Are Catholicism and other Christian religions ending?

[polonius]

“A report released Tuesday by the Pew Forum finds that the total number of Catholics in the United States dropped by 3 million since 2007, now comprising about 20 percent - or one-fifth - of the total population.

"And perhaps more troubling for the church, for every one Catholic convert, more than six Catholics leave the church. Taken a step further, Catholicism loses more members than it gains at a higher rate than any other denomination, with nearly 13 percent of all Americans describing themselves as “former Catholics.�

"The report, America’s Changing Religious Landscape, found that in 2014, the overall share of Christians in the United States dropped to an all-time low of just under 71 percent, down about 7 percentage points from 2007.�

https://cruxnow.com/church/2015/05/12/p ... omination/

[marco]

“A report released Tuesday by the Pew Forum finds that the total number of Catholics in the United States dropped by 3 million since 2007, now comprising about 20 percent - or one-fifth - of the total population.

Do Catholics have green faces so that the reporters for your report could readily recognise them? It has been said: once a Catholic, always a Catholic, so I wonder how many of those apostates really have put on new clothes.

It would be heartening if your survey told us that Islam is leaking numbers as well but if Christianity alone is diminishing it does not auger well for our poor world. Methinks women will see not through a glass darkly but through a black peep-hole in a burka perhaps.

[polonius]

RESPONSE: Some readers might like to know the facts.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/20 ... ous-group/

In the next half century or so, Christianity’s long reign as the world’s largest religion may come to an end, according to a just-released report that builds on Pew Research Center’s original population growth projections for religious groups. Indeed, Muslims will grow more than twice as fast as the overall world population between 2015 and 2060 and, in the second half of this century, will likely surpass Christians as the world’s largest religious group.

While the world’s population is projected to grow 32% in the coming decades, the number of Muslims is expected to increase by 70% – from 1.8 billion in 2015 to nearly 3 billion in 2060. In 2015, Muslims made up 24.1% of the global population. Forty-five years later, they are expected to make up more than three-in-ten of the world’s people (31.1%).

https://www.quora.com/Why-has-the-Catho ... ted-States

I knew the church was having difficulty in the US, but didn't realize that over 3,400 parishes have no priest. A Pew study said that, since 1960, four Catholics have left the church for every one that converted. Evidently, the trend is worse in Europe. To be fair, all organized religions have declined, but Catholicism has taken the worst hit. More than 1,000 parishes have closed since 1995. I've heard many reasons and, while anyone can answer, I'm particularly interested in hearing from practicing Catholics.

http://theweek.com/articles/494879/catholics-crisis

How severe is the crisis?
It’s “the largest institutional crisis in centuries, possibly in church history,� says the National Catholic Reporter.Worldwide, the Roman Catholic Church now has 1.1 billion members, compared with 1.5 billion Muslims and 593 million Protestants. In the U.S., all the major denominations have seen their numbers decline in recent years, but the Catholic Church has taken the biggest hit. Since the 1960s, four American-born Catholics have left the church for every one who has converted, according to a 2009 Pew study. In 2008 alone, Catholic membership declined by 400,000. More than 1,000 parishes have closed since 1995, and the number of priests has fallen from about 49,000 to 40,000 during that same period. Some 3,400 Catholic parishes in the U.S. now lack a resident priest. “Catholicism is in decline across America,� says sociologist David Carlin.

What about in Europe?
The situation there is even more dire, especially in the most historically devout countries. In 1991, 84 percent of the Irish population attended Mass at least once a week. Today the weekly attendance figure is less than 50 percent. In Spain, 81 percent of the population identifies itself as Catholic, but two-thirds say they seldom or never attend services. And the priest shortage is acute—in England and Wales, the church ordained only 16 clergy members in all of 2009.

What sparked this decline?
Its roots actually trace back to the 1960s, when a split developed over the reforms introduced by Pope John XXIII. Dismayed by the pope’s calls for more participation by laypeople in church affairs, many tradition-minded bishops and cardinals defended the centrality of Rome and frowned on the social activism of priests that was unleashed by the reforms, known as Vatican II. After Pope John’s death, in 1963, the traditionalists increased their power within the Vatican, culminating with the elevation of John Paul II to the papacy, in 1978. He undid many of his predecessor’s reforms, and millions of liberal Catholics drifted away, fed up with what they saw as Vatican authoritarianism as well as its unstinting opposition to abortion and artificial contraception.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/0 ... 94522.html

Muslims will overtake Christians by the end of this century.India, now mostly Hindu, will become the world’s largest Muslim country.
While Christian numbers will continue to grow, Muslims, who are younger and have a higher birth rate, will outpace them. By 2050, “there will be near parity between Muslims (2.8 billion, or 30 percent of the population) and Christians (2.9 billion, or 31 percent), possibly for the first time in history.� Barring unforeseen events — war, famine, disease, political upheaval and more — Muslim numbers will surpass Christians after 2070.


And for those who get confused by the terms used, "Christians are Protestants and Catholics. Most Christians are Catholic, at least up till now.

[marco]

Some readers might like to know the facts.

Muslims will overtake Christians by the end of this century. India, now mostly Hindu, will become the world’s largest Muslim country.

Shall we call it a prognosis, good Polonius? Muslims kill each other, as well as other humans, so much depends on their success rate.

Catholicism took an enthusiastic interpretation of Genesis:

"And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein."

Muslims take an even more enthusiastic view. In Europe Angela Merkel has helped your predictions by trying overnight to double Germany's population. So the happy events you chart will come about unless Jesus decides to descend from Alpha Centauri or wherever he ascended to.

[polonius]

Some readers might like to know the facts.

Muslims will overtake Christians by the end of this century. India, now mostly Hindu, will become the world’s largest Muslim country.

Shall we call it a prognosis, good Polonius? Muslims kill each other, as well as other humans, so much depends on their success rate.

RESPONSE: So did Jews and Christians. You may want to consult the Old Testament and the history of the Catholic Church. How many Christians were burned at the stake or otherwise executed for not obeying those in charge? Ever read the history of the Catholic inquisitions?

Catholicism took an enthusiastic interpretation of Genesis:

"And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein."

.

Muslims take an even more enthusiastic view. In Europe Angela Merkel has helped your predictions by trying overnight to double Germany's population. So the happy events you chart will come about unless Jesus decides to descend from Alpha Centauri or wherever he ascended to.

Perhaps Jesus applauds increased human reproduction (and for this reason might be favoring the Muslim approach).

"Bring forth abundantly in the earth." Isn't that God's command?

But getting back to the matter at hand, despite your facetious attempt to prove otherwise, the Christianity is decreasing while the Muslim religion is increasing. That's reality.

[marco]

You may want to consult the Old Testament and the history of the Catholic Church. How many Christians were burned at the stake or otherwise executed for not obeying those in charge? Ever read the history of the Catholic inquisitions?

I have indeed read details of the Inquisition. I've also dipped into the Malleus Maleficarum. Hard times, as Dickens might say!
You've obviously misunderstood the point I was making. I am aware that religion begets murder when it has a mind to; but I was commenting on your optimistic figures regarding the coming Islamic supremacy. When I said Muslims kill Muslims I intended you to understand that the numbers slain would help to adjust downwards the prodigious birthrate. Muhammad did predict that eventually Muslim would kill Muslim, so perhaps Christianity will remain dominant, as mere spectators, given that in modern times Christian is content to hate rather than kill Christian.

Perhaps Jesus applauds increased human reproduction (and for this reason might be favoring the Muslim approach).

I think Muhammad's example is more of an inspiration than is the celibate Jesus. And the promise of more to come in Paradise would suggest Allah approves too. Catholics in the past needed little encouragement and wildly endorsed the edicts against contraception. Cherchez la femme, comme disent les français!

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by polonius.advice]

YES! I believe so. Here is an earlier post I made on a similar topic
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 345#870345

[eldios]

“A report released Tuesday by the Pew Forum finds that the total number of Catholics in the United States dropped by 3 million since 2007, now comprising about 20 percent - or one-fifth - of the total population.

"And perhaps more troubling for the church, for every one Catholic convert, more than six Catholics leave the church. Taken a step further, Catholicism loses more members than it gains at a higher rate than any other denomination, with nearly 13 percent of all Americans describing themselves as “former Catholics.�

"The report, America’s Changing Religious Landscape, found that in 2014, the overall share of Christians in the United States dropped to an all-time low of just under 71 percent, down about 7 percentage points from 2007.�

https://cruxnow.com/church/2015/05/12/p ... omination/

All the religions, governments and inhabitants on earth will be destroyed on the day of the Lord as promised.

Daniel 2:
36: "This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.
37: You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory,
38: and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, making you rule over them all -- you are the head of gold.
39: After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.
40: And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these.
41: And as you saw the feet and toes partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the miry clay.
42: And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle.
43: As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay.
44: And [b]in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever[/b];
45: just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure."

[Zzyzx]

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All the religions, governments and inhabitants on earth will be destroyed on the day of the Lord as promised.

Ancient religion promoters told that tale thousands of years ago. Although there is no assurance it was anything more than imagination and/or propaganda, many people still believe. They also believe that long-dead bodies come back to life and fly away, that people can walk on water, that virgins give birth fertilized by 'spirits', that donkeys and snakes converse(d) in human language.

[eldios]

.

All the religions, governments and inhabitants on earth will be destroyed on the day of the Lord as promised.

Ancient religion promoters told that tale thousands of years ago. Although there is no assurance it was anything more than imagination and/or propaganda, many people still believe. They also believe that long-dead bodies come back to life and fly away, that people can walk on water, that virgins give birth fertilized by 'spirits', that donkeys and snakes converse(d) in human language.

You're right. All inhabitants on earth believe in the life experiences happening in their consciousness.