ex-preacher

from <a href="http://www.barna.org" target="_blank">www.barna.org</a>

bold added by me for emphasis

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Catholics Torn by Emotional and Theological Turmoil

May 6, 2002

(Ventura, CA) - Since February the public's attention has been focused on news regarding the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests. Recent national surveys have shown that the public's image of the Catholic Church has declined precipitously during that period. A new nationwide survey by the Barna Research Group, of Ventura, California, indicates that millions of Catholic adults are struggling to clarify their feelings and beliefs in the wake of the child molestation revelations.

The Barna survey shows that since January there has been a big drop in the percentage of Catholics who say they are "absolutely committed to Christianity," declining by eleven percentage points to just 30%. That is the lowest level of "absolute commitment" measured among Catholics by Barna Research since the firm began tracking that measure a decade ago.

However, the survey also shows that most other indicators have remained relatively stable since the scandal has become public. Measures concerning Catholics' self-identification with the Roman Catholic Church, the importance of their religious faith, their personal commitment to Jesus Christ, the incidence of Bible reading, prayer, church volunteerism and small group involvement are virtually unchanged compared to January's figures.

Perhaps the most surprising change has been a seven percentage point rise in church attendance among Catholics since January - including a 10-point increase among Catholics who have children under 18 living in their home. (About four out of every ten Catholic adults lives in a household with one or more children under 18 years of age.) Catholics who do not have children under 18 experienced a smaller increase since January (five points). Even when compared to church attendance levels of a year earlier, to allow for seasonal variations, there has been a jump of six points among all Catholics in church attendance since a year ago.

Different Segments React

Overall, Catholics who have children under the age of 18 have reacted most severely to the crisis. That group has experienced noteworthy declines in "absolute commitment" to Christianity (down 15 percentage points from a year earlier), personal commitment to Jesus Christ (down 14 points), the importance of religious faith in their life (down 10 points) and a decline in Bible reading (down five points).

Catholic women have also shifted their views dramatically in the past year. They have undergone a 10-point drop in levels of absolute commitment to Christianity, a 10-point drop in personal commitment to Jesus Christ, and an 11-point decline in those who say their religious faith is very important in their life. At the same time, there has been a seven-percentage point improvement in the number of Catholic women who read the Bible.

In terms of age groups, the Baby Boomers have been the hardest hit. Boomers were the group most likely to see drops in levels of absolute commitment to Christianity (down seven points), and the importance of religious faith (down 16 points). While church attendance rose by large margins among younger and older Catholics, it remained static among Boomers.