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I wish this was true but I’m pretty sure that the author is probably one of the only people on earth asking “ why so many millennials become catholic”. I’m a millennial catholic myself and I don’t actually personally know another millennial catholic. The church I go to( and the other 3 catholic churches nearby) are mainly composed of people older than 60. There is no data to support that “ so many millennials are becoming catholic”, it’s just not happening. This article is wishful thinking but I certainly resonate with the author. And I hope that one day we’ll live in a world where people other than the author are asking this question.
Protestant undergrad convinced me to take truth seriously, and Catholicism seemed to be the most consistent with all the Protestant apologetics and worldview stuff. Also, intelligent design turned out to be most consistent, and that was what kept me from becoming atheist.
Millennial here about to cross the Tiber after 5 years of reassembling the pieces of my own shattered Protestantism; this hit me right between the eyes, and left me resonating like a church bell. But where do I find these supposed droves of other Millennials becoming Catholic? I thought I was the only one.
I am a “Baby Boomer”—one whose faith was grounded in science/fact/materialism. Life was absurd, and I was “heroic” in my determination to produce my own meaning for life—my own ethical principal—my own story of existence. My hubris was unlimited. To assume that the world was fundamentally a mystery (unknowable) was a non-starter for me. My approach was radical skepticism. I found Schopenhauer/Wittgenstein. The seed of doubt started to grow within me. The doubt increasingly produced a “stillness” and I woke up. Catholicism is Joy.
People who look foe excuses to not be fully–or even marginally–Catholic by citing past indiscretions (or not being fully educated about past “indiscretions) of the Church, are not really interested in the Catholic Church except to prove how much better they are than all of that holy stuff and the poor slobs who adhere to Her timeless teachings.
Data crunchers slice & dice, and come up with any sort of answer you want.
The evidence is found in the parishes of towns & cities that have a noticeable population of millenials. Look especially in the parishes that are more traditional/orthodox/old-fashioned than the suburban parish church-barns that their parents still favor.
[Full disclosure: I am the father of two millennial sons. (My generation were told that we had to stop at two kids. We don’t know why.) They urged us to visit some of their favorite parishes, where chant and incense are standard. So many young couples! So many little kids! We have switched to where the life is.]
I can’t stop reading this. You nailed it.
I’m glad that while you mentioned Jackson’s films, you left Tolkien out of it.
The point is that millennials are converting to the truth. But what if the truth presented is not the whole truth?
Don’t you think that’s a good question?
dgwired, what is the point you want to make and think you are making? What is your religious background, if any?
Also a Roman Inquisition that led to the papal abduction of Edgardo Mortara.
And you didn’t mention the Index of Books.
Are the millennials aware of this side of Roman Catholic truth? “Error has no rights” was the dominant view among Roman Catholic bishops before Vatican 2. Now that Error has Rights, what’s up with this notion that people convert to “truth.” Truth? Error? It’s all good.
Haven’t you seen the pope’s prayer video? https://youtu.be/-6FfTxwTX34
Hopefully for the same reason young men and women go off to monasteries and convents and seminaries and join up in movements like the Focus Missionaries. They’ve fallen in love with a real Person-Jesus-and are plumb excited about acting on that love. When I read an article like the above, and I don’t see His Name-Jesus-mentioned much, I figure it’s another attempt at a flexing of the religious intelligentsia, carving a niche for themselves.
@DGwired:
There was such a thing as the Inquisition, mostly in Spain just after Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile had driven the Muslims out of Spanish territory. Isabella and Ferdinand, and their successors were very concerned about a Muslim comeback taking over Spain b subversion, and that many Muslims had pretended to convert to Christianity to hide their evil intentions. Thus the Spanish government established a search for pretend Christians by assuming that heretics might will be Muslim pretend converts.
Some of this may have slopped over to other European areas, but most of the activity was in Spain.
TeaPot562
Great post.
My first concert was Bloodgood. Thumbs up if you not only have heard of them, but dig them.
This is a very nice read but there is no data to support that throngs of young people are converting to Catholicism-in fact the data indicates otherwise. I think I recently read for every 1 convert 8 have left-how sad
It’s all true. Open your heart to the message. Let your spirit be still. Be not afraid.
Patience.
Is the Syllabus of Errors true?
Is the Roman Inquisition true?
Was the Index of Books true?
Awesome!
Regarding the topic in general, although I’ve already posted an overlong reply on the UK, excellent set of observations.
What I’d additionally note about Millenials is that they’ve lived through the era of dominance of the Baby Boomers, which is still with us. Even now, we still have a slate of Boomer Presidential candidates seeking to recapture the White House.
This matters as the Boomer generation (and I mean as a whole, not as any one particular person) has been one that was very indulged, has been very consumptive, and has generally failed to yield to younger generations. Generally far less observant of their faiths or any faith than their parents, they were the “Me” generation of the 1970s. All the “Me”ism that was espoused at that time has been presented to younger generations as a depressing lack of meaning, and they’re searching for it. Their problem is that they often have to find it all on their own, as the generation that dominates the culture doesn’t present good examples, so they struggle for things that are true. When they find it, they adopt it, but they are often seemingly all on their own in their search, and they know it.
What about Generation X? We were the ones that grew up in the 70s. Although Susan Howatch’s novels are based on the Anglican Church, they portray the dangers of the sexual revolution, consumerism and general meaningless culture of many of the Baby-Boomers very well.
Regarding the UK, that is true but that reflects in no small part both the conditions now prevailing in Europe in general, and the long slow death of the Anglican communion in particular.
England and Scotland can be thanked or blamed, depending upon your view, for making a success out of the Protestant Revolution. This is particularly so for England. But often missed in that story is that the English has been a highly Catholic people and the severance of the church in England from Rome began a centuries long process of ever increasing weakness of Christianity in England and Scotland. The titanic struggle to define Christianity in the early stage of the Protestant Revolution in England caused an inherent weakness in the state religion that’s caused it to be eroding away at an ever increasing rate for a very long time now. With the Anglican Communion now so balkanized in its regional behaviors its very weak.
Given that, common people have had very loose, if any, attachment to it for a very, very long time. That’s finally causing it to just fade away. An cultural bias against Catholicism (present both there and in Scandinavia) is just now being overcome. While polls such as those cited reflect the rise of “none” in the UK, what they probably really reflect is the final death of Anglicanism itself. As that happens, however, what’s being missed is that three faiths are rising, and those are: 1) The Catholic Church; 2) The Pentecostal Church; and 3) Islam, three faiths that aren’t shy about stating what they believe as a rule (although the Catholic Church in northern Europe isn’t necessarily a good example of that).
So, as time progresses, in short order we’ll likely see practicing Catholics exceed Anglicans in number and Pentecostalism be the vibrant English Protestant denomination. Islam will be a force there to content with, and not amongst immigrants only, but amongst those unchurched English who are looking for a faith.
Oh my goodness, Tyler. A friend posted this and I read it before looking at the author’s name. I kept thinking “how does this author describe my exact college experience?” Turns out it’s because we went to the same college! Good piece, and very true! At least it’s true of my particular conversion.
This one brought a tear to my eye. I was raised in a Protestant fundamentalist church (Church of the Nazarene) where it was commonplace to hear all about why Catholics (like my father) were going to hell because well, they’re Catholic. As you might expect, that upbringing created in me a profound cynicism, if not hate, for organized religion, especially “Christianity” (or what some churches believe it to be). I spent the next twenty years, basically disinterested and agnostic. Three years ago I experienced an extraordinary event on the highway driving home from a long trip. It lasted maybe ten seconds. For lack of better words, I felt my mind shut down, my heart open and then my mind open back up again. I felt an immediate peace overcome me and intense inner joy for the first time in my life. I spent the next year trying to figure out what happened. Did I have a mental breakdown? Am I nuts? Have others experienced this? I read all kinds of books–Buddhist, Rosicrucian, Freemason, Anthroposophist, Theosophist, New Age, etc. Some of it resonated with me because I think some of it is true. But it wasn’t until I experienced the Eucharist that I relived the highway event. I’m 40 years old, married with three kids, practice law, enjoy gardening, surfing, etc. I drink, smoke, swear, dance and do all kinds of things that would probably label me a “sinner” in many circles. But I am at peace. And the joy never left me. I have discovered that there is more to the Catholic Church than most people realize, even Catholics. There is a profound mystical tradition there (to start read Mary of Agreda or Anne Catherine Emmerich) and a gorgeous liturgy. There is a sober magisterium that correctly acknowledges the existence of active, interested spiritual beings (aka “The Communion of Saints”), including the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is not enough space here to share my experience with my Blessed Mother, but National Geographic was accurate in recently describing her as the “The Most Powerful Woman in the World.” My experience is that the rosary is a powerful source of “coincidences.” And there is the Eucharist, for which I have not the words. Who would have thought? Not I. But I now affectionately refer to that stretch of highway as the Road to Damascus.
Do you have any data on this? I was just reading that in Britain, the most common religion now is “none”. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/20/no-religion-britons-atheism-christianity
Tyler, that was incredible read.
From the very deepest of my soul, thank you.
AMDG your brother, Luigi.