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?
And you didn’t look in the mirror and repeat those scriptures, either, did you?
You said, “There’s only one reflection in that mirror — Jesus Christ.”
If you look in your mirror and see Jesus Christ, then you are worshipping yourself. That is what I expect, after reading the OPC on all the open Catholic threads.
Not at all.
uhhhhhhhhhhhh
uhhhhhhhhhh
They’re thinking . . .
Probably expecting a special message to flutter down any minute on a white hanky to bail them out . . .
Probably something about St Peter declaring in a special prophecy that FR would be
TOTALLY THEIR’S some day.
It seems to go with the territory . . . or landscape . . .
or the DAFFYNITIONARY . . . or the White Hankys . . .
I didn’t say I worshiped myself. I said Christ was in me and I in Christ.
For Roman Catholics to be so skeptical of that fact is very sad indeed.
Your post breaks the rules of Free Republic by making personal statements about another FReeper.
Try to abide by the rules. They exist to help all of us.
Yeah, they’ll probably hit the abuse button on you. They like to do that. Don’t worry, there are ways to get the point across.
Actually, I think I’m leaving the thread. I have something enjoyable to do. ;-D Hope you have a great evening!
Love it when y’all are so terminally wrong.
The Bible has something to say about folks choosing to unnecessarily take offense.
Biblical truth is vital for the living/ungraduated.
The BIBLICAL TRUTH IS that all our works of righteousness are as a used minstral rag. That’s SCRIPTURE.
Rebel against it at your own risk.
I’m skeptical y’all know much about the Love of Jesus.
Jesus’ LOVE AND TRUTH go hand in hand.
As John and Paula Sandford say in
TRANSFORMATION OF THE INNER MAN
Truth without love is brutality.
Love without truth is useless sentimentality.
It sounds like y’all have not a shred of a clue about me nor about my walk with God.
Biases tend to produce tunnel vision as through an thin straw. Rigid, RELIGIOUS biases can be the most blinding and the most deadly.
a BROKEN
AND CONTRITE HEART
HE WILL NOT DESPISE.
THAT’S PLAIN BIBLE.
BTW,
I don’t think I have ANY wisdom of my own.
Any I have is all from The Lord.
Try again.
The utter fails might get amusing at some point.
to be called a heretical fool by some folks is sort of an honor.
I’d bet there are 15-30 RC abuse button hits per single Proddy hit.
Might even be as high as 50:1
However, we understand about the RC
compulsion to fantasize and concoct all manner of
Alice In Wonderland School Of Theology And Reality Mangling
farcical fantasies.
amen
“And you didn’t look in the mirror and repeat those scriptures, either, did you?
You said, “There’s only one reflection in that mirror — Jesus Christ.”
If you look in your mirror and see Jesus Christ, then you are worshipping yourself. That is what I expect, after reading the OPC on all the open Catholic threads.”
{{{SNORT!!!}}}
That’s rich.
Looks like you struck a nerve, Doc.
Hoss
Bless you and yours. They may hit the abuse button, but it shall be for naught. If they actually look at what they post, in comparison to what they are complaining about... well.
The Truth shall be known.
INteresting that you’d take it that way. Maybe many did.
I considered it a hypothetical statement.
HOWEVER,
We do KNOW that
when in doubt
the
RC DEFAULT POSITION
IS TO TAKE AS MUCH OFFENSE AS POSSIBLE
AND TO WAIL AND WHINE AS LOUDLY as possible.
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