Losing your religion

[Rightlydivide]

Apologies to REM

news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080225/us_time/americasunfaithfulfaithful

1/3 of all Catholics leave their church.
2/3 of Jehovah Witnesses do!!!
Too many unaffilated people, those are the people we need to go get. Overall interesting article.

 

[Deacon110]

Apologies to REM

news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080225/us_time/americasunfaithfulfaithful

1/3 of all Catholics leave their church.
2/3 of Jehovah Witnesses do!!!
Too many unaffilated people, those are the people we need to go get. Overall interesting article.

When you say 1/3 leave their church, does that mean officially or unofficially? Many leave but are still counted as being Roman Catholic when they are something else i.e. Methodist, Non-denominational etc.

 

[Metaron]

When you say 1/3 leave their church, does that mean officially or unofficially? Many leave but are still counted as being Roman Catholic when they are something else i.e. Methodist, Non-denominational etc.

Huh?

The mainline Protestants are losing followers in droves, including the Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians.

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest American religion, and the second-fastest growing religion in the U.S., even if you do not count “born” Catholics. And it is the second-fastest growing religion in the world (first is Islam, unfortunately.)

 

[Annie_B]

Huh?

The mainline Protestants are losing followers in droves, including the Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians.

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest American religion, and the second-fastest growing religion in the U.S., even if you do not count “born” Catholics. And it is the second-fastest growing religion in the world (first is Islam, unfortunately.)

It is easy for the Catholics to say they are the largest religiong in the US. I am thinking it is because of the “once a Catholic always a Catholic” point of view. Even if you leave and attend another church, they still continue to count you as Catholic unless you are excommunicated, correct? IF this is true, then the church almost never, technically, looses any members. If this is not the way the RCC does things, please post - I would apprecitae it. I do not wish to misrepresent any religion to which I do not belong.

Annie

Annie

 

[Metaron]

It is easy for the Catholics to say they are the largest religiong in the US. I am thinking it is because of the “once a Catholic always a Catholic” point of view. Even if you leave and attend another church, they still continue to count you as Catholic unless you are excommunicated, correct? IF this is true, then the church almost never, technically, looses any members. If this is not the way the RCC does things, please post - I would apprecitae it. I do not wish to misrepresent any religion to which I do not belong.

Annie

Annie

No, if you do not attend Communion or Confession for a year, you are removed from the roster.

 

[Annie_B]

No, if you do not attend Communion or Confession for a year, you are removed from the roster.

Since Communion and confession are not events that are kept track of for each person (are they??? - How could they be??) how can this be used as a measure of membership? Also, removing one’s name from the local church roster does not mean they are not Catholic anymore, does it? As I understand it, excommunication is the only thing that can make one “not Catholic” anymore (even then, are you not actually considered and excommunicated Catholic, but still a Catholic who cannot participate in the Church to the full extent that those who are not excommunicated are able to participate?

Annie

 

[teadough]

Even if you leave and attend another church, they still continue to count you as Catholic unless you are excommunicated, correct?

Keep in mind that excommunication does not mean that someone has been kicked out of the Catholic Church.

When someone has been excommunicated they can no longer receive the sacraments

 

[Rolltide]

What is important about this survey is that it is, indeed, based on a poll. The numbers given for Catholics are based on actual people’s responses, not on Catholic Church baptismal rolls or people registered to a parish, so the numbers are likely a decent reflection of how people see themselves. This doesn’t, of course, take into consideration how many people who identified themselves as Catholic are actually just “culturally Catholic” and don’t really practice the faith.

The most significant fact in this report:

2.6% of Americans are converts to Catholicism, but 10% of the population is ex-Catholic. This means that immigration is responsible for the numbers staying stable. If it wasn’t for immigrants, we’d be losing members. Further, second-generation Hispanics are abandoning Catholicism for groups like the Pentacostals at an alarming rate.
**
The second most important fact in the report:**

1/4 of the population of the United States is Catholic. This is no surprise, since it has been for a while. What is shocking is that this ratio is true for the Midwest, Northeast, West, and the SOUTH. Catholicism is growing tremendously in the South. Alabama, for example, doubled its percent of Catholics in less than a decade (from 3% to 6% and still growing). In Georgia and the Carolinas, it’s even more significant.

 

[Rolltide]

Huh?

The mainline Protestants are losing followers in droves, including the Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians.

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest American religion, and the second-fastest growing religion in the U.S., even if you do not count “born” Catholics. And it is the second-fastest growing religion in the world (first is Islam, unfortunately.)

We are growing in raw numbers because the population is growing, but we are not growing as a percentage of the population. We are, however, maintaining our numbers for now, while mainline Protestant denominations are bleeding badly. Mormons, Muslims, and Hindus seem to keep their adherents much more often.

As an aside, the JW’s do seem to be in serious trouble looking at that 2/3 drop-out rate…

 

[Annie_B]

Keep in mind that excommunication does not mean that someone has been kicked out of the Catholic Church.

 

[RebeccaJ]

teadough;3358897:

Well, that would seem to indicate that there are MORE catholics out there than mabe people think. I always heard; once a Catholic, Always a Catholic" …So, houw would one officially be NOT counted a Catholic anymore? Just wondering…

Annie

Annie, the Catholic church keeps records of who have been baptized. They do this because it is very important, as Catholics believe that baptism leaves a permanent mark on your soul. It cannot be undone or erased for any reason, whatsoever, and doctrinally, great care is taken so that a person is only baptized once. (A valid baptism, I’ll note.)

So, you can find statistics on how many people were baptized in a year, both infants and adult converts.

As for how many people identify as Catholic. As far as I can tell, it is based on statistical information. Census. Parish registrations. Number of people receiving Communion at mass (no one counts heads). All of these numbers are combined and a statistically accurate count is produced.

Parish registration is voluntary, and mainly used for administrative purposes. You have to be registered to get married, baptize children, and it helps the parish manage budgets and other resources.

If a person was baptized as a Catholic, but now identifies as anther religion, that will bear out on any well done census. No one in the Catholic church will be tracking them down, so people would see no need to have their names “removed” from the Catholic church, as is sometimes common with people who have left mormonism and want to be left alone. (No offense intended, just making a comparison.)

 

[majick275]

We are growing in raw numbers because the population is growing, but we are not growing as a percentage of the population. We are, however, maintaining our numbers for now, while mainline Protestant denominations are bleeding badly. Mormons, Muslims, and Hindus seem to keep their adherents much more often.

As an aside, the JW’s do seem to be in serious trouble looking at that 2/3 drop-out rate…

mormons have about a 15% convert retention rate ad are losing active members too. muslims and hindus are are very intolerant of those who leave their faith. some are even killed. SDA’s seem to have a high convert retention rate and the pentecostals (especially assemblies of god) seem to be having some of the highest convert growth.

We Catholics need to evangelize more, encourage better participation in religious education and do a better job of “community building”: (fellowship etc.)

God will take care of his church but he will probably want to know what we did to help when given the opportunity.

 

[teadough]

mormons have about a 15% convert retention rate ad are losing active members too. muslims and hindus are are very intolerant of those who leave their faith. some are even killed. SDA’s seem to have a high convert retention rate and the pentecostals (especially assemblies of god) seem to be having some of the highest convert growth.

We Catholics need to evangelize more, encourage better participation in religious education and do a better job of “community building”: (fellowship etc.)

God will take care of his church but he will probably want to know what we did to help when given the opportunity.

As a convert,I feel that the Church is what it is. I did not fall in love with the Catholic Church because of evangelization or fellowship. I saw plenty of that at the protestant churches I had attended. I fell in love because of TRUTH swept me off my feet.

Now, what about the ones who are already Catholic? I think you hit it on the head but how or what do we do?

I feel that most people leave the Church because they get presented with the oldest lie in the book. The parishioners,all of a sudden, hear “Did God really say that?” in regards to Catholic theology.If the parishioner does not know their Catholic Faith they could be gone in a very short time. I have noticed from first hand experience that this tends to take place in a moment of time when they could use the Church the most. Maybe God is just “pruning” .

 

[ralphinal]

I agree with the OP about unaffiliated people. How many of them may end up totally unchurched? How many children will never learn about God?

Some thoughts on leaving the Catholic Church. First, if a person leaves the Catholic Church and never tells anyone, their name may be left on a parish roster for years, depending on how often that parish verifies its roll, so to speak. Second, many Catholics stop practicing the faith but never join another one. They are still Catholic, poor ones but still Catholic. Some of them are the legendary twice a year guys who take my seat on Christmas and Easter . Third, there are a good number of Catholic who attend services other than Catholic ones but they themselves still consider themselves CAtholic. Do not ask me how it works.

A person can leave the Catholic Faith. It happens every day.

The actual pole does have some information in it. I must say that I agree with Mark Twain about the three types of falsehoods: lies, **** lies, and statistics.

 

[paarsurrey]

I am thinking it is because of the “once a Catholic always a Catholic” point of view.

Hi

A question, if a Catholic converts to Muslims, would he be still counted as a Catholic under the formula “once a Catholic always a Catholic”?
A Catholic to answer please.

Thanks

 

[ralphinal]

Hi

A question, if a Catholic converts to Muslims, would he be still counted as a Catholic under the formula “once a Catholic always a Catholic”?
A Catholic to answer please.

Thanks

I would say that if he informs his parish, then no. If not, how would they know to remove him from the files?

I have never heard the once a Catholic, always a Catholic claim. People can and do leave the faith. The spiritual issues are another story.

I would say no, they are no longer Catholic, though they might still be counted as one by the Church.