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I'm curious, is this someone who goes through the liturgy but doesn't have a faith?

by CitrusFruits 5y ago

MattGaiser 5y ago
Essentially. I know a bunch in other religions as well as it is their social group.
- lotsofpulp 5y ago
  It took me a long time to reconcile how people can claim they belong to a religion, yet proclaim their assumptions are contrary to said religion as well as exhibit inconsistent behavior. I was probably almost mid 20s before I realized people simply need an excuse to form and maintain tribal bonds, similar to how a birthday, anniversary, house warming, or other ritual provides an excuse to get together. I wish someone had explained this to me sooner.
nfw2 5y ago
Yeah, most of my mom’s family is like this. They don’t believe in most on the heaven and hell stuff literally but see Catholicism as part of their cultural identity as Irish-Americans
ptrklly 5y ago
Not sure if this the same experience as the person you asked the question of, but I went to Catholic school growing up, altar boy, youth group, the whole works. And I'd consider myself atheist, or agnostic maybe is better. But I call myself "culturally Catholic" because so much of how I grew up is still a part of me: a focus on finding universality in experience ("catholic" christian historically grew out of an attempt to find universality in the christian belief, and I think today amid globalization it still does that remarkably well); an impulse toward social justice; a tolerance of hypocrisy and inconsistency. And like the prior poster said, many/most Catholics disagree with the Pope--I think something like 85% of American Catholics disagree with the official views on birth control and abortion and homosexuality--but that doesn't stop us from calling ourselves Catholic.
Smaug123 5y ago
Not at all unusual - though I think of it as more common in Judaism, where the cultural heritage is much more important than the religion for many people.

I'm curious, is this someone who goes through the liturgy but doesn't have a faith?

MattGaiser 5y ago

Essentially. I know a bunch in other religions as well as it is their social group.

lotsofpulp 5y ago
It took me a long time to reconcile how people can claim they belong to a religion, yet proclaim their assumptions are contrary to said religion as well as exhibit inconsistent behavior. I was probably almost mid 20s before I realized people simply need an excuse to form and maintain tribal bonds, similar to how a birthday, anniversary, house warming, or other ritual provides an excuse to get together. I wish someone had explained this to me sooner.

nfw2 5y ago

Yeah, most of my mom’s family is like this. They don’t believe in most on the heaven and hell stuff literally but see Catholicism as part of their cultural identity as Irish-Americans

ptrklly 5y ago

Not sure if this the same experience as the person you asked the question of, but I went to Catholic school growing up, altar boy, youth group, the whole works. And I'd consider myself atheist, or agnostic maybe is better. But I call myself "culturally Catholic" because so much of how I grew up is still a part of me: a focus on finding universality in experience ("catholic" christian historically grew out of an attempt to find universality in the christian belief, and I think today amid globalization it still does that remarkably well); an impulse toward social justice; a tolerance of hypocrisy and inconsistency. And like the prior poster said, many/most Catholics disagree with the Pope--I think something like 85% of American Catholics disagree with the official views on birth control and abortion and homosexuality--but that doesn't stop us from calling ourselves Catholic.

Smaug123 5y ago

Not at all unusual - though I think of it as more common in Judaism, where the cultural heritage is much more important than the religion for many people.