Survey Shows Decrease in Louisiana Catholics

I have maintained for some time that the Roman Catholic Church's refusal to address the issue of bishops and cardinals who enabled and/or covered up the sexual abuse of minors by priests and other Catholic clergy would eventually take a toll on Church membership and such seems to be the case in Louisiana based on a new American Religious Identification Survey that shows a significant drop in the number of residents identifying as Catholic. At least so reports the Daily Reveille. Given the Church hierarchy's continued rejection of modern knowledge on numerous issues - including sexual orientation - I suspect that the decline will continue except in backwards and uneducated parts of the world where the Vatican can still get away with its old ways and man made dogmas. Here are some story highlights:

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Scott Louque grew up indoctrinated in the Roman Catholic Church. After 22 years in the faith, the agricultural business senior abandoned his upbringing looking for something more. American Religious Identification Survey shows the population of Catholics in Louisiana has decreased 16 percent compared to survey figures gathered in 1990.“Younger people by and large are more likely not to identify with their parents’ religion,” said religious studies assistant professor Michael Pasquier said.

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This generational gap, along with migration of citizens out of Louisiana for economic reasons, has played a major part in this reduction of number of Catholics in the state, Pasquier said.

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Pasquier said the root cause for the priest shortage comes from changing social climate after World War II movement giving people new social causes to participate in besides religion.Catholics found different ways to benefit society like participating in or against the civil rights movement instead of trying to do good to society by joining an order in the church, Pasquier said.“Today, the reason for the[priest] shortage continuing has a lot to do with the sex abuse scandals which perpetuate a distrust of the priesthood,” Pasquier said.

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The reality s that modern, educated citizens will find it increasingly difficult to cling to the 13th century view of the world, science and sexuality favored by Pope Benedict XVI and similar bitter old queens in dresses at the Vatican. If Catholics continue to vote with their feet, perhaps some day change will come to the Church. However, I am not holding my breath to see it happen in my lifetime.