Fallen Faith
In just five years, Hispanics are expected to overtake blacks as the largest ethnic group in the U.S. and, as such, their religious choices will influence American culture. According to Ventura, CA-based Barna Research Group, the U.S. Hispanic population is turning away from its traditional Catholic orientation. In fact, just 10 years ago, 68 percent of all Hispanic adults in the U.S. said they attended a Catholic church. Today, that number has dwindled to just over half (53 percent). Only 26 percent of Hispanics claim to be “ab-solutely committed” to the Christian faith, compared with 44 percent of non-Hispanics. As Hispanics’ share of the population grows, their waning faith may affect the dominance of the Catholic Church in the U.S. Today, 22 percent of all U.S. adults belong to the Catholic Church, the largest number of adherents of any denomination. But only 18 percent of the non-Hispanic population does.
