Do you think the R.C. Church in the USA is becoming less?

less in numbers. My local parishes have all had severe declines in memberships. The young people, many of them don't bother with the church after H.S. and never return. I think the church is dying. Do you?

Do you think the R.C. Church in the USA is becoming less?
In some areas, yes. In others, it is growing. One area that I can think of where it is growing is in the religious life. Many of the more tradidional orders are exploding. Mother Angelica's Poor Clares have grown so much that they have branched out into Arizona so that they can accept more members. The Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist have exploded as well. When I was Catholic, I looked into the religious life and they were one of the orders that I looked at. In a matter of a few years they went from a small order to not having enough room for all of the women who wanted to join. Many of my friends are now nuns and priests.





I think that much of the reason why the Catholic church is losing people is that they tend to make God this far away being who you can't ever really know, you'll never make Him happy, you are always in constant fear that you've made Him angry, etc. While He is God and is to be feared and worshiped, the Bible tells us that He is our loving Father, our Abba, and that He loves us. And as for the teens, you have to make church interesting and revelant to them. I'm not saying turn it into a rock concert, but you have to find some way to connect to them on their level and many churches, not just the Catholic church, are failing to do that.
Reply:The Church will never die completely because Jesus promised that. But the promise doesn't include the US or any country just the pope. That young people leave the Church is because of materialism and consumerism and secularism. Eventually they will get fed up with secularism because it cannot bring true and lasting happiness only God can do that.





The gates of hell will never prevail
Reply:The National Council of Churches’ Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches has just released its 75th edition, which reports the largest 25 denominations/communions in the U.S. (noting an increase or decrease in membership since the 2006 Yearbook reports).





1. The Catholic Church, 69,135,254 members, reporting an increase of 1.94 percent.





2. The Southern Baptist Convention, 16,270,315 members, reporting a increase of .02 percent.





3. The United Methodist Church, 8,075,010 members, reporting a decrease of 1.36 percent.





4. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5,690,672 members, reporting an increase of 1.63 percent.





5. The Church of God in Christ, 5,499,875 members, no increase or decrease reported.





6. National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., 5,000,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.





7. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 4,850,776, reporting a decrease of 1.62 percent.





8. National Baptist Convention of America, 3,500,000, no increase or decrease reported.





9. Presbyterian Church (USA), 3,098,842 members, reporting a decrease of 2.84 percent.





10. Assemblies of God, 2,830,861 members, reporting an increase of 1.86 percent.





11. African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.





12. National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, 2,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.





13. Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., 2,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.





14. The Lutheran Church ? Missouri Synod (LCMS), 2,440,864, reporting a decrease or .93 percent.





15. Episcopal Church, 2,247,819, reporting a decrease of 1.59 percent.





16. Churches of Christ, 1,639,495 members, reporting an increase of 9.30 percent (This increase reports the church’s growth since its last reported figures in 1999.)





17. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 1,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.





18. Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., 1,500,000 members, no increase or decrease reported.





19. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 1,440,405 members, reporting an increase of .53 percent.





20. American Baptist Churches in the USA, 1,396,700, reporting a decrease of 1.97 percent.





21. United Church of Christ, 1,224,297, reporting a decrease of 3.28 percent.





22. Baptist Bible Fellowship International, 1,200,000, no increase or decrease reported.





23. Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, 1,071,615 members, no increase or decrease reported.





24. The Orthodox Church in America, 1,064,000 members, reporting an increase of 6.40 percent.





25. Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1,046,006 members, reporting a decrease of 1.56 percent.
Reply:I don't know the actual numbers. It is my understanding that the number of those that leave is pretty much counter-balanced by those who convert into Catholicism and the birth of new members. Bu, it should be growing.
Reply:Depends on where you live I think. In the state I live in catholics are the biggest denomination of christianity and it doesn't seem to be diminishing.
Reply:Actual demographic studies show growth in terms of affiliation, due large in part to large populations of Catholic immigrants. However, actual practice, as measured by mass attendance, baptisms vocations to priesthood and religious life and weddings, does show a decline.
Reply:Yes is dying not only in USA but around the world also in my country (Dominican republic) and Mexico too, in Europe will loose the economical support of some countries.
Reply:Yes the RC church has been diminished by pedophiles