The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-09-04
CATHOLICS GAIN MOST.
United States Religious Census Shows
Catholics Are Actual.

| Last week the government issued llS
so-called Census of Religious Bodies, y
in which (as we understand) children
are not listed as eligible to church
membership
It is stated that in all Protestant
bodies the membership is practically
adult membership In the Catholic
church all baptized persons, including
| infants, are returned as members. In
order to render the figures more nearly
comparable, 10 per cent has been de-
Quoted from the membership returned
| for the Catholic church to cover those
under years of age"
In Nutshell.
A glance at the proof sheets shows
that males formed but 43.1 per cent of
the total church membership; that
eight new churches were erected every
day during the sixteen years from 1890
to 1906; that in sixteen states the Cath
olics formed a majority of the church
membership; that the percentage which
church members formed of the popu-
lation was larger by 6.4 per cent in 1906
than in 1890; and that of the total num-
Der of church members reported, 61.6
per cent were returned by the Protest
ant bodies and 96.7 per cent by the
Catholic church.
| The total church membership for 1906
was 32,936,44 of which number the
Protestants were credited with 2O2S7,-
| 742 and the Catholics with 1908 142. Of
the Protestant bodies the Methodists
numbered 5,749, S3S, the Baptists $685.
| 234, the Lutherans 2,112494, the Pres
byterians 1,S30,555, and the Disciples or
Christians 1,142,359.
Catholic Majority in Sixteen States.
The figures show that in twenty-nine
states majority of church members
belonged to Protestant bodies; in six
teen states, to the Catholic church; and
in one state, Utah, to the Latter-day
Saints. The states and territories for
which a majority of Catholic members
were reported with their respective per
centages are: New Mexico, SS.7; Rhode
! Island, "a; Montana, 73.1; Massachu-
setts, 69.2; Nevada, 66.7; Arizona, 66.2;
Louisiana, 61.3; Connecticut, 596: CAL
ifornia, 5S; Vermont, 55.9; Maine, 53.3;
New Jersey, 51.5; Wisconsin, 5O.5 and
Michigan, SOL. In two states, Wyo-
ming and Colorado, the largest proper
ton, although not a majority, of the
members, were Catholics.
Women .outnumber Men.
OF the total church membership re-
ported by the various religious bodies
and classed by sex, 43.1 per cent were
males and 56.9 per cent were females.
Among the Protestants the difference
was greater, 1913 per cent being males,
while in the Catholic church the males
formed 1913 per cent of the total men,
bership.
Fewer males than females were
found among the Latter-day Saints, the
Lutherans Disciples, Methodists, Bap-
lists, Presbyterians and Protestant
Episcopalians, the percentage of a male
member decreasing in the order shown
and there being but 35.5 per cent among
the Episcopalians. Among the Chris
tan Scientists only 1851 were male and
the Shakers only 21.3 per cent, but in
the Greek Orthodox church 93.9 per
cent were males
Other salient features of the report
show that there was $1,250, 0,OOO. 900 in
vested in church edifices and that every
day eight new churches sent their
steeples skyward
Of the total estimated population in
1906 the church members formed 391
per cent as against 1921 per cent for
1890. Of this GA per cent increase the
Catholic church is credited with "A per
cent and the Protestants with is, the
remainder being divided among all
other denominations
The increase shown by the govern
ment figures bears out former esti-
mates of Catholic gains by competent
authorities.