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Scottgun
Guest
meh.
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Steadfast
Guest
How’s the air up there?
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Hesychios
Guest
The Netherlands, once a Protestant majority country, now has a majority of Catholics (if I am not mistaken). That may be (not sure) only counting practicing Christians, not necessarily the whole population.
However, the Dutch church…well, that’s another full can of worms.
However, the Dutch church…well, that’s another full can of worms.
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Steadfast
Guest
Hes,
That’s an interesting point.
The USA has no state church, there has always been a “free market” as it were. No one had the advantage of state endorsement but in earlier days, clear confessional commitment and churchmanship provided something of a corrective to the kind of tendency the article talks about.
These have been removed and people are leaving in droves.
Again though, when we remove these and the church becomes a place where people are taught to satisfy themselves; i.e. where the church imitates the culture, how can we be surprised when they actually go looking for satisfaction.
Last Sunday the Gospel reading was of the Samaritan Woman. This reading teaches us that our only satisfaction is in Christ. As Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.
If the church is busy trying to fill hearts with things other than Christ, we can hardly expect loyalty.
As your own Aquinas has said, “The only thing infinite about a man are his appetites”
That’s an interesting point.
The USA has no state church, there has always been a “free market” as it were. No one had the advantage of state endorsement but in earlier days, clear confessional commitment and churchmanship provided something of a corrective to the kind of tendency the article talks about.
These have been removed and people are leaving in droves.
Again though, when we remove these and the church becomes a place where people are taught to satisfy themselves; i.e. where the church imitates the culture, how can we be surprised when they actually go looking for satisfaction.
Last Sunday the Gospel reading was of the Samaritan Woman. This reading teaches us that our only satisfaction is in Christ. As Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.
If the church is busy trying to fill hearts with things other than Christ, we can hardly expect loyalty.
As your own Aquinas has said, “The only thing infinite about a man are his appetites”
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AgnosTheist
Guest
Gee, nobody even considered the sins of the church as a thing that turns-off catholics. like the 500 accused priest pedophiles in L.A. alone.
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Steadfast
Guest
Well, there you’re talking about hypocrisy; the disconnect between stated values and actual practice.Gee, nobody even considered the sins of the church as a thing that turns-off catholics. like the 500 accused priest pedophiles in L.A. alone.
And this is not to say that only Catholics have this problem.
But it too is easily dealt with, when it isn’t dealt with properly though, you’re right, folks will bolt.
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AgnosTheist
Guest
Every religion has issues nowadays. And when taken all together, its enough for some folks to dismiss every organized religion. That kind of reasoning must account for the increasing numbers of “Unaffiliated”. Its is, for me.
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kalt
Guest
Actually, my state was founded by a man who was kicked out of MA becasue he didn’t follow the party line.
Once he got here, the area was opened to Europeans of all faiths to worship as they chose, so long as they weren’t Catholic or Jewish.
There certainly was a “state” religion here. There were many. You had to be careful where you lived and what you said. Otherwise you would get the ol’ colonial boot in the butt.
Once he got here, the area was opened to Europeans of all faiths to worship as they chose, so long as they weren’t Catholic or Jewish.
There certainly was a “state” religion here. There were many. You had to be careful where you lived and what you said. Otherwise you would get the ol’ colonial boot in the butt.
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1234
Guest
Yes, I don’t think that relying on hispanic immigrants, many illegal, is going to be very promising for the RCC.Gained 2.6% but lost 10%. The RCC’s future truly lies with the Mexicans. Pray for their success in crossing the borders.
Overall, Christianity is diminishing.
Islam is still growing very fast. Over 37% are converts!
religions.pewforum.org/comparisons
And even hispanics are fast becoming unaffiliated.
*They’re not going to be generous contributors–too many financial needs.
*They are probably not going to be active in their churches, at least not initially. No time. Maybe in hispanic churches.
- they’re going to secularize fast–that means join other denominations, practice abc (horrors!), so that their numbers will not increase.
- They are not going to enter the priesthood or religious life in large numbers. Unlike other RC immigrant groups such as the Irish and Vietnamese, hispanics don’t have a strong celibate tradition or are not drawn towards celibate life. That doesn’t mean they don’t enter, they do, but not in large numbers or percentages beyond the average.
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Hesychios
Guest
All excellent points.
Besides, if immigration is such a boon to the church in the receiving country, what does that mean for the church in the country they have left? It looks like a zero-sum game.
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1234
Guest
Good point!
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