Posted on 01/28/2011 9:32:34 AM PST by marshmallow
Shery Weddell at the St Catherine of Siena Institute reports that 32% of Americans raised Catholic abandon the identity altogether by their mid twenties. An additional 38% retain the identity but rarely practice their faith. 30% of those who call themselves Catholic attend Mass only once a month. On a given Sunday only about 15.6% of American Catholics attend Mass.
What is the reason for these disastrous statistics? Basically because for the last forty years Catholics themselves have not taught Catholicism to their children. They've taught 'American Catholicism' which is a watered down blend of sentimentalism, political correctness, community activism and utilitarianism. In other words, "Catholicism is about feeling good about yourself, being just to others and trying to change the world." The next generation have drawn the obvious conclusion that you don't need to go to Mass to do all that. You can feel good about yourself much more effectively with a good book from the self help shelf, or by attending a personal development seminar. You can be involved in making the world a better place without going to church.
If only 15% of Catholics go to Mass on a given Sunday, look around and see how many of them are old. Even the 15% who are there won't be there for very long.
The solution is simple: we must return to the supernatural realities of the historic faith and evangelize like the Apostles of old. The big difference is that the Apostles knew their targets were pagans and the pagans knew they weren't Christians. We're dealing with a huge population of Americans (Catholics and Protestants alike) who are pagan but who think they're 'good Christians.' It is very difficult to evangelize people who already think they're fine just as they are. We don't know what we don't know, and the vast majority of poorly catechized, lazy and worldly Catholics aren't aware that there's anything wrong.
What will it take for us to wake up?
Ping!
I’m sure catholic radio is making a difference.
Sounds like Protestantism.
I would recommend STRONGLY, getting a copy of The Truth Project video. It is a stunning and intellectually demanding 12 video production on Christian vs secular worldviews and the battle between Godly and Satanic worldviews. I do not use the word “stunning” lightly.
The series is not produced by Catholics—so maybe that is an issue for you. But I’ve never seen any video presentation that goes to the heart of what is wrong with society and the church like this one.
I grew up high-church Episcopalian. So I’m acquainted with the sacramental, apostolic tradition and I have seen nothing in this series that would offend devout Catholics—indeed, it is ecumenical in the good sense of that word. That is, it is directed to believing Christians regardless of denomination and demands that we take the side of our Savior and demands that we realize there are two sides. It does not pick at differences between believing Christians but highlights the gulf between us, on the one hand, and the world on the other. In reality, believing Catholics and Protestants have far more in common with each other than they do with their worldly acquaintances. So the series is not ecumenical in the modern sense of “water down everything until it is no longer means anything.”
If your question is “what do we do,” I would strongly recommend telling everyone you know about this series. If that doesn’t work, maybe you could agitate for the Catholic Church to collaborate with Focus on the Family on a similar project targeted specifically to Catholics or to do their own, similar project?? Seriously, the video is a life and a church-changer.
The problem is Jesus has lost the hearts and minds of far too many Christians and they run far too many of our churches. After watching this series, you almost have to decide: “Am I going to become a real Christian and get on the right side of the gulf or will the world win my heart and those of my fellow Christians.”
I'm sure it has nothing to do with the church's pedophile priest cover up scandals, and nothing to do with the fact the the church bureuacracy strongly supports redistributionist/socialist policies Look here under "social justice" WIth the exception of abortion, Pelosi and her liberal brain dead zombies who write her stuff could have written the church's policy on wealth redistribution, gun control, etc. I'm sure the excesses of "Father" Pfleger and his vicious attacks against conservatives (never condemned by the church) have nothing to do with it. No it has to be that Catholics are doing enough.
Nah, none of this has anything to do with the drift of people away form the churh.
Exactly.
There was no evangelization prior to 1517.
Or Protestantism is older that you think.
Sounds like Protestantism.
lol. Exactly.
"All who are sent to teach the word are sent to carry on a contest. It is therefore not enough to teach faithfully what God commands, except we also contend...We have a contest with the Devil, with the world, and with all the wicked." -- Calvin, Jon.-Nah. 234-235.
Should make this a Catholic Caucus.
“In the country of Blind men, the one eyed man is a king”.
Just because Catholics do not live the faith, does not mean that other religions with no standards are real Christians. Contraceptives?
That's not true.
Agreed. I don’t want to read anything that anti-Catholic bigots have to say about this.
lol.
Rome cannot see the forest for the trees. Rome gets so much of Scripture wrong that it seems to prefer to wrestle over fairly inconsequential matters while ignoring the elephant in the room - its pagan, anti-Scriptural beliefs in "another Christ" and a "co-redeemer."
Whatever.
Can’t the non-Catholics stick to their own threads? Can’t they comment on their own beliefs?
This will inevitably become an anti-Catholic spitwad 7th grade stupid thread, just like so many others.
I see no point in any Catholic comments on it, since there will be no chance for intelligent discussion.
Obviously not.... They live for this and then they ping their buddies to gang up on you.
Yeah, I hear ya, but it does contain the word "Protestants" so...........ya know........
marshmallow:
Friendly suggestion. Put a Catholic Caucas label on this thread and maybe allow our close friends in the Eastern Orthodox Church here to discuss it but as Father Z says over at What Does Prayer Say “Don’t feed the trolls”
Let that bunch go discuss their own issues among themselves.
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