Growing number of Latinos have no religious affiliation

[rug]

by Jacqueline Mejia
5:00 am on 08/23/2012

It’s been three years since Alicia Martinez, a Los Angeles college graduate, left the Catholic Church and still is on the search for a church that will “complete her”.

“I have been going to Catholic Churches my entire life but it never clicked with me. Time is too short to just go through the motions and not feel connected to the religion you’re attached to. Now that I’m older, I choose not to be associated with a religion until I know it’s right in my heart,” says Martinez.

Martinez is one of the growing thousands of Latinos not choosing to identify with a specific religion.

A Pew Hispanic Center’s National Survey in April 2012 shows Latinos have become increasingly less religious with newer generations. The survey explains while only about one in ten foreign-born Latinos are religiously unaffiliated (9 percent), twice as many native-born Latinos are unaffiliated (20 percent). The trend continues to increase in third-generation Latinos, with 24 percent saying they are unaffiliated.

http://nbclatino.com/2012/08/23/growing-number-of-latinos-have-no-religious-affiliation/

[cbayer]

1. Losing this historically reliable group must be causing some stir in Rome, no?

Looks like some changes at the local level could provide for them what they need and want.

[rug]

2. I suspect it's more of a First World phenemenon than a Latino phenemenon.

I also suspect Rome is not stirred by much.

[dimbear]

3. The interesting as yet small group "Santa Muerte" is growing very rapidly, but

is still overshadowed by migration to evangelical churches.

[rug]

4. Never heard of them but they are interesting.

"Santa Muerte is also seen as a protector of homosexual, bisexual, and transgender[18] people in Mexico and the United States, since many are considered to be outcast from society.[19] Many LGBT people ask her for protection from violence, hatred, disease, and to help them in search of love.[20][21] Her intercession is commonly invoked in same-sex marriage ceremonies performed in Mexico.[22][23] The Iglesia Católica Tradicional México-Estados Unidos, also known as the Church of the Holy Death, recognizes gay marriage and performs religious wedding ceremonies for homosexual people.[24][25][26][27]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Muerte

Still . . . . I don't see it taking off.