What Catholic Bloggers are Saying About all these Ex Catholics

Well The Pew Study on Religion and the US is out and has the Catholic world in a buzz. The reality is if not for immigration we would be in a heck of a fix. In fact we are in one but immigration right now is just masking the problem. First what people are saying and then I will give my thoughts.

Whispers in the Loggia has a good post Wake-Up Time .

Amy Wellborn has at Charlotte was Both has a post up called Everybody’s talking that is pretty blunt.

Icarus Fallen has a well written post here at Religion in America

The Deacon's Bench has a viewpoint here at What creates ex-Catholics?

Called by Name has thoughts here at which I think is very well on the mark at Pew Forum and Catholic Membership


Intentional Disciples takes a different look at the numbers at When You've Lost 10% . . .

Retractiones who is a Evangelical looking at both Orthodoxy and Catholicism has a must read post here at Dreher and the NYT: What Creates Ex-Catholics? The remarks about what Tony Campolo are right on.

There will be many more. I tend to do several posts on this topics and a post what on what Catholic converts are saying. A few brief thoughts I will go into in more detail in the future
(1) It could be far worse. In fact I am surprised it is not

(2) Some people leave because they can't accept the Gospel. They make a choice not to follow it. All you can do is pray for them

(3)So much of this is bad teaching. Not passing on the faith. I talked about this last Sunday at We need More Catholic Apologetic/Teaching In Catholic Homilies

(4) I suspect the problem is not uniform. I bet in some Dioceses that are on fire they are very much holding their own. If you encourage Confession, Adoration, and the true Catholic Gospel I bet we see a whole different picture

(5) Our Reaching out to non Catholics has been and is a scandal. If you belong to the major Catholic Church in town and don't have a lot of people in RCIA then people should ask why.

(6)There must be a understanding that Evanglization is everyone's business and duty

(7) We must do steps to stop the flow of ex Catholics that are incoming immigrants. We must use existing organizations like the Knights of Columbus and new models. If your Church has a Spanish Mass go to it. See what is up. what are their needs

(8) All this costs money.

(9) There are signs of hope and not everything is all bleak. More on this later

(10) We can't wait for someone else to "fix" this.

(11) Someone needs to be asking hard questions about Catholics Schools

(12) Catholic Education must be revamped. It must be life long. American Catholics sadly pick up a lot of errors from other other Christian Communities. Sadly though the Evangelical and Protestant model of Sunday School for people form Nursery school to the tomb was never picked up.

(13) It is not all "education". As Amy Wellborn states are we making the case for the Christ. In effect are we really do the hard spiritual work.

(14) We need to make use and expand what we have. Such as Cursillo for example and other proven things that the Spirit works well through