Traditional Family Faith

[politicus]

Also, conversion to Protestantism in general is absurd and should be looked on with suspicion in any culture.

Nah, Protestantism is a lot more compatible with comtemporary society than Catholicism and Ortodoxy.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Also, conversion to Protestantism in general is absurd and should be looked on with suspicion in any culture.

Nah, Protestantism is a lot more compatible with comtemporary society than Catholicism and Ortodoxy.

Which is precisely the problem.

[H. Ross Peron]

Dad's side Presbyterian, Mother's side Buddhist (although some of my mother's relatives are Christians)

[Tetro Kornbluth]

What the christ. No-one cares if you convert to a religion. It would be seen as kind of weird since conversion is not something that's done here to anywhere near the extent of the US.

Bingo. America seems to have a great difficulty in understanding how unreligious, particularly amongst young people, Europe is. It's painful.

Yes, also some Americans can't seem to comprehend that despite that, a lot of people here like to associate themselves, if only nominally, if a religio-cultural identity regardless of what they 'believe'.

[Lurker]

What the christ. No-one cares if you convert to a religion. It would be seen as kind of weird since conversion is not something that's done here to anywhere near the extent of the US.

Bingo. America seems to have a great difficulty in understanding how unreligious, particularly amongst young people, Europe is. It's painful.

Yes, also some Americans can't seem to comprehend that despite that, a lot of people here like to associate themselves, if only nominally, if a religio-cultural identity regardless of what they 'believe'.

Do most non-religious Irishmen call themselves Catholic if asked about their religion? Here almost everybody are members of the (former) State Church (mostly as they can't be bothered to leave), but still I think few of those not believing in God would declare themselves Christians.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

What the christ. No-one cares if you convert to a religion. It would be seen as kind of weird since conversion is not something that's done here to anywhere near the extent of the US.

Bingo. America seems to have a great difficulty in understanding how unreligious, particularly amongst young people, Europe is. It's painful.

Yes, also some Americans can't seem to comprehend that despite that, a lot of people here like to associate themselves, if only nominally, if a religio-cultural identity regardless of what they 'believe'.

Do most non-religious Irishmen call themselves Catholic if asked about their religion? Here almost everybody are members of the (former) State Church (mostly as they can't be bothered to leave), but still I think few of those not believing in God would declare themselves Christians.

Yes. This is basically what BRTD can't comprehend whenever in the past Oakvale and I have broached the topic. I'm unsure myself whether I should put down Presbyterian, Church of Ireland or None on a census form even though I'm actually an Atheist.

[All Along The Watchtower]

What the christ. No-one cares if you convert to a religion. It would be seen as kind of weird since conversion is not something that's done here to anywhere near the extent of the US.

Bingo. America seems to have a great difficulty in understanding how unreligious, particularly amongst young people, Europe is. It's painful.

Yes, also some Americans can't seem to comprehend that despite that, a lot of people here like to associate themselves, if only nominally, if a religio-cultural identity regardless of what they 'believe'.

Do most non-religious Irishmen call themselves Catholic if asked about their religion? Here almost everybody are members of the (former) State Church (mostly as they can't be bothered to leave), but still I think few of those not believing in God would declare themselves Christians.

Yes. This is basically what BRTD can't comprehend whenever in the past Oakvale and I have broached the topic. I'm unsure myself whether I should put down Presbyterian, Church of Ireland or None on a census form even though I'm actually an Atheist.

Not scene at all bro

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What the christ. No-one cares if you convert to a religion. It would be seen as kind of weird since conversion is not something that's done here to anywhere near the extent of the US.

Bingo. America seems to have a great difficulty in understanding how unreligious, particularly amongst young people, Europe is. It's painful.

Nah I get that. What I'm referring to is the fact that despite that the people in Ireland continue to identify as Catholic for reasons that I find incredibly stupid but all involve "culture" and all that. Meaning that conversion to Protestantism basically means you're rejecting all that and in a way aren't really a "true" Irish anymore. That's what I'm referring to in that Scott doing that would piss off a lot of people. The impression I get is that no one gives a s[inks] if you quit going to Mass or practicing in any way but actually switch to something else and your identification and omg you've just infringed on the glorious "culture" and become this.

That said though is "This way of thinking and identification is rare and quite alien to the Upper Midwest and thus difficult for me to comprehend" that difficult to understand?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

That said though is "This way of thinking and identification is rare and quite alien to the Upper Midwest and thus difficult for me to comprehend" that difficult to understand?

I think we all understood and accepted that a while ago; it's just that you seem a little fixated on your difficulty comprehending it.

[afleitch]

That said though is "This way of thinking and identification is rare and quite alien to the Upper Midwest and thus difficult for me to comprehend" that difficult to understand?

I think we all understood and accepted that a while ago; it's just that you seem a little fixated on your difficulty comprehending it.

And of course the fact that established faiths; Catholicism, Judaism even Presbyterianism in broadly secular society remain as cultural artifacts. Modern day saccharin American evangelicalism whether it's at a giant mass church or in a pub basement doesn't really have an established 'culture' (yet) which permeates whole communities and across generations whether practicing, secular or atheist.

[Mopsus]

Baptist. Which is curious, considering that only one branch of my family comes from the South.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

That said though is "This way of thinking and identification is rare and quite alien to the Upper Midwest and thus difficult for me to comprehend" that difficult to understand?

I think we all understood and accepted that a while ago; it's just that you seem a little fixated on your difficulty comprehending it.

And of course the fact that established faiths; Catholicism, Judaism even Presbyterianism in broadly secular society remain as cultural artifacts. Modern day saccharin American evangelicalism whether it's at a giant mass church or in a pub basement doesn't really have an established 'culture' (yet) which permeates whole communities and across generations whether practicing, secular or atheist.

But that type of categorization doesn't always work. For one you can't put every person in such a category even based background. Like see my post before and just how splintered and mixed my family is. I can't claim to be culturally Catholic/Lutheran/Baptist/anything because none of that is the majority of my family. And this is not uncommon in fact in the Midwest this is probably more common than having the majority of your family from the same type of background. Second of all I don't see how even if you do have a homogeneous background it has a large and immutable effect on you. Imagine if I was from a mostly Catholic family. Does anyone seriously think I'd be Catholic today or be much different?

And finally the lack of cultural identification within newer churches is exactly one thing I like about it, it means that no one won't be seen as not fitting in because they aren't the "right" race or ethnicity.

[politicus]

Also, conversion to Protestantism in general is absurd and should be looked on with suspicion in any culture.

Nah, Protestantism is a lot more compatible with comtemporary society than Catholicism and Ortodoxy.

Which is precisely the problem.

In what way?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yeah I was wondering that myself.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

It's not inherently or automatically wrong for Protestantism to be more suited to the general culture of a particular time and place than Catholicism or Orthodoxy, but treating it as if it's particularly right is arguably suspect because Christianity has traditionally seen itself as apart from and to some extent opposed to the systems and structures of the World. (I would think BRTD would have some sympathy for this, as it is the element of Christian thought that according to interpretation can, in fact, make problematic the idea of Christian identity as an outgrowth of culture that he finds so objectionable.) If you think that contemporary society and its demands are themselves immoral or inane, as Cathcon and Progressive Realist both seem to although for what I'd imagine are different reasons, it's obviously not going to be to Protestantism's credit that it is more compatible with those demands.

[politicus]

It's not inherently or automatically wrong for Protestantism to be more suited to the general culture of a particular time and place than Catholicism or Orthodoxy, but treating it as if it's particularly right is arguably suspect because Christianity has traditionally seen itself as apart from and to some extent opposed to the systems and structures of the World. (I would think BRTD would have some sympathy for this, as it is the element of Christian thought that according to interpretation can, in fact, make problematic the idea of Christian identity as an outgrowth of culture that he finds so objectionable.) If you think that contemporary society and its demands are themselves immoral or inane, as Cathcon and Progressive Realist both seem to although for what I'd imagine are different reasons, it's obviously not going to be to Protestantism's credit that it is more compatible with those demands.

While your interpretation of those two gentlemen's  POV is probably correct it doesn't make conversion to the more compatible (or modern) interpretation of Christianity absurd from the individuals perspective or something to be viewed with suspicion by others since there is no more reason to suspect it being insincere than any other conversion.

Still, it would be nice to have an answer in thread from Cathcon and Progressive Realist. That something is aburd in general is a strong allegation that ought to be backed up by some actual arguments.

[tmthforu94]

My mother's side is mostly Catholic, and my father's side is mostly Lutheran. I am somewhere in between.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

My mother's side is mostly Catholic, and my father's side is mostly Lutheran. I am somewhere in between.

Funnily enough that's a pretty accurate description for my family too. Obviously I wouldn't say I'm "somewhere in between" but then you probably understand my point about not being too attached to some religious identity.

[© tweed]

Roman Catholic maternal, Jewish paternal

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

My dad's family is Catholic. My mom's family Methodist, though I am a Baptist and my mom is now a Lutheran.

[Supersonic]

Church of England.

*although to be fair, going back in my Dads family there are Catholics.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

*although to be fair, going back in my Dads family there are Catholics.

If you go back far enough in the families of, like 95% of British people there are Catholics...

(or are there? Was Mediaeval Catholicism really the same religion as Catholicism after the Counter Reformation?)

[Supersonic]

*although to be fair, going back in my Dads family there are Catholics.

If you go back far enough in the families of, like 95% of British people there are Catholics...

(or are there? Was Mediaeval Catholicism really the same religion as Catholicism after the Counter Reformation?)

Haha, well I meant my nan was Catholic.

People could go mad trying to get their head around a question like that.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

People could go mad trying to get their head around a question like that.

That's what makes it a good question. All good questions have the capability of turning people into gibbering wrecks.

[Sol]

Catholicism on my dad's side. My mom side is pretty mixed- my grandparents were Unitarians, but before them their families were either Southern Baptists or Methodists.