Which religion is grabbing the most Catholics?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Karl_Keating
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I really dislike the quoting of percentages with groups that have wildly varying numbers. If my “new” church I started with my wife and myself converts another couple within one year, that’s a 100% growth rate.

Can y’all post some raw numbers instead?
 
Our DRE (Director of Religious Education) states that 250,000 came into the Holy Roman Catholic Church last year alone. Does anyone know if this is true?

Also, my parish is growing by leaps and bounds. We have entire families enrolled in RCIA - I mean brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and in-laws and children! It is an exciting time at IHM (www.ihom,org) were we have grown significantly in the past few years to over 3,000 families with 6 masses on Sunday.

I state all of this to simply ask, which religion are all the new Catholics coming from?

Peace!
 
the religion of SELF…

now more then ever… all i see is “solo scriptura”… more and more gravitating to their own interpretation of what is right and what is wrong, and woe to anyone that might disagree with them…

some evidence in these forums as well, many have their version of catholicism that they wish to reign on all those with a sledge hammer that don’t see it their way…

by and large, it’s becoming a very self oriented place to be, that religion of self…
 
I voted for Eastern Religions as I see many Catholics practicing some forms of eastern religion on the side…especially Zen. I remember an article in a missionary magazine a while back with the title, How Catholicism can Help My Practice of Zen, or something to that effect.
 
space ghost:
the religion of SELF…

now more then ever… all i see is “solo scriptura”… more and more gravitating to their own interpretation of what is right and what is wrong, and woe to anyone that might disagree with them…

some evidence in these forums as well, many have their version of catholicism that they wish to reign on all those with a sledge hammer that don’t see it their way…

by and large, it’s becoming a very self oriented place to be, that religion of self…
Click to expand...
Why do you think this is? Do you think it is a result of more and more people being educated?
 
40.png
FelixBlue:
Why do you think this is? Do you think it is a result of more and more people being educated?
Click to expand...
Hardly more educated. People can barely write nowadays much less read. Our “education” has just been dumbed-down.

You know, I think there is a basic misunderstanding at the heart of our own religion. They say that knowledge of right and wrong is written in your heart from the beginning (or something like that) and people take it literally, meaning without any further learning or catechesis. It’s all right inside so whatever I feel I want to do must be OK. Especially in protestantism, where the hierarchy breaks down into smaller and smaller structures until it’s like the Flannery O’Connor story where a drifter starts his own Church Without Christ and proselytizes from the roof of his car. I am my own Church.
 
I think that Catholicism is the biggest draw for wayward Catholics. Most of my formerly Catholic friends/family have returned to the Church rather than join another religion.
 
Karl Keating:
This is a question about your perception, not about statistics. Someone undertaking a detailed sociological survey might be able to come up with hard numbers.

I’m looking for your gut feeling, which may be based in part on what has happened to people you know or know about.

In your estimation, which religion has been most successful in inducing one-time Catholics to join it?
Click to expand...
PROTESTANTS.
 
I voted “Evangelical” because I know plenty who say they found a more loving environment. In other words, they like the music, youth group, uplifting feeling they receive from their worship. However…

If the main cafeteria choices they are trying to avoid are birth control and divorce, fallen-aways feel comfortable at an evangelical church.

If they are militantly pro-choice, they’ll probably go to a more liberal mainline church. IMHO.

If they never studied their Bible and believe the canard that the Church discourages Bible study, than they are easily swayed by Fundamentalists and JWs.

If they value the Holy Eucharist, they don’t leave! (even if they do continue in their denial of certain teachings)

Pax,

RLG
 
40.png
PhilVaz:
Fundamentalists rather than evangelicals. Hard to distinguish, but I define fundamentalists as those Protestants who think Catholics need to be “grabbed.” Evangelicals are those fundamentalists who are more ecumenical…so less grabbing :confused:

In this area (Clearwater FL) its Scientology. 😃

Phil P
Click to expand...
Fundamentalists are those who believe that the Bible is to be interpreted literally. Evangelicals are those who believe that the Gospel must be made known to all people throughout the world. The two terms often go hand in hand, although there are evangelicals who are not fundamentalists, there are few fundamentalists who are not evangelicals.
 
emmy from texas:
Being an educated Catholic is what led me to Islam –
I know how you feel though, and I respect it. This is a no win debate because my life experiences and prayers brought me to where I am today, and yours brought you to where you are.
Click to expand...
Emmy, are you saying that those of us who stay faithful to the Catholic Church "are not educated’? What are you implying, that we’re a bunch of morons or something like that? Stop insulting us. I don’t believe you knew much about the Church in the first place!
 
The Catholic Church does not discriminate. If someone does something clearly immoral and has the backbone to admit it and is willing to confess and make amends, Jesus can’t wait to welcome the sinner back with open arms - and as we know, He does this over and over again. If someone doesn’t believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Our Lord, why would they come up to Communion and offend true believers? It boggles my mind that people are “offended” and “hurt” when we practice our religion. Too bad - buck up, read the bible and the Catechism if you are interested in belonging to the Church Jesus founded.
 
This terrible crime of forcing people against their will to change beliefs is a matter that needs to be taken up by the United nations.
 
40.png
SPOKENWORD:
As one who has left the RCC church I believe many have left because of the poor example of the leadership in the Rcc. The RCC does a wonderful Job on teaching dogma,traditions,ect, but does a poor job on how to live the christian life.
Click to expand...
That is why you are supposed to follow God not man. They are wonderful in teaching and dogma,because that was promised them by Jesus, he did not promise He would make the leadership perfect. Oh, by the way in the times of St. Francis,things were pretty bad with the authority in the Church,but he didn’t leave it, he converted by example.God Bless
 
I wish we could survey folks as to why the leave. I reponded “Mainline Protestant” in the survey since I think people go to a more liberal church for their prochoice views, same sex marriage etc. The ultra liberal Unitarian Universalist Church grabs many since it openly welcomes gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender individuals, deists, theists, atheists, agnostics, wiccans and pagans.

Others leave life totally, as in they just dont go to church, or they simply worship at the mirror, so to speak, as many have said in this thread. Material goods become their god in the “church of me.” Possibly the philsophy of secular humanism grabs them because of the permissiveness.
 
I see a lot of my Catholic brothers and sisters moving to the Calvary Chapel Church, I assume it’s considered evangelical. I’ve been told they offer more and better divorce counseling, they allow persons who feel a “calling to ministry” the opportunity to minister to others in need without lengthy preperation, or training. They are very “non-judgemental” in that they accept everyone, fully into “worship” whether they are divorced, or in some other way unable to celebrate in the Mass and Communion fully.

They have a phenominal growth rate. The people there are very friendly, more than at a Catholic Church. They have a lot of family type ministries, child care, book stores, single and family get-togethers. They do a lot of advertizing, and are just a feel-good type of place.

I guess a lot of Catholics who are “damaged” find it a easier to move to “welcoming” places of worship rather than face a priest at confession, or go through an anullment.
We catholics could certainly learn a lot from their examples in the welcoming and family ministry areas.
 
I know a number of Catholics that have become atheists, agnostics, and deists. Why isn’t that an option in the poll?
 
I have read this thread with interest. I can see I was wrong in my vote, mainline churchs. I must admit I am a lapsed RC. My Mom, single parent, had me Babtized, Confirmed and enrolled in Catholic school. It wasn’t until I was twelve when she sat me down and calmly explained the facts of life that I worked up the courage to asked her why she didn’t attend church. Just as calmly she explained she was denied the Sacraments because she was divorced! At that moment I turned my back on the church and never looked back. Don’t misunderstand, I never joined any other church. I read one chapter of the Catholic bible every day and say prayers to the Trinity and favorite Saints. I only pray for one thing and I’m up front with God about it. I pray for the salvation of all sinners by whatever name they know God. I’ve told him, if this be heresy judge me at your throne when my time comes.
 
Just reading through your answers, I seem to find a lot of hypocriticism…

People that are saying other religions ‘steal’ worshippers from Catholicism, then Catholicism ‘converts’ them.

Would it not be fair to say they were converting Catholics?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top