Evangelicals more pro life than Catholics?

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It sure looks bad until you understand a little bit about “evangelical churches.” The vast majority of these are VERY new congregations, one or maybe two generations old. Most attendees did NOT grow up in that denomination and are converts.

Evangelicalism is protestantism’s way of disposing of the ‘dead weight’ of dying mainline protestant denominations. In protestantism, the kids of say an Episcopal church (no offense, but they are an easy example) who have conversion experiences mostly (with many notable exceptions, or course!) then jump ship to a relatively new evangelical church. Of the kids who DON’T have such a conversion experience, some quit religious practice altogether and the rest show up at an Episcopal Church some Sundays through sheer inertia. None of these folks get counted in your linked numbers because the Episcopal Church isn’t considered ‘evangelical.’

Catholicism doesn’t work that way. Our wheat and weeds tend to be more homogenized in parishes than occurs in protestantism.

You want a fair comparison? Compare pro-life participation between catholics who attend mass more than once per week with that of evangelicals who attend church services more than once per week (go ahead and count bible studies). That’s apples to apples.
 
JaMc said:
Here is an article I found somewhat disturbing: rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/08/evangelicals_catholics_and_abo.php. The author even points out that we have a strong pro-life tradition dating back millenia, whereas the evangelicals have a congregational, sola scriptura only dating back a couple of centuries, and their pro-life position only dates back a couple of decades. Thoughts?
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Maybe that is why even orthodox Catholics are starting to convert to evangelical Christianity? In the US anyway. Look to the fall elections. I bet the US bishops and priests finesse it - many. Evangelicals won’t. Nuff said.

Orthodox Catholic Christians are not being fed in many dioceses. Eventually these orthodox Catholics go Orthodox or, less frequently but growing, evangelical.
 
rien,

The first characteristic of an ‘orthodox catholic’ is love for and apprecition of the Eucharist. You REALLY see large numbers of such people leaving the authentic Eucharist for a place with compelling preaching and nice music?

Not me.
 
The problem is what really makes a Catholic. I have met some Protestants that tell me that they are Catholic and of cause the nominal Catholic that doesn’t know anything about their faith. On the other hand most Evangelical know they are protestant. While some nominal Catholic and protestants don’t know that they are **not **Catholics.
 
manualman said:
You want a fair comparison? Compare pro-life participation between catholics who attend mass more than once per week with that of evangelicals who attend church services more than once per week (go ahead and count bible studies). That’s apples to apples.
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Bingo. Frankly I’m suprised that the Catholic figure had that high a pro-life stance. Maybe i’m just being cynical though…
 
First problem: This is based on sef-identification. I have a SIL that would identify as Catholic but attends a Pentecostal Sunday service, leads a non-denomination Bible study and only goes to Mass for the Sacraments and funerals of family members. She would also self-identify as “pro-choice”. :mad:

People who self-identify as Evangelical are much more likely to be actively involved in a local Church and almost for sure a member of a local Church.

Second problem: This survey equates pro-life with wanting abortion to be illegal. In my own experience, working with Pro Life advocates from Catholic and non-Catholic sources, non-Catholic “pro-lifers” tend to limit their pro-life perspective to abortion. They are not necessarity pro-life when it comes to IVF, abortifacient contraception, the death penalty or even end-of-life issues.
 
Are you guys familiar with 40 Days for Life? It’s really getting going around the country and it is something that Catholics and Evangelicals are working on together. We have mixed success in getting churches involved, both Catholic and Protestant/Evangelical, but we have a number of successes and they are growing.

This movement is focused on asking people to Pray to End Abortion, because it is where the breakdown of respect for human life has begun in our culture and it is through abortion that 4000 babies are dying each day.

If you’d like more info on the campaign, go to www.40DaysforLife.com
 
Corki said:
Second problem: This survey equates pro-life with wanting abortion to be illegal. In my own experience, working with Pro Life advocates from Catholic and non-Catholic sources, non-Catholic “pro-lifers” tend to limit their pro-life perspective to abortion. They are not necessarity pro-life when it comes to IVF, abortifacient contraception, the death penalty or even end-of-life issues.
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This is an excellent analysis and really identifies the elephant in the room.
 
CARose said:
Are you guys familiar with 40 Days for Life? It’s really getting going around the country and it is something that Catholics and Evangelicals are working on together. We have mixed success in getting churches involved, both Catholic and Protestant/Evangelical, but we have a number of successes and they are growing.
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Three cheers for 40 days for life!
(Abortion) is where the breakdown of respect for human life has begun in our culture and it is through abortion that 4000 babies are dying each day.
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As Catholics though, we believe the breakdown of respect for human life is rooted not in abortion, but in contraception. Abortion is a symtom of the contraceptive mentality.
 
Sorry for this being a bit off topic - but as an evangelical minister in a conservative Wesleyan/Methodist denomination I can tell you that the vast majority of our people have been evangelical for their entire adult lives. Many do come to us out of mainline denominations, but their conversions usually happened in evangelical churches in those mainline churches.

IMHO the greatest problem - across the entire Christian church - is theological liberalism. No one with a high view of Scripture (not to mention tradition) can logically be anything but pro-life.

BTW, this is why so many of us feel closer to conservative Catholics, than liberal Protestants. We truly do have more in common with you than them!

Just my $ .02 worth.
 
It is indeed sad when this happens. Ya think bishops would sit up and take notice.
Prayers & blessings
Deacon Ed B
 
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