Ryan Burge

You know, when you're 100,000 people, like everyone stays in the tribe because it's like, you know, everyone.

But once you get to several million, I think this is what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is facing right now is it almost is a victim of its own success because it got so large in America that it's easier to leave now because you don't feel that sense of internal cohesion anymore.

There's not been a single religious group in American history that's gotten incredibly large that's maintained its growth rate all the way through.

So, yeah, they will continue to grow probably faster than other forms of religion.

But I just don't see a future where, you know, in 2100, if the average Amish family is six kids and they all stick in that tradition, I would be shocked by that because it would buck everything that we know about how religion works in America.

Yeah.

I wouldn't say it's the weirdest thing, but I think it's the rise of the trad cath, I think is really interesting.

For those of you listening at home, trad caths are people who reject Vatican II.

You know, the idea that we should do the mass in English is ridiculous.

We should do the mass in Latin.

Women should cover their heads.

The priest should face the elements when he blesses the elements.

Like we should go back to the way it was a hundred years ago because that's when the Catholic church was strong in America.

There's actually an argument to be made that that might actually be the future of Catholicism in America because those families don't

Don't practice birth control.

And they have lots and lots of kids.

you're speculating about a lot of people who are right now not in that world joining that world i think you could see a lot of like right-wing regular catholics would go and shift over because they like the politics of what that church means and how the church is going so now listen i don't think like in 50 years the majority of american catholics are going to be enjoying the latin mass

But I do think it might be a significant minority and a vocal minority, too, which in some ways is actually more important than actual butts in seats.

The other thing I'll say, and I think this is really, really interesting, is the main line is starting to take some cues from evangelicalism and really focusing on church planting, which is starting new churches.

So like the Episcopalians, for instance, if they find an interesting young priest who seems really engaged there,