VENTURA, CA, USA, June 27, 2002 — In the wake of months of media attention surrounding sexual abuse of children by priests in the Catholic Church, a new survey shows American Catholics may be struggling with faith and loyalty to their church.
The nationwide survey was conducted by The Barna Research Group, (www.barna.org), a California-based market research company that studies cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours.
The survey shows a big drop during the first quarter of 2002, in the percentage of Catholic adults who say they are "absolutely committed to Christianity". From January to April, that group declined from 39% to just 30%; the lowest level of "absolute commitment" measured among Catholics by Barna Research since the firm began tracking that measure 10 years ago. Among Catholic parents with children under the age of 18, the survey found an even greater decline of 15 percent compared to a year ago. The same group reported a 14-point decrease in personal commitment to Christ, a 10-point fall in the importance of religious faith in their life and a five-point drop in Bible reading.
| |
April/01 |
April/02 |
| Absolutely committed to Christianity |
39% |
30% |
| Religious faith is very important in their life |
70% |
64% |
| Attended church in the past seven days |
47% |
53% |
|
Source: Barna Research Group, May 2002
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However, the survey also turned up some surprising findings. From January to April, there was an increase of seven percentage points in church attendance among Catholic adults overall (with a 10-point increase among Catholics who have children under the age of 18 living at home).
The director of the study, George Barna, sees the results as evidence that many Catholics are experiencing some inner conflict over the nature of their faith, and their relationship to their church.
"Millions of Catholics are torn between their personal faith in God and Jesus Christ and their emotional loyalty to their church. Confounding the issue for many Catholics is their desire to honour God -- which includes attending Mass to avoid sin -- yet not wanting to necessarily intimate support for priests or other individuals who tacitly represent the people who have caused the pain and controversy in the church. This internal conflict of values is most acutely present among the parents of younger children as they strive to reconcile protecting their family and protecting their souls. It is a difficult time for many Catholics as they balance these competing insecurities and try to figure out what is the appropriate response for their family."
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the United States with 25% of all American adults currently identifying themselves as Catholic. The data were collected during telephone surveys with nationwide random samples of 1000 or more adults conducted in January, April, July, October 2001, and January, and April 2002.
Source: Bible Network News with files from The Barna Research Group
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