Which religion is grabbing the most Catholics?

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I vote for Evangelical. I live in the bible belt. There is a dang baptist church on every corner and on every other corner there is a pentecostal (I counted thirty churches in a one mile area serving a community of oh maybe 250…NK). There is one small catholic church 30 miles from me. The poor over worked priest is a kabillion years old and has TWO parishes about thirty minutes apart.
HELP!!!
 
👋 You are asking which religion is grabbing the most Catholics. When I was Catholic, I saw a some go to the Evangelical churches especially the Assemblies of G-D and other variations of Pentecostalism.

Some have gone Muslim and a few, like I did, became Jews. I converted to Judaism through the Conservative Movement. I attend a wonderful “Conservadox” synagouge. I have been in many synagouges and I have met former Sisters and Nuns who are now Jewish. I was even told that there is a former Priest who became Jewish. I came to Judaism not because of marriage but because of faith. I tell more on my website but I won’t list it here. This is a forum.

Shalom,
Bat-Ami
 
I voted for mainline liberal protestant. I think people enjoy a nice luke warm existence full of cuddly justification one hour per week.

-D
 
I myself come from the new age movement. Paganism and Wicca in particular. I am not sure if it is what is grabbing the most Catholics, but it is most definately dangerous. New Age is slowly finding its way into our parishes.

I was born into a Catholic family. Throw in a squabble about where to baptize me (Dad was Lutheran) and poor religious education, and I fell right in to Paganism. It is all well and good for most people, but then again most people have not experienced what I have, and most Pagans do not realize the real dangers in it. In any case, I’m on my way back, soon to be baptized!

Sorry for spouting like that anyway. I think that we should all pray for good catechesis, and pray that those who are going astray will open their eyes to the truth before it is too late…
 
I know Catholics who have christian friends mostly evangelicals and charasmatics and they are invited to there services. The first thing they say is “you have to be born again”. Makes you think your not christian, then your caught is this b.s. I am talking about Catholics who have grown up in the church,baptized and confirmed.
Soon they start to believe they are saved and don’t need the sacrament of penance and holy communion. Just read their bible and hold hands. I run like hell, I know better!! Let’em go, I never read that Jesus begged anybody. That’s pretty cold but if they don’t find out for themselves the’ll never understand what they gave up.

Fogny
 
The JW’s are the ones that have actively been pursuing souls in my neighborhood. I’ve a stack of Pilar of Fire booklets that I swap with them for theirs and I attempt to drive the discussion and get them off their “canned” routine. That often leaves the off-guard and in a listening mode.

What they are good at is sowing seeds of doubt in Catholics who do not have even basic knowledge of their faith.

It’s funny though, they don’t seem to come around my house anymore…I think I’ve been flagged as “dangerous” to the younger JW’s by the elders.

P.S. **nihilism **seems to be a growing belief in our world also…
 
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?
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Definitely, without a doubt, evangelical protestantism. They have been very successful in not being able to be defined and their different doctrines not being shown.

They also are very successful in marketing themselves through television. A cursory glance at TBN will show exactly why they are successful. Almost all of their programming shows pastors of “mega” churches riling up the flock into an emotional frenzy. They bring them up and then down and then up again to show the viewing audience that the Holy Spirit is in their service bringing these people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That they are on “fire” for the Lord. They always do the wide screen shot of their mega churches filled to the rafters with people too. Sometimes these churches can probably hold a few thousand. Interestingly, you never see a regular sized church which maybe can accomodate 300 to 400 hundred people or fewer at their services. It is always the mega churches shown to give the impression that thousands believe what they are teaching. And that’s just one facet of their successful marketing. Others include incorporating more black Christians into their programming, highlighting the mega churches Bible colleges, showing huge crusades by sheisters like Benny Hinn, or reruns of old Billy Graham crusades or newer crusades in huge stadiums where thousands upon thousands are coming to the Lord through evangelicalism.

I could go on, but I think that is why they are so successful.

In Christ,
Scarlet
 
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Scarlet:
Definitely, without a doubt, evangelical protestantism. They have been very successful in not being able to be defined and their different doctrines not being shown.

They also are very successful in marketing themselves through television. A cursory glance at TBN will show exactly why they are successful. Almost all of their programming shows pastors of “mega” churches riling up the flock into an emotional frenzy. They bring them up and then down and then up again to show the viewing audience that the Holy Spirit is in their service bringing these people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That they are on “fire” for the Lord. They always do the wide screen shot of their mega churches filled to the rafters with people too. Sometimes these churches can probably hold a few thousand. Interestingly, you never see a regular sized church which maybe can accomodate 300 to 400 hundred people or fewer at their services. It is always the mega churches shown to give the impression that thousands believe what they are teaching. And that’s just one facet of their successful marketing. Others include incorporating more black Christians into their programming, highlighting the mega churches Bible colleges, showing huge crusades by sheisters like Benny Hinn, or reruns of old Billy Graham crusades or newer crusades in huge stadiums where thousands upon thousands are coming to the Lord through evangelicalism.

I could go on, but I think that is why they are so successful.

In Christ,
Scarlet
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Yes MTV style of worship is very popular with a lot of mislead Christians. It’s so, well, entertaining! And best of all, we are assured that we are saved, no matter WHAT we say or DO! The best of both worlds! Just don’t dig too deep into Christian history, because once truth starts to be revealed to you, you can no longer claim ignorance and get a free ticket to Heaven.
 
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RiverRock:
Yes MTV style of worship is very popular with a lot of mislead Christians. It’s so, well, entertaining! And best of all, we are assured that we are saved, no matter WHAT we say or DO! The best of both worlds! Just don’t dig too deep into Christian history, because once truth starts to be revealed to you, you can no longer claim ignorance and get a free ticket to Heaven.
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Just because some are apostate does not mean all are! There are a few who do not follow the current popular ways, like Purpose Driven and Alpha. Those are an abomination and yet, you will find the Roman Catholic Church more involved in them too. Not so much the Purpose Driven drivel since that is leading to the end time church such as it is, but Alpha is welcomed in most Catholic churches these days. I guess it is the ecumenical thing to do.
 
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Calbreese:
I believe it is the latest addiction, The World Wide Web. It’s growth cannot be matched by any Religion. It has the power to tempt souls in every way. This religion/tool of the Evil One certainly can lead souls that do not keep Christ first in their heart…down the wrong path.
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Calbreese…that could be said about anything then, TV, books, art, guns, cameras, etc. These are simply objects…they have no power. It is people and how they use these objects for evil purposes, that can lead souls from our Lord.

I’ve learned much from these forums…that has only strengthened my faith and increased my understanding of our Church.

Thanks Mr. K!
 
major cause: poor catechism and weak catholic foundation
effect: evangelical protestantism
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...
 
Last I checked we were still growing. Only ignorance draws away from the Church. If some of these who turn away took the time to study the faith in detail or denied themselves they would stay. Free will however, makes this practice of turning away impossible to abolish at present.
 
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Shibboleth:
I would vote that most Christians are being lost to apathy. Outside of that I think that it depends on the area in which you live. People out in California turn to the new age religions and some of the exotic eastern religions. The Catholic Church might be able to attract some Californian?s back if they invented an Atkins Friendly Communion. :rolleyes:

People in the Southern States I would say are being lost to the fundamentalist and evangelical movements. People in South and Central America ? well is there really any question.

I am guessing that mainline Protestantism includes (Wesleyan, Ani-Baptist, Calvinist, and Lutheran) but ?liberal?? :ehh:

Anyways, I voted for Evangelical.
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what the who is anti-baptist?? a schism in the baptists?
 
Secularism isn’t a religion, but that’s what’s grabbing the most Catholics.

I think evangelical/fundamentalist churches who purposely send missionaries to predominantly Catholic countries to convert the people there are stealing the most Catholics. I wish Catholics would work on those areas, as it seems to me they are ignoring them.
 
I know that the jw’s love door-to-door and they love arguing with catholics! …sigh… I think we are considered targetsEvanescence
 
Non-Catholic who registered just to respond to this question (but will stick around for the other discussions)…

I agree with some other posters, as far as specific and identifiable organizations the answers are regional. In the mountain west the significant loss is to either the Mormon Church first and Non-Denominational Evangelical churches second, or vice versa. But they are running about neck and neck.

In the west coast states Non-Denominational Evangelical churches followed by a distant but very real New Age Movement.

Everywhere that I have any experience with, the Jehovah’s Witness movement is steadily losing ground. I would be surprised if their gains come close to matching their losses.
 
#1 Postmodernism Entertainment Fellowship Church
#2 No church, C+E

This would include relativism (what’s right in my sight is right, what’s right in yours is ok, and so there is no such thing as Truth- truth is what YOU make of it, so is life)

(The reality of evil in our day, just in reading the news or seeing it, immediately casts light onto the problems with relativism.)

Speaking about young Catholics:

Looking at the figure that 70% of college students attending secular colleges and universities, lose their faith, I would grant that a sizeable portion of young folk who are Catholic, albeit, poorly formed, are in this category.

Teens,collegiates, and young moms listen to and exercise to the philosophies of this ‘church’. The culture is saturated in this music and media, especially in its entertainments: movies, videogames, etc.

Modernism includes the churchofentertainment and is directly opposed to the Church which worships the one true God. Modernism lifts up the God of Self/Pleasure instead of the Lamb of God in its ‘gatherings.’

The Hound of Heaven is reaching out in many ways to all people, naturally and supernaturally and the vocation of unselfish Love will restore all in Christ.

Come, Holy SPirit, lead us into all Truth!

Pope John Paul the Great, pray for us.
 
Couldn’t vote: I didn’t see the “Church of ME”, or atheism or agnosticm/don’t car-ism.
 
Intersting. I think it is all of the above. Even the “liberal” Christian Scientists are winning Catholic converts here. The 1st Church of Christ Scientist in my city is made of 25% former Catholics.

The concern is why so many Catholics leave - for all sorts of religions, Christian or not.

It seems to be getting worse.
 
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