Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-08-22
THE FIFTH CENSUS OF RE-
LIGioUs BODIES OF THE
UNITED STATES.

the country according to figures ap
nearing In the proof sheets of a cen
sus bulletin. prepared by Chief Stats
4 tician William c. Hunt, OF the divis
ION OF population of the United States
census bureau. In fact. making al
lowance for babies In arms, a little
crowding IN the pews and the u;iliza.
4 ton of standing room. perhaps II
would be possible for every living
! soul within the nations borders to
hear sermons In houses of worship
at one given hour. 1t is trne that
all kinds OF sermons would be de-
livered by all kinds of preachers and
heard by all kinds OF people within
that hour, but they would be sermons
for all that, and feature of religious
worship. This information probably
will be more or less startling to those
who are In the the habit OF thinking
that is this day and generation COM
paratively little attention is paid by
our busy dollar-seeking people 10 re-
ligion.
Perhaps many people will be sur
prised, too, to learn that the church
members In the United States In
1906 numbered nearly thirty-three
millions-more than one third OF the
fetal population. II Is equally as
surprising-and it must be highly
gratifying to the real Christian or
ganizations-to learn that of the to-
tai number OF members reported by
the various religious bodies in 1900.
32.93s.4i5. Professionals were credited
with 20,2S7.742 and the Roman Catho-
lies with 12.479.i42. or 1913 per cent
of the total Thus 1t may be seen
that all of the many religious organ
izations other than the Christian Pro-
testant and Roman Catholic have
memberships comprising total of 1T
OF the people protesting religion.
United States census statistics or
church membership by sex were col
lected for the first time in 1906, the
date OF the fifth and last census OF
religious bodies of the country. or
the tota. number Of members report
ed for this census, 43.1 per cent. were
lac I'D 70
males. Among the Protestants the
differences was greater, only 1913 per
cent being males. In the Roman
Catholic churches there were a rela-
lively larger number Of males. the
percentage being 1913 or practically
J half OF the total Fewer males than
females were found among the Meth
ocists. Baptists. Presbyterians. Pro-
testant Episcopslians, Lutherans and
Latter Day Saints. while among the
Christian Scientists only 2I.s per
+, cent. were males. In the Greek or
thodox church, $40 per cent we're
males. as practically all OF the i'm
migrants TO this country from Greece
fhaye been men or boys.
The rate of increase in member
ship during the sixteen years from
1890 to 1906 in the Roman Catholic
church was 935 per cent. or more
than twice that shown by all the Pro-
testant bodies combined. Immigra-
ton probably is to considerable ex-
tent responsible for this enormous in.
crease The Methodists reported us
per cent. OF all the Protestant church
members: the Baptist 17.2 per cent.
Based upon an estimate o. the POP
ulation OF the United States, not in
Guiding the country's Irsalar posses
sions- OF proteges. the church mem
bers formed ss.l per cent Of the POP
; ulatlCn. IS compared with 32.7 PEI
cent for 1890. showing an incress'
81 50 s,er cent OF this So per cen,
increase. 40 per cent. Is credited q
! the Roman Catholics and Is per cen;
: TO the Protestsnts. all other religion
: organizations showing an increase o
, only two tenths % one per cent
Though the membership increases
; only 50 per cent. the total uumbe
Of religious organizations Increase
2s.s per cent. while the total seatin
capacity % the churches Increase
;. 34.t per cent The total seating g
! psciiy in 1905 was sss3s.sso and N
+ rate Of Increase since 1890 vas pra'
d ticaTy the same for both Protesta1
. and Catholic. and more than keI
e pace with the Increase IN populatio
, and membership. In 1856 the tot
y amount Of money invested