Young Hispanics Leaving Catholic Church for Protestant Faith

[cbayer]

http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/young-hispanics-leaving-catholic-church-protestant-faith/story?id=18598257


Bishop Richard Malone, bishop of Buffalo, speaks to Catholics after distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday during Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo, N.Y., Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013. (David Duprey/AP Photo)

By EMILY DERUY (@emily_deruy )
Feb. 26, 2013

The Catholic Church can't seem to catch a break lately. According to a new Gallup poll, young Latinos are shedding the Catholic faith of their parents and some are turning to Protestant alternatives with fervor.

Most Hispanics are still Catholic, the poll found, but they are significantly less religious than their Protestant peers. And Hispanic Protestants are not only more religious, they're far more religious than American Protestants in general. The same does not hold true for Catholics.

Predictably, younger Hispanics in both groups are less religious than older generations. But even at the 18-29 age level, the youngest cohort in Gallup's poll, more than half of Hispanic Protestants consider themselves very religious, compared with just one third of Hispanic Catholics the same age.

The Catholic Church has struggled to bring in young members in the United States. Less than half of U.S. Hispanics between 18 and 29 identify as Catholic, compared with the 60+ percent of Hispanics older than 50.

more at link

[Moonwalk]

1. If they're joining evangelical protestant faiths...

...as the article notes, then the big change seems to be getting rid of the priest as intermediary between them and god, rather than changing their views on gays, etc.

But the article also notes that many don't like the Catholic views on gays, etc. I wonder which is more prevalent as a reason? Maybe just the right to use birth control?

[cbayer]

2. The article states that young hispanics are more likely to be socially liberal

and object to the catholic stance on GLBT civil rights and abortion.

[Moonwalk]

5. Yes, I read that, but it also said they were joining "evangelical" protestant faiths...

...and those aren't usually identified as pro-abortion/pro-gay. The article was pretty vague, in fact, as to which faiths they're joining so I'm a bit confused. It could be that both are true--i.e., half leaving because they want a different connection to the divine, half leaving because they're more liberal--but I'm wondering if one is more prevalent. Knowing which branches of protestantism they're joining would help clarify.

[cbayer]

6. There has been growth in evangelical churches with liberal social agendas.

It is hard to look at them as a monolithic entity these days.

[jberryhill]

7. Depends on the definition

In a lot of countries, groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Assembly of God and LDS have been growing like weeds.

[ButterflyBlood]

9. Liberal evangelical churches DO exist

I go to one.

[Thats my opinion]

11. All through Latin America

multitudes of former Catholics are joining Protestant Pentecostal churches. But many of these Pentecostal churches are NOT social or even doctrinal fundamentalistic. They tend not to be related to world-wide denominations, but are indigenous groups of believers who came out of the Vatican ll Catholic movement and are unhappy with current retreat from John XX lll. They are "peoples churches" and not priest or bishops churches. I attended a meeting in Brazil of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) and was impressed with the vitality of many of these groups.

[ButterflyBlood]

12. Not surprised. That's a big thing even with mostly white new churches in the US.

They're rebellions not just against tradition and the organized hierarchical structure but the same restrictiveness of fundamentalism.

[ButterflyBlood]

8. Agreed. I'm not Hispanic but that's a big part of why I converted to evangelicalism

I can't relate to Catholic theology, even if you remove the reactionary politics.

[dballance]

3. So How Many are Just Leaving Faith Aside?

Okay, lots of people think the Catholic church is a corrupt, godless organization and so they leave it. How many of them just say "to hell with it" so to speak and quit having any faith at all vs. those in the article who flock to just another version of stupid mythology because it makes them all warm and fuzzy?

[cbayer]

4. One persons stupid mythology is another persons belief and joy.

The article speaks to their beliefs and notes that this particular group is even more religious than the ones who stay with the catholic church.

[ButterflyBlood]

10. More evidence to what I was saying earlier, people DO choose their religion

No one is forced to remain a member of the Catholic Church.