US Catholic church losing Latinos to the Pentacostals

[Bluebear]

U.S. Catholic Latinos Drawn to Evangelical Christianity

April 12, 2005 · From member station KALW in San Francisco and New California Media, Kristin Wiederholt reports that record numbers of Latin American Catholics are turning to evangelical Pentecostalism.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4594743

For generations, Catholics were a reliable part of the Democratic coalition and key players in fighting for Social Security, civil rights and other liberal initiatives. Over the last half century, however, Catholics have become less homogenous, and often more affluent. Many have become more focused on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage, while others have become estranged from church teaching on issues such as birth control and the role of women in the church.

President Bush won a majority of Catholic votes last November, just as, according to exit polls, the largest share of Catholic ballots have been cast for the winner of the popular vote in every election since 1972. This roster includes former Vice President Al Gore, who carried a slight majority of Catholics in 2000 along with a popular majority despite his defeat in the Electoral College.

One reading of those results is that, as the Catholic vote goes, so goes the nation. But the University of Akron's Dr. John Green, director of the largest ongoing survey of religion and politics in America, argued that it is mistaken to consider Catholics a monolithic voting bloc.

The 2004 election reflected the varied and sometime clashing pieces of the Catholic political mosaic, he said: "There isn't a Catholic vote anymore; there are several Catholic votes."

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05100/485873.stm

[Fenris]

1. NO DANCING!!!!

:D