United States is losing more members than any other group.

The United States is some 14 percent Catholic and remaining so, due principally to the recent influx of newcomers here, chiefly Hispanics. Hispanics now represent 45 percent of Catholics from the ages of 18 to 29, but only some 20 percent of Catholics in their 50’s.  Otherwise, some 10.1 percent of Catholics have left the Church for some other faith, or no faith at all. The breakdown of religious discipline for the children and grandchildren of immigrants account for much of this decline in numbers, nevertheless. The Catholic Church is failing, more so than other groups to hold on to its younger members.

That, coupled with the problems the Church has in holding onto the allegiance of its women and Hispanic members, means serious problems face the American Catholic Church. Either these problems will be faced, and realistic solutions sought,  or the Church in the United Stats will continue to decline in numbers, seriously.

At the present time, one-third of those who are borne Catholic fail to remain In the Church.  It is estimated that some 10 percent of all Americans are former Catholics, and that would make former Catholics, numbering some 25 million persons plus, the second largest religious group in the United States.

“The trend is towards more personal religion, and evangelists offer that,” according to Professor Stephen Prothero, chairman of the religious department at Boston University. He claims that large numbers of Americans are embracing the fervor of evangelical Christianity. Evangelicals also tailor much of their activities to youth.

According to Professor Prothero , “those losing out are offering impersonal religion, and those winning are offering a smaller scale; mega-churches succeed not because they are large, but because they have smaller ministries inside.”

“Detailing the nature of religious affiliation – who has the numbers, the education, the money – signals who could hold sway over the country’s political and cultural life,” according to John Green, an author of the report. “Religion is the single most important factor that drives American belief, attitudes and behavior.” says Michael Lindsay of Rice University. If you want to understand America, you
have to understand religion in America.