20 percent of Christians don’t believe in the God of the Bible — but 17 percent of religious “nones” do

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How can 2% of Catholics not believe in any higher power? What?

I can understand maybe some Christians thinking “God of the Bible” means something they don’t necessarily ascribe to, but that’s kinda a stretch
 
Kei said:
How can 2% of Catholics not believe in any higher power? What?

I can understand maybe some Christians thinking “God of the Bible” means something they don’t necessarily ascribe to, but that’s kinda a stretch
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Do you realize that there are practicing priests that don’t believe?
 
No real surprise here. Some churches are more Jesus flavored social clubs than churches. There are a lot of “cultural” Christians in the US.
 
Never among Catholic priests, maybe among Anglican priests though. I remember a few years back it was found that something like 2% of priests in the Church of England didn’t believe in God.

 
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The Church would never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever allow such. If it was found out that a priest or clergy member didn’t believe in God, there would be automatic defrock.
 
And that’s very odd. They can just apply to be defrocked.

I’m sorry if your experience of the Catholic Faith is disbelieving priests. I imagine that’s no good example of the Faith and that they cannot give good answers in the Faith.

Thankfully, a priest’s faculties are not affected by morality, not sure about belief.
 
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Kei said:
And that’s very odd. They can just apply to be defrocked.

I’m sorry if your experience of the Catholic Faith is disbelieving priests. I imagine that’s no good example of the Faith and that they cannot give good answers in the Faith.

Thankfully, a priest’s faculties are not affected by morality or belief, I’m pretty sure.
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I’m not sure I understand the comment. The priest I know knew he couldn’t get a job anywhere else, so he kept practicing. It was very difficult for him, but I think he did a really good job. He told me it was difficult to say things he didn’t believe, but tried to just look at it as doing a job that you didn’t like all that much. It’s not like many people really like their jobs that much anyway.
 
I feel sorry for his parishioners. I don’t think the sacraments would be valid for them. Maybe they could be valid even if the priest was in mortal sin, but the spiritual direction may be lacking.
 
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There would be no intention there, so the sacraments would indeed be invalid.
 
That’s horrible. I hope the priest wasn’t offering invalid sacraments knowingly. If he was, that would be completely deplorable and one of the most selfish and evil things one could do.
 
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You can intend to offer a sacrament you don’t personally believe in. We know that from Baptism, which can be administered in extraordinary circumstances by anyone, even an atheist. The required intention is “to do what the Catholic Church does,” nothing more specific.

That may or may not apply to confecting the Eucharist, but the Church’s theology does stress that the sacraments work of themselves, by God’s power, regardless of the worthiness of the minister.
 
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