Survey says!
Family Feud Host: Name the most popular religion in the U.S.
The Nelson family responds: Roman Catholic?
Family Feud Host: Survey says: Roman Catholic! The Nelson family wins!
Gotta get religion!
From network news to the most insignificant religious blogger (me), the talk of the nation is all about religion today. A new survey from The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life indicates that the United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country; the detailed research also turned up data revealing that a significant number of Americans switch religious affiliations over their lifetimes, and that one third of cradle Catholics no longer identify themselves as Catholic. The survey recognizes what most everyone already knew, Hispanic immigrants are raising the stats for the Catholic Church in the U.S. and filling the gap left by fallen away Catholics.
Sounds like good news to me.
The survey results seem to confirm other stats suggesting mainline Protestants are losing their congregations. Gee, I wonder why? I wonder if watered down doctrine has anything to do with it? Or ordaining homosexuals and women and blessing SS couples? Probably not.
The glass half full.
One thing the survey couldn’t document is the long venerable tradition of fallen away Catholics returning to the Church after doing whatever it is they do do that kept them from the sacraments in the first place. Of course, I haven’t read the survey results, therefore I’m unsure if the stats concerning Americans switching denominations, makes much of the increasing numbers of Protestants entering the Church.
After the Holy Father visits in April, Catholic stats should see another boost.
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