Catholics Becoming Protestant

[Dale]

"One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a separate denomination, they would be the third-largest denomination in the United States, after Catholics and Baptists. One of three people who were raised Catholic no longer identifies as Catholic."

At least half of those leaving the Roman Catholic Church become Protestant. Why?

" ... the Catholic church has failed to deliver what people consider fundamental products of religion: spiritual sustenance and a good worship service."

So that's it! The Protestants have a better worship service. I'm not the only person who gets tired of the mumbo jumbo.

Are those who leave mere lukewarm Catholics?

"We are losing the best, not the worst." After all: "They are leaving to get spiritual nourishment from worship services and the Bible."

Here's part of the problem:
"Few Catholics read the Bible."

That helps to explain why Catholics leave the RCC, to join a church where people do read the Bible.

These quotes are from Father Thomas Reese, SJ, former editor of America, the Jesuit magazine.

Link:
The hidden exodus: Catholics becoming Protestants

 

[badatusernames]

"One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a separate denomination, they would be the third-largest denomination in the United States, after Catholics and Baptists. One of three people who were raised Catholic no longer identifies as Catholic."

At least half of those leaving the Roman Catholic Church become Protestant. Why?

" ... the Catholic church has failed to deliver what people consider fundamental products of religion: spiritual sustenance and a good worship service."

So that's it! The Protestants have a better worship service. I'm not the only person who gets tired of the mumbo jumbo.

Are those who leave mere lukewarm Catholics?

"We are losing the best, not the worst." After all: "They are leaving to get spiritual nourishment from worship services and the Bible."

Here's part of the problem:
"Few Catholics read the Bible."

That helps to explain why Catholics leave the RCC, to join a church where people do read the Bible.

These quotes are from Father Thomas Reese, SJ, former editor of America, the Jesuit magazine.

Link:
The hidden exodus: Catholics becoming Protestants

Some Protestant worship, especially in older Protestant denominations looks pretty much the exact same as Catholic.

 

[Steve Petersen]

Um, for all intents and purposes, Protestant is the only flavor of Christian left to choose from when you leave Catholicism.

 

[badatusernames]

Um, for all intents and purposes, Protestant is the only flavor of Christian left to choose from when you leave Catholicism.

What about Eastern or Oriental Orthodoxy?

 

[Steve Petersen]

What about Eastern or Oriental Orthodoxy?

Did you miss the part where is said "for all intents and purposes?" The others are minor denominations. Combined their membership is only 1/3 of the Protestants. There are way more Protestant churches than Orthodox making Protestant the most accessible of the Christian denominations.

List of Christian denominations by number of members - Wikipedia

 

[Phil 1:21]

"One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a separate denomination, they would be the third-largest denomination in the United States, after Catholics and Baptists. One of three people who were raised Catholic no longer identifies as Catholic."

At least half of those leaving the Roman Catholic Church become Protestant. Why?

" ... the Catholic church has failed to deliver what people consider fundamental products of religion: spiritual sustenance and a good worship service."

So that's it! The Protestants have a better worship service. I'm not the only person who gets tired of the mumbo jumbo.

Are those who leave mere lukewarm Catholics?

"We are losing the best, not the worst." After all: "They are leaving to get spiritual nourishment from worship services and the Bible."

Here's part of the problem:
"Few Catholics read the Bible."

That helps to explain why Catholics leave the RCC, to join a church where people do read the Bible.

These quotes are from Father Thomas Reese, SJ, former editor of America, the Jesuit magazine.

Link:
The hidden exodus: Catholics becoming Protestants

I really can't disagree with any of that, and it mirrors what I see in my own church. Many of those in attendance are former Catholics and left for the very reason you cited.

As an interesting side note, when I finally committed to leaving the RCC I looked into having my name removed from their roles. Apparently they don't do that, which makes me wonder the accuracy of whatever membership numbers they claim. I can't remember ever seeing a new Catholic church being built in my hometown, but I can tell you of a few that were closed and torn down.

 

[Major1]

I really can't disagree with any of that, and it mirrors what I see in my own church. Many of those in attendance are former Catholics and left for the very reason you cited.

As an interesting side note, when I finally committed to leaving the RCC I looked into having my name removed from their roles. Apparently they don't do that, which makes me wonder the accuracy of whatever membership numbers they claim. I can't remember ever seeing a new Catholic church being built in my hometown, but I can tell you of a few that were closed and torn down.

I do not mean to cause anyone any concern or anger and I do not say this to cause an argument, however in our church right now, there are 4 couples who were in the Catholic religion. The reason that THEY said they are no longer Catholic is because they got saved, began to read the Bible and could not remain in the Catholic church.

Of course they maybe lying, but I do not know why they would need to, and Everyone is free to accept that as truth or everyone can reject it as a made up story. It matters not to me.

 

[Major1]

Some Protestant worship, especially in older Protestant denominations looks pretty much the exact same as Catholic.

Now that is something that I have never observed. Maybe that is true in the Episcopalian or Lutheran churches but surely not in the Baptist or Pentecostal churches.

 

[Phil 1:21]

Now that is something that I have never observed. Maybe that is true in the Episcopalian or Lutheran churches but surely not in the Baptist or Pentecostal churches.

In our town there were both Lutheran and Catholic grade schools, but no Lutheran high schools. So we had a lot of Lutherans in our high school. We all (them and us) used to joke that Lutheran was just "Catholic light."

 

[redleghunter]

"One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a separate denomination, they would be the third-largest denomination in the United States, after Catholics and Baptists. One of three people who were raised Catholic no longer identifies as Catholic."

At least half of those leaving the Roman Catholic Church become Protestant. Why?

" ... the Catholic church has failed to deliver what people consider fundamental products of religion: spiritual sustenance and a good worship service."

So that's it! The Protestants have a better worship service. I'm not the only person who gets tired of the mumbo jumbo.

Are those who leave mere lukewarm Catholics?

"We are losing the best, not the worst." After all: "They are leaving to get spiritual nourishment from worship services and the Bible."

Here's part of the problem:
"Few Catholics read the Bible."

That helps to explain why Catholics leave the RCC, to join a church where people do read the Bible.

These quotes are from Father Thomas Reese, SJ, former editor of America, the Jesuit magazine.

Link:
The hidden exodus: Catholics becoming Protestants

It may have to do with souls becoming manifestly born again and looking to exercise and walk in faith and not religion.

 

[Albion]

I'll bet that, of Catholics switching churches, more gravitate to the Episcopal or Lutheran churches than to Baptist churches, even though there are more Baptists in this country than Episcopalians or Lutherans.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I suspect that we are among the churches that have more former Catholics than others. I estimate that 1/3 to 1/2 of my parish are former RCs. Oh,...and we probably do mumbo jumbo even better than the Catholics. Love me some mumbo jumbo.

 

[chevyontheriver]

"One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic. If they were a separate denomination, they would be the third-largest denomination in the United States, after Catholics and Baptists. One of three people who were raised Catholic no longer identifies as Catholic."

At least half of those leaving the Roman Catholic Church become Protestant. Why?

" ... the Catholic church has failed to deliver what people consider fundamental products of religion: spiritual sustenance and a good worship service."

So that's it! The Protestants have a better worship service. I'm not the only person who gets tired of the mumbo jumbo.

Are those who leave mere lukewarm Catholics?

"We are losing the best, not the worst." After all: "They are leaving to get spiritual nourishment from worship services and the Bible."

Here's part of the problem:
"Few Catholics read the Bible."

That helps to explain why Catholics leave the RCC, to join a church where people do read the Bible.

These quotes are from Father Thomas Reese, SJ, former editor of America, the Jesuit magazine.

Link:
The hidden exodus: Catholics becoming Protestants

I kind of doubt you are getting the straight scoop as to why this is happening from Fr. Reese. It's happening, but we hear all sorts of reasons, mostly how Catholicism is too old fashioned, wrong on all of the pelvic issues, and how the solution is to somehow become 'relevant' like the Episcopalians. Funny that all of these Catholics don't go to the Episcopalians but more likely end up evangelical or Fundamentalist.

Not reading the Bible is probably one of the bigger things. Those who actually read the Bible don't fare so badly. Those who don't are flapping in the wind.

But I think the major factor is that now we are a generation removed from those who grew up on the failed religious education of the 1970's and 1980's following Vatican II. They were taught 'felt and feelings' rather than anything recognizable from generations before. So now their children have no substantial connection to any real Catholic faith. Oh, some do. Those who have been blessed enough to discover the real Catholic faith, those who have stood the pro-life cause, those who have found a counter cultural Catholic faith. They exist. They are on fire. But they are few. Yet Jesus only needed in the end eleven. So there is more hope even now than back then. The Catholic Church is a big ship that does not change quickly.

Of those who have left, the lucky ones have discovered some sort of evangelical faith. Many more have not found any substantial faith. Much like those Catholics in name only who have no real faith. Both of these groups are more or less immune to the truth, not going to be phased by anything the Catholic Church says, pretty much going along with the flow of cultural decline. We haven't reached them and the chances of reaching them are slim to none. Catholic catechesis is way way better than it was in the 1970's and 1980's but they're for the most part not even hearing it. And their parents can't give them what they don't themselves have.

The Catholic Church will survive. In some parts of the world it is growing. Not in Europe, where it is shriveling up. Not so much in the Americas. But even here we have a smaller vitality. There is spiritual sustenance and quality worship for those who realize that we are in continuity with all the centuries of the Church. New priests following the invitation of pope John Paul II are doing a great job and are far more theologically conservative than retirement aged priests. We will continue to lose those folks who haven't got a clue, which is an unhappy fact. But we will continue to get some of them back again after their detour through evangelicalism. You do train them up well to be serious students of the Bible. When we get them back they are dynamic. You will be doing us a favor in doing the work we messed up on in the 1970's and 1980's.

Why did we mess up in the 1970's and 1980's? It's just a liberal thing. They thought they owned the place after Vatican II. They identified something called 'the spirit of Vatican II' which was an anything goes attempt to become essentially liberal Protestants. Pope Paul VI tried to dig in his heels to stop it, but they had gained lots of bureaucratic power. With pope John Paul II there was a steady strengthening of the more classic understanding of Catholicism, and a great advance in apologetics. The ship is turning.

 

[chevyontheriver]

As an interesting side note, when I finally committed to leaving the RCC I looked into having my name removed from their roles. Apparently they don't do that, which makes me wonder the accuracy of whatever membership numbers they claim.

It took a while before my daughter's name was removed after she moved away to another city, but they did it after a couple of reminders from me. You might be thinking about a total repudiation of your Catholic faith though. That has to be done with a formal letter to your bishop. Parishes do not address that.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I'll bet that, of Catholics switching churches, more gravitate to the Episcopal or Lutheran churches than to Baptist churches, even though there are more Baptists in this country than Episcopalians or Lutherans.

If that were true the Episcopalians would have churches bursting at the seams. I don't think that is happening.

 

[DavidFirth]

I'm a Catholic who was a Protestant. Quite a few of us are around, too. I happen to love the Catholic worship service much more than any Protestant service I've ever been to. To me the RCC worship service is very spiritual while many Protestants seem to be putting on some sort of entertainment show.

 

[Dale]

I'll bet that, of Catholics switching churches, more gravitate to the Episcopal or Lutheran churches than to Baptist churches, even though there are more Baptists in this country than Episcopalians or Lutherans.

I suspect that we are among the churches that have more former Catholics than others. I estimate that 1/3 to 1/2 of my parish are former RCs. Oh,...and we probably do mumbo jumbo even better than the Catholics. Love me some mumbo jumbo.

The article says otherwise.

"In fact, almost two-thirds of former Catholics who join a Protestant church join an evangelical church."

Also, more ex-Catholics who join a mainline church do so because they have married someone who belongs to one. Ex-Catholics who join an evangelical church are more likely to do so from conviction.

 

[Dale]

I kind of doubt you are getting the straight scoop as to why this is happening from Fr. Reese. It's happening, but we hear all sorts of reasons, mostly how Catholicism is too old fashioned, wrong on all of the pelvic issues, and how the solution is to somehow become 'relevant' like the Episcopalians. Funny that all of these Catholics don't go to the Episcopalians but more likely end up evangelical or Fundamentalist.

Not reading the Bible is probably one of the bigger things. Those who actually read the Bible don't fare so badly. Those who don't are flapping in the wind.

But I think the major factor is that now we are a generation removed from those who grew up on the failed religious education of the 1970's and 1980's following Vatican II. They were taught 'felt and feelings' rather than anything recognizable from generations before. So now their children have no substantial connection to any real Catholic faith. Oh, some do. Those who have been blessed enough to discover the real Catholic faith, those who have stood the pro-life cause, those who have found a counter cultural Catholic faith. They exist. They are on fire. But they are few. Yet Jesus only needed in the end eleven. So there is more hope even now than back then. The Catholic Church is a big ship that does not change quickly.

Of those who have left, the lucky ones have discovered some sort of evangelical faith. Many more have not found any substantial faith. Much like those Catholics in name only who have no real faith. Both of these groups are more or less immune to the truth, not going to be phased by anything the Catholic Church says, pretty much going along with the flow of cultural decline. We haven't reached them and the chances of reaching them are slim to none. Catholic catechesis is way way better than it was in the 1970's and 1980's but they're for the most part not even hearing it. And their parents can't give them what they don't themselves have.

The Catholic Church will survive. In some parts of the world it is growing. Not in Europe, where it is shriveling up. Not so much in the Americas. But even here we have a smaller vitality. There is spiritual sustenance and quality worship for those who realize that we are in continuity with all the centuries of the Church. New priests following the invitation of pope John Paul II are doing a great job and are far more theologically conservative than retirement aged priests. We will continue to lose those folks who haven't got a clue, which is an unhappy fact. But we will continue to get some of them back again after their detour through evangelicalism. You do train them up well to be serious students of the Bible. When we get them back they are dynamic. You will be doing us a favor in doing the work we messed up on in the 1970's and 1980's.

Why did we mess up in the 1970's and 1980's? It's just a liberal thing. They thought they owned the place after Vatican II. They identified something called 'the spirit of Vatican II' which was an anything goes attempt to become essentially liberal Protestants. Pope Paul VI tried to dig in his heels to stop it, but they had gained lots of bureaucratic power. With pope John Paul II there was a steady strengthening of the more classic understanding of Catholicism, and a great advance in apologetics. The ship is turning.

Chevy: "Those who have been blessed enough to discover the real Catholic faith, those who have stood the pro-life cause, those who have found a counter cultural Catholic faith."

I have noticed that the Roman Catholic Church is more political.

Evangelicals are more into nourishing the soul and less into confronting politicians.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Chevy: "Those who have been blessed enough to discover the real Catholic faith, those who have stood the pro-life cause, those who have found a counter cultural Catholic faith."

I have noticed that the Roman Catholic Church is more political.

Evangelicals are more into nourishing the soul and less into confronting politicians.

That is a generalization. While initially only Catholics were involved in the pro-life movement, after Francis Schaeffer the evangelicals are in it in a big way. And that's good. But it's not strictly a political thing standing out in front of an abortion facility in the freezing cold. There are political aspects to the pro-life movement, but that's not by any means only political. And the evangelicals are in it as much as the Catholics.

As to other politicking I think the bishops office (USCCB) is way too political, feeling the need to have a position on every political issue that arises. At our parish level we are essentially apolitical. We have a reading group that reads the spiritual classics, several discipleship sorts of groups and service groups, and a 24x7x365 adoration chapel that always has someone in it praying, and a preK through 8th grade school. We're not that political. Even my own personal politicking, while informed by Catholic teaching, is a pretty minor thing. Well, I guess I was, for a brief time on the state central committee for my party. But I kept it in perspective. Faith is not politics. Maybe for liberal churches it is, but for the rest of it, politics is off to the side a bit.

 

[seeking.IAM]

The article says otherwise.

"In fact, almost two-thirds of former Catholics who join a Protestant church join an evangelical church."

Also, more ex-Catholics who join a mainline church do so because they have married someone who belongs to one. Ex-Catholics who join an evangelical church are more likely to do so from conviction.

Anecdotal experience is that RCs joining TEC are doing so due to things they are unhappy about, not related to whom they married.