My Protestant readers ought to find this interesting.
Protestant Majority Disappearing in U.S.
“The increasing secularization of American society has taken a particular toll on Protestant identity, presenting the prospect that after more than 200 years of history, the United States may soon no longer be a majority Protestant country, according to a new study by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.”
“The percentage of the population that is Protestant has been falling and will likely fall below 50 percent by mid-decade and may be there already, the research reported.”
Catholic numbers steady despite rising unbelief in USA
“A survey in the United States has found that Protestant Churches have been losing numbers at an alarming rate due to an upsurge in those identifying themselves as having no specific religion, while the effect on the Catholic Church has been cushioned by the large number of Catholics among immigrants.”
“While still outnumbering Catholics roughly two to one, Protestant numbers fell from 63% in 1993 to 52% in 2002, and will drop below half in the next year or two.”
“The survey found those who said they were Catholic in 2002 remained fairly steady at about 25% of the population.”
A Saintly
Salmagundi reminded me of someone who makes my blood boil – Jack Chick. It’s
one thing to think Catholic teachings are unbiblical, but resorting to poor scholarship
and outright lies to turn people against the Church is un-Christian.
Some people seem
to be shocked that “The Passion of the Christ” didn’t start a massive
wave of lasting Christian fervor across the country. I say to them, “Duh!”
People took from the movie what they took in (much like “Fahrenheit 9/11”).
If you expected anti-Semitism, that’s what you saw. If you expected a moving work
of religious art, that’s what you saw. If you expected sado-masochism, that’s what
you saw. I wouldn’t expect a movie like “The Passion” (lots of imagery,
little commentary) to convert someone any more than I would expect a painting to.
When I was a kid, cults, particularly satanic ones, were the frequent subject of
after-school specials. My generation generally regarded them as we did the warnings
about LSD being given out in the guise of candy, that is as parental worrying gone
overboard.
I’ve conscientiously avoided blogging about the satanic cult phenomenon in Italy
until now. I thought it was overreaction to a bunch of troublesome teenagers. Honestly,
I’m still not entirely convinced that that’s not the case. However, the story, for
whatever reason, creeped me out and sent chills up my spine.
Alarm
in Italy as growth of Satanism creates “market” for consecrated hosts
ROME, Italy, Jul. 15, 2004 (CNA) – Fr. Aldo Buonaiuto, director of an “emergency
help line” that assists young people wanting to get out of satanic cults, expressed
alarm this week at the growth of Satanism, which has created a “market” for consecrated
hosts in Italy.