"Bible Belt Catholics"

[Socrates]

Read this article in Time magazine.

[url="http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1025176-1,00.html"]Bible Belt Catholics[/url]

Wonder if y'all had any thoughts.

We're not exactly in the Deep South (Northern Shenandoah Valleyof VA), but we've got a similar situation in our diocese - a booming, vibrant orthodox Catholic community which has grown up quickly in a traditionally non-Catholic, protestant area.

Edited February 16, 2005 by Socrates

[HomeTeamFamily]

THATS MY HOME PARISH!!!!!!

fr timothy reid is soooooo cool!!!!!

[Ash Wednesday]

I wonder if EWTN in Alabama has a strong role as well?

It all is pretty interesting.

Personally I think Protestant Christianity in the sense that Luther started i.e. "liberal/Diet Catholic" (Lutheran, Episcopal, Anglican, Methodist, etc.) will continue to weaken and Christianity will be more dominated by Fundamentalists and Catholics. Fundies and orthodox Catholics understand the importance of committing to weekly services on Sunday and giving money regularly -- whereas you tend to not see "progressives" taking the same route. With mainstream protestants many don't feel that you have to attend regularly and many don't. You cannot support your church if you don't fill the pews. Like the article said, many stop and think "when was my church founded and why?"

The Lutheran Church in Sweden for example, seems on the wane because a lot of Swedes are Lutheran don't have a sense of obligation to attend, whereas the Christians more active in their churches and the churches growing there are members of more fundamentalist sects, or Catholicism.

[rachael]

yep. this sounds like our area.

[RemnantRules]

Yup! Poud to be a bible belt Catholic

[argent_paladin]

Reminds me of something de Toqueville wrote 174 years ago...

Chapter VI

THE PROGRESS OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM
IN THE UNITED STATES

AMERICA is the most democratic country in the world, and it is at the same time (according to reports worthy of belief) the country in which the Roman Catholic religion makes most progress. At first sight this is surprising.

Two things must here be accurately distinguished: equality makes men want to form their own opinions; but, on the other hand, it imbues them with the taste and the idea of unity, simplicity, and impartiality in the power that governs society. Men living in democratic times are therefore very prone to shake off all religious authority; but if they consent to subject themselves to any authority of this kind, they choose at least that it should be single and uniform. Religious powers not radiating from a common center are naturally repugnant to their minds; and they almost as readily conceive that there should be no religion as that there should be several.

At the present time, more than in any preceding age, Roman Catholics are seen to lapse into infidelity, and Protestants to be converted to Roman Catholicism. If you consider Catholicism within its own organization, it seems to be losing; if you consider it from outside, it seems to be gaining. Nor is this difficult to explain. The men of our days are naturally little disposed to believe; but as soon as they have any religion, they immediately find in themselves a latent instinct that urges them unconsciously towards Catholicism. Many of the doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church astonish them, but they feel a secret admiration for its discipline, and its great unity attracts them. If Catholicism could at length withdraw itself from the political animosities to which it has given rise, I have hardly any doubt but that the same spirit of the age which appears to be so opposed to it would become so favorable as to admit of its great and sudden advancement.

One of the most ordinary weaknesses of the human intellect is to seek to reconcile contrary principles and to purchase peace at the expense of logic. Thus there have ever been and will ever be men who, after having submitted some portion of their religious belief to the principle of authority, will seek to exempt several other parts of their faith from it and to keep their minds floating at random between liberty and obedience. But I am inclined to believe that the number of these thinkers will be less in democratic than in other ages, and that our posterity will tend more and more to a division into only two parts, some relinquishing Christianity entirely and others returning to the Church of Rome. "

[argent_paladin]

As a convert from fundiedom, I can truly relate. Also, I decided yesterday that I will be moving to DC or Virginia in the next year. I am excited to be going to a vibrant Catholic community. I especially liked the part about how this phenomenon may transform the Catholic church. The lukewarm and liberal are leaving the Church but the conservative and on-fire are entering. A good trade off.

Edited February 17, 2005 by argent_paladin

[Socrates]

From my experience, it seems all the solid, orthodox Catholics in the northeast are moving to south of the Mason-dixon line.

[toledo_jesus]

I couldn't read the whole article, but it's not all great. There's always the danger that without proper guidance the lay people will get a somewhat protestant-ized version of the Faith. Like in Richmond. Catholics make up 3-5% of VA.s population and especially down in Tidewater we are in the minority. And everybody knows about Richmond and its problems.
It sounds like the parish they are talking about in N.C. was LIFETEEN, which I suppose would seem pretty orthodox to Time. Moreso now, granted.

[Socrates]

In Virginia, the Arlington Diocese (northern part of the state) is overall more conservative, and the Richmond Diocese (southern part of the state) is more liberal. I don't think it's problems have anything to do with being near protestants or being in the South, though. It has to do with the Church administration.

Catholics have always been a minority in VA, and the South as a whole. The point of the article is that their numbers are growing in the South, especially in the more orthodox parishes.

The whole gist of the article is that the Church in the South tends to be more orthodox and is growing much more than the largely more liberal churches in the north.

Edited February 17, 2005 by Socrates

[argent_paladin]

Actually, this discussion reminds me of my novice tour through the west. The best student community by far was in Salt Lake. There definitely is something to being surrounded by hostiles. The students at University of Utah constantly had to defend their faith. I think that cultural catholic areas often breed weak and superficial catholics, like Providence, RI or Boston or for that matter France and Italy.
Similarly, I am a member of the largest college Republicans club in California, and it is at UC Berkeley. To be a conservative in the Bay Area means to be well-read, articulate and confident.

[ryanmeyersmusic]

Sounds nothing like our diocese... Diocese of Biloxi's less than 1% Catholic...

[Seatbelt Blue]

[quote name='Socrates' date='Feb 16 2005, 10:49 PM'] In Virginia, the Arlington Diocese (northern part of the state) is overall more conservative, and the Richmond Diocese (southern part of the state) is more liberal. I don't think it's problems have anything to do with being near protestants or being in the South, though. It has to do with the Church administration.

Catholics have always been a minority in VA, and the South as a whole. The point of the article is that their numbers are growing in the South, especially in the more orthodox parishes.

The whole gist of the article is that the Church in the South tends to be more orthodox and is growing much more than the largely more liberal churches in the north. [/quote]
Richmond is improving. We had thirty years of relatively spotty leadership under Bishop Sullivan, but, let me tell you, Bishop DiLorenzo is amazing. I see him regularly - he often concelebrates daily mass at the Cathedral along with Fr Mike, and I've spoken with him on several occassions. He's an astute mind with grand ideas.

[Socrates]

Glad to hear it! I really haven't followed what goes on the Richmond diocese. I was just responding to Toledo jesus' post. Our new Bishop isn't as good as the last two we've had, but their's still a lot of good priests.

I have recently heard a horror story from a visitor somewhere in Virginia Beach or Newport News (forget where exactly) about a "Wizard of Oz" themed mass! It was unbeleiveable!

[AfroNova No Limit Soldier]

I actually read that article on the EWTN news link.

TIME took it & added a twist. The article was okay, but what do you guys think about the part that said:

"Given how overwhelmingly Protestant the South was in the 20th century, it is easy to forget that the Catholic Church--which, to its shame, condoned slavery--was a player there before the Civil War. (Think Scarlett O'Hara chanting the rosary in Gone With the Wind.) "

That's a cheap shot. A lot of people make that snide comment here in Htown.

And we tell them, "Yeah, that's why lots of African-Americans down south are Protestant - BECAUSE THEIR MASTERS WERE PROTESTANT."

What is the Church's response to this?

(I can't believe they said "chanting the Rosary." ARRGGHH that makes me crazy)

Edited February 18, 2005 by AfroNova No Limit Soldier