Posted by
Katie Favazza on Friday, July 13, 2007 3:37:20 PM
"Catholics have become so mainstream in America that, according to a poll, they are indistinguishable from the general population," reports the Washington Times* today. (Thanks to Hugh for sharing the link.)
The Washington Times article, "Traditionals Catholic characteristics fading," goes on to report more results:
Compared with the general populace, the average American Catholic donates 17 percent less money to church and is 38 percent less likely to read the Bible, 67 percent less likely to attend Sunday school, 20 percent less likely to share their beliefs with someone of a differing viewpoint and 24 percent less likely to say their faith has changed their lives, according to the poll, which was conducted by phone in the latter half of 2006.
What's funny is that much of this is not about "traditional Catholic characteristics" at all. I'll discuss each of these briefly...
Donating less money? Yeah, that is a bit of a problem. I'll give you that. But keep in mind that many American families pay for Catholic school tuition and, in many respects, this is seen as a 'free pass' from donating as much on Sundays. It's not an excuse, but I think it's a factor here.
Most Catholics do not read the Bible on their own--and I don't know any Catholics who would say that reading the Bible at home is a "traditional" practice. Unlike other Christians, Catholics do not believe in a personal interpretation of the Bible. We are not taught to read the Bible and "find meaning" in a particular passage in the same way that other Christians do. The study states that Catholics are 16 percent more likely to attend Church services than other Americans; we hear the Bible there, and the passages are interpreted for us by our clergy. Other interpretation is at the discretion of the Holy See.
Saying that Catholics are nearly 70 percent less likely to attend Sunday school is also misleading. Catholic schools vastly outnumber other Christian schools, so fewer Catholics need outside religious education. Catholic students in public schools who seek religious education are predominantly enrolled in CCD classes--and those classes are often held during the week. Sunday school is, rather, a Protestant tradition.
Many more Catholics should be outspoken about their beliefs in an effort to convert nonbelievers. I'll give the study that. But I think this too is connected to the absence of the personal interpretation of the Bible. It's not often that you hear a Catholic telling their "conversion" story and you'll never hear "how they were saved." Catholics believe that Jesus died to save everyone, so we don't talk about how we were saved. Catholics also do not think they are entitled to go to heaven by simply believing, and thus--again--not likely to tell personal stories of conversion.
Similarly, most Catholics in America were baptized as infants, so perhaps their judgement of how their faith has changed their life is a bit skewed. In many Christian denominations, teens and adults must "prove" they are prepared for Baptism, and inherently more likely to tell of these "saved" moments and how it has changed their life.
It's important to also report the following results of the survey:
Pollsters found that Catholics were 16 percent more likely than the norm to have attended church in the past week and 8 percent more likely to have prayed.
If you ask me, Catholicism in America has never been better.
(And, on a related note, Hugh has "big news for Catholics," too. See? Things are looking just fine.)
*I have a policy of never linking to the Washington Times. If you want to know why, just ask.