As for the mainline (largely white) Protestant churches, I would argue that a collapse of faith has depleted them, at least collectively. Many of them ceased preaching the “old time religion” a long time ago, having largely assimilated to a post-Christian world and acclimated to the sexual revolution. Gone are the moral demands of the gospel, which have been replaced by a social “gospel.” Gone is the drama of salvation. Jesus is less Lord and Savior and more a good man and ethical teacher.
A Shocking Loss of Faith: Reflecting on the Closing of So Many Churches
Granted the topics are different but related. One contributing factor, IMHO, was admitting women to the priesthood. That started the snowball rolling down hill to the point where they now have female bishops. In so doing, they gratified the feminists but loss those who held a more devout faith. This is the next progression.
Spot on.
The “progression” (actually the slippery slope) for Protestantism began in the 1930’s with the acceptance, later, the promotion, of artificial birth control first for the laity and later for clergy.
The next rung was reached in the 1960’s with the acceptance of divorce and, especially, remarriage after divorce first for the laity and later for clergy.
Ordination of women to Presbyteriate began in the 1970’s. At that time many denominational health insurance plans began covering elective abortion without restriction, irrespective of official denomination policy on pre-birth infanticide.
When I read posts like these I am profoundly thankful to be Orthodox.
Without a doubt, Msgr Pope is totally right about what happened to mainline white Protestant churches. Sadly, there are some laity and clergy (including not a few bishops and cardinals) in the Catholic Church who look to Episcopal Church USA, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, etc., and see not failure but a model to be emulated.