Hispanics Leaving Catholicism, Becoming Either Evangelicals or Religiously Unaffiliated

The Story: Religious polarization is taking place in the Hispanic community, with the shrinking majority of Hispanic Catholics holding the middle ground between two growing groups (evangelical Protestants and the unaffiliated) that are at opposite ends of the U.S. religious spectrum, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. 

 

The Background:

 

According to Pew, the long-term decline in the share of Catholics among Hispanics may partly reflect religious changes underway in Latin America, where evangelical churches have been gaining adherents and the share of those with no religious affiliation has been slowly rising in a region that historically has been overwhelmingly Catholic. 

Hispanics leaving Catholicism have tended to move in two directions. Some have become born-again or evangelical. On average, Hispanic evangelicals - many of whom also identify as either Pentecostal or charismatic Protestants - not only report higher rates of church attendance than Hispanic Catholics but also tend to be more engaged in other religious activities, including Scripture reading, Bible study groups and sharing their faith.    Continue at Joe Carter