Jean Raber proposes an interesting topic: "It might be interesting to talk sometime about the difference between lapsed Catholics and those who take up a new denomination. A long-time friend lapsed after a priest abused her brothers years ago. She has a very complicated relationship with the Church. Criticizes it freely, but views Protestant denominations as morally ambiguous and little more than social clubs.I have seen a statistic that says "lapsed" Catholics are the second largest denomination in the United States, and that half join other religious groups, while half remain unaffiliated. I'll try to track down the source.

Margaret O’Brien Steinfels is a former editor of Commonweal. 

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