In our modernized secular society, catholic membership began to drop initially, due to the conservative views of the church. As a result of Vatican 2 Catholicism was modernized and membership within the religion was re-established. Although the nature of Catholicism has changed in this age of materialism and consumerism, this does not necessarily indicate direction of decline.
Before I begin my findings I would like to define the nature of secularism which is a word you will hear throughout my research. Secularism: rejection of religious and sacred forms and practices in favour of rational assessment and decision-making, and civil institutions of government
Within my assignment I broke my research into 6 main areas
1. How have the changes in politics affected Catholicism since 1945
2. How has America's rapid social change and culture affected Catholicism
3. How has modernisation, science and technology affected Catholicism in America
4. How has the mass media affected Catholicism since 1945
5. How has modern education affected Catholicism
6. Whether Catholicism has declined in America
To my first sub-question whether Catholicism has declined in America. The Gallup Poll, a world-leading source of public opinion established in 1935, that showed catholic membership has actually increased over the years with slight dips at various points. Although does this really mean that Catholicism is not in decline. For example the Gallup Poll states church attendance fell from 74% 1958 to 48% 1988. So devotion has dropped considerably over the years, but as a result of what? At Vatican 2 1960's one of the many changes that precipitated was that Sunday Mass attendance was no longer a serious sin. Also another cause of devotional decay occurred as a result of the Popes birth control encyclical in 1968. According to Greeley "it sent the church into a sudden and dramatic decline; Sunday and weekly mass attendance droppe...