Catholicism Fading in Latin America

[Frodo]

The only regions of the world where Catholicism can find a future is in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia:

Religion in Latin America:
Widespread Change in an Historically Catholic Region

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[DC Al Fine]

Per the Pew Report there's a significant commitment gap between Protestant and Catholics. This suggests that large swathes of nominal Catholics are basically unevangelized.



The Protestant churches also put more emphasis in seeking converts, which would help growth. I'm sure there are other reasons but my knowledge of Latin America is basically nil.

One other thing that surprised me was that about a 1/3 of the growth came from non-charismatic Protestants. I was under the impression that the growth was almost entirely Pentecostal in nature, but it appears the Baptists, Presbyterians et al. are growing as well.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

One other thing that surprised me was that about a 1/3 of the growth came from non-charismatic Protestants. I was under the impression that the growth was almost entirely Pentecostal in nature, but it appears the Baptists, Presbyterians et al. are growing as well.

Oh thank heavens.

[afleitch]

The growth in protestantism is all very disturbing. And if you are asking 'why?' then you should be aware that it's rather self explanatory.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I'm encouraged by this!

[Frodo]

I'm encouraged by this!

Why?

[DC Al Fine]

I'm encouraged by this!

Why?

Presumably because he's a Protestant.

[ingemann]

Most Latin American Protestants are either converts or their families have converted not that many years ago.

So are anybody surprised that converts to a new faith are much more active in their religious community than people who has been born into a faith?

[DC Al Fine]

So are anybody surprised that converts to a new faith are much more active in their religious community than people who has been born into a faith?

There's also:

Evangelical leaves church = No Religion
Catholic leaves church = Catholic

Given the prevalence of this phenomenon in the Americas, nominal Evangelicals would be more active than nominal Catholics almost by definition.

[GaussLaw]

So are anybody surprised that converts to a new faith are much more active in their religious community than people who has been born into a faith?

There's also:

Evangelical leaves church = No Religion
Catholic leaves church = Catholic

Given the prevalence of this phenomenon in the Americas, nominal Evangelicals would be more active than nominal Catholics almost by definition.

Indeed.  Having been to Chile, being "Catholic" means just about nothing..........there are a lot of people who believe in Reincarnation or don't even believe in a god per se, yet identify as Catholic.

Hopefully this Protestant trend continues.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The growth in protestantism is all very disturbing. And if you are asking 'why?' then you should be aware that it's rather self explanatory.

Pretend it's not self explanatory, since it is not.  I grant that for many protestant denominations, I can see why you would find their growth to be disturbing, but the issue which seems to touch most directly upon why you might find this all very disturbing is not a defining issue for protestantism.  Or are you equating all protestant denominations with those which you find disturbing?

[Frodo]

I'm encouraged by this!

Why?

Presumably because he's a Protestant.

I'd rather hear the man speak for himself, thanks. 

[Beet]

A denomination led by a sclerotic, stagnant bureaucracy of geriatrics is falling behind a decentralized umbrella term that leaves room for dynamic and aggressive sects? Shocking.

[afleitch]

The growth in protestantism is all very disturbing. And if you are asking 'why?' then you should be aware that it's rather self explanatory.

Pretend it's not self explanatory, since it is not.  I grant that for many protestant denominations, I can see why you would find their growth to be disturbing, but the issue which seems to touch most directly upon why you might find this all very disturbing is not a defining issue for protestantism.  Or are you equating all protestant denominations with those which you find disturbing?

You're kidding yourself if you think the growth in 'protestantism' is in say, cuddly Episcopalians. It's growth is in the same sort of church that the USA excels in spreading like a venereal disease across the world. It's the same style, the same vapidness, the same suits, the same music, the same sermons, the same promises, the same banality, the same persecution complex, the same victims, the same victimised, the same sh-t that the USA, the one country in the world that makes Christianity into a consumer product exports throughout the world.

Everywhere it goes, it chips away at local culture and decides that the issues that concern the Reverend Asshole of Bum, Ohio must be the concerns of Uganda or China or Chile. Throwing in a little latin heat doesn't take away the taste.

[DC Al Fine]

Everywhere it goes, it chips away at local culture and decides that the issues that concern the Reverend Asshole of Bum, Ohio must be the concerns of Uganda or China or Chile. Throwing in a little latin heat doesn't take away the taste.

But remember kids, afleitch is the mature, dispassionate one here.

[DC Al Fine]

I'm reading through the report in full and found this interesting tidbit.

[afleitch]

Everywhere it goes, it chips away at local culture and decides that the issues that concern the Reverend Asshole of Bum, Ohio must be the concerns of Uganda or China or Chile. Throwing in a little latin heat doesn't take away the taste.

But remember kids, afleitch is the mature, dispassionate one here.

I'm allowed to get passionate. I'm a human being.

[GaussLaw]

I'm reading through the report in full and found this interesting tidbit.

Uruguay is not surprising, as it's the most progressive of Latin American countries. 

As for afleitch, I fail to see why Protestantism is such a horrible thing in his eyes.  Sure, homosexual sex is not condoned by most of the more conservative Protestant denominations, but some of the most liberal churches on homosexuality are also Protestant (PCUSA, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, ECLA, etc.) While conservative Protestants mayu predominate, certainly some of the growth would be in more liberal sects.  Besides, Latin-American Protestants aren't like those in Uganda; just because one believes homosexuality is wrong doesn't mean that such a person will oppress gays.

[DC Al Fine]

I'm reading through the report in full and found this interesting tidbit.

Uruguay is not surprising, as it's the most progressive of Latin American countries. 

It's not that. It's that Protestants were so much more against contraception than Catholics.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

I'm encouraged by this!

Why?

Presumably because he's a Protestant.

I'd rather hear the man speak for himself, thanks. 

What DC said.

[Lumine]

I must say that what GaussLaw said is very accurate regarding Chile, people just don't take Catholicism very seriously, it's a default religion and the moral strength that Catholicism won by helping many victims of the military government is pretty much gone now.

It's actually quite common here to see many Protestants being laughed at because they are very passionate about their beliefs when compared to the Catholics. While the Catholic leadership in Chile is quite opposed to gay marriage and abortion (against a growing number of priests who support such causes), Catholics seem to be kind of split on those issues, and you will find that several of them are supportive of those issues.

In comparison, most of the Protestants I've talked to are quite open in stating that for them homosexuality is a sin and gay marriage should not be legal, and they don't seem to be willing to consider changing their minds on the subject.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The growth in protestantism is all very disturbing. And if you are asking 'why?' then you should be aware that it's rather self explanatory.

Pretend it's not self explanatory, since it is not.  I grant that for many protestant denominations, I can see why you would find their growth to be disturbing, but the issue which seems to touch most directly upon why you might find this all very disturbing is not a defining issue for protestantism.  Or are you equating all protestant denominations with those which you find disturbing?

You're kidding yourself if you think the growth in 'protestantism' is in say, cuddly Episcopalians. It's growth is in the same sort of church that the USA excels in spreading like a venereal disease across the world. It's the same style, the same vapidness, the same suits, the same music, the same sermons, the same promises, the same banality, the same persecution complex, the same victims, the same victimised, the same sh-t that the USA, the one country in the world that makes Christianity into a consumer product exports throughout the world.

Everywhere it goes, it chips away at local culture and decides that the issues that concern the Reverend Asshole of Bum, Ohio must be the concerns of Uganda or China or Chile. Throwing in a little latin heat doesn't take away the taste.

Sigh.  Even tho admittedly they are the largest segment of the growth, to take the most homophobic variants as the standard of Protestantism is to misrepresent what Protestantism stands for.  Now if the reason some denominations were growing more than others was due to their anti-gay stance, I could understand your vitriol against Protestantism in general.  But that seems to be a chance result.

[GaussLaw]

I must say that what GaussLaw said is very accurate regarding Chile, people just don't take Catholicism very seriously, it's a default religion and the moral strength that Catholicism won by helping many victims of the military government is pretty much gone now.

It's actually quite common here to see many Protestants being laughed at because they are very passionate about their beliefs when compared to the Catholics. While the Catholic leadership in Chile is quite opposed to gay marriage and abortion (against a growing number of priests who support such causes), Catholics seem to be kind of split on those issues, and you will find that several of them are supportive of those issues.

In comparison, most of the Protestants I've talked to are quite open in stating that for them homosexuality is a sin and gay marriage should not be legal, and they don't seem to be willing to consider changing their minds on the subject.

That's an interesting observation, though there is more to say about the Catholic church and Pinochet's military government.

While Santiago's archbishop Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez definitely opposed Pinochet's regime, a lot of Chileans dislike the Catholic church as a whole because they feel that it, by and large, favored Pinochet's regime.  Of course, some right-wing Chileans approve strongly of Pinochet, but for the most part he is a rather detested figure.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I'm glad to see Latin America trending Protestant regardless of denomination. I hope my contribution to that is still staying strong since.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Evangelicalism continues to spread and ruin the world, news at 11.