Catholicism Today Lesson 1 Introduction. © 2008 Northwestern Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture is from the HOLY BIBLE:

Catholicism Today

Lesson 1

Introduction

© 2008 Northwestern Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture is from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.

The Most Important Differences Separating Lutherans

From Catholics

1.

2.

3.

4. 5.


The Most Important Differences Separating Lutherans

From Catholics

1. Are sins forgiven by faith alone or by faith + works?

2. What is authority in the church: by Scripture alone or by Scripture + tradition + hierarchy?

3. Authority of the pope

4. Christ alone or Christ + Mary + saints?

5.


Adjectives That Best Describe The Catholic Church

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.


Adjectives That Best Describe The Catholic Church

1.Huge 2.Worldwide 3.Diverse 4.Troubled 5.Changing 6. Unchanging


A Huge Church

The Roman Catholic Church has over 1.1 billion members (up from 800 million in 1985).

64 million Lutherans (up from 60 million)

400,000 WELS

Over 60 million Roman Catholics in the United States, about 10 million Lutherans.

Roman Catholicism will be the majority religion in the United States by 2050 if trends continue.


Major Religions of the World (mid-2004 est.)

Christian 2,189,369,000

- Roman Catholics 1,105,808,000

- Independents 416,541,000

- Protestants 369,848,000

- Orthodox 218,427,000

- Anglicans 78,745,000


Major Religions of the World (mid-2004 est.)

Christian 2,189,369,000 - Roman Catholics 1,105,808,000

Muslims 1,283,424,000 Hindus 851,291,000 Chinese Universists 402,065,000 Buddhists 375,440,000 Sikhs 24,989,000 Jews 14,990,000


A Worldwide Church

The word catholic means “in the whole world.” THE COUNTRIES THAT GIVE THE MOST STRENGTH TO CATHOLICISM

1. 2. 3.4. 5.


A Worldwide Church

THE COUNTRIES THAT GIVE THE MOST STRENGTH TO CATHOLICISM

1. Poland 2. Ireland 3. Germany4. USA 5. Brazil


Distribution of Religions


Top 10 Nations with Most Catholics

NationBrazilMexicoUSAPhilippinesItalyFranceSpainPolandColombiaArgentinaGermany

Percent86.5095.3026.0083.6097.20 82.1094.2095.4091.9090.7034.80

Number 134,818,000 86,305,000 64,000,000 58,735,000 55,599,000 47,773,000 36,956,000 36,835,000 32,260,000 31,546,000 28,403,000


Highest Percentage of

Catholics

NationVatican CitySan MarinoSaint Pierre and

MiquelonWallis and Futuna

IslandsItaly

Percent 100.00

99.8399.36

99.02

97.20

Number 850 24,714 6,000

15,000

55,599,000



Top 10 U.S. StatesHighest Proportion

•Rhode Island

•Massachusetts

•Connecticut

•New Jersey

•New York

•Louisiana

•Wisconsin

•lIlinois

•Pennsylvania

•New Mexico

Highest Number

New York California Pennsylvania Illinois Texas New Jersey Massachusetts Michigan Ohio Florida


A Diverse Church

Nominal Catholics Syncretistic Catholics Traditional Catholics Moderate and liberal Catholics Evangelical Catholics Smorgasbord Catholics (Salad Bar Catholics)


A Troubled Church

Very substantial deterioration in attendance and practice. Attendance at mass each week declined from 74% in 1953 to 53% in 1985 to 45% in 2005. In 2005 19% claim to attend mass every week.

Catholics give only 1.1% of their income to support the church compared to 2.9% among Protestants.


A Troubled Church—A Major Shortage of Priests

In the United States, seminary enrollments declined from 54,000 in 1965 to 11,000 in 1985 to 3,308 in 2005.

U.S. Catholic clergy declined during 1981–2001 from 58,534 to 45,713 while the Catholic population grew by 14,000,000 (27%). In 2004 there were 44,489 priests;

449 new priests; 5,568 brothers; 14,106 deacons; sexual abuse and celibacy crises.


A Troubled Church

There is widespread disobedience to the moral positions of the church.

– The church’s position on birth control is rejected by 73% of Catholics,

– its views on divorce and remarriage by 60%, – its opposition to abortion by 66%. – The doctrinal positions of the church and even the authority

of the pope are challenged by many leading Catholic theologians.

There is a strong polarization in the church between those clamoring for change and those who think there has been too much change, too fast.


A Changing Church

Catholics have become more integrated with their Protestant neighbors and more assimilated into American culture than they were in the past.

– More than 80% of Catholic youth would consider marrying outside the Catholic faith.

There have been very extensive changes and modernization in Catholic worship.

The laity has become much more active in worship and in parish leadership.


A Changing Church

Local bishops and priests have gained more power at the expense of the official bureaucracy in Rome.

There is greater appreciation for the Bible, but the real authority for religious belief is personal

experience and subjective feeling rather than any outside authority.


An Unchanging Church

The Catholic Church has not made any improvements in official doctrine since the Council of Trent, which condemned the Reformation.

In fact, it has added more errors to its official teaching, including:- the immaculate conception of Mary, - the assumption of Mary to heaven, - the assertion of papal infallibility, - accepting the historical-critical view of Scripture.


J Brug

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Catholicism Today Lesson 1 Introduction. © 2008 Northwestern Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture is from the HOLY BIBLE: