Aurinĭa wrote:I think the mainstream view of religion in the USA and (Western) Europe is just so different, equipping us with a very different frame of reference, that it's difficult to understand each other without lengthy explanations.
I kind of get your point now about how it's possible to not be religious just out of apathy, but honestly, I think my frame of reference is more likely to be Indian culture than mainstream American culture. Both of my parents are atheist in no uncertain terms, but atheism is totally incomprehensible to the vast majority of Indians IME, including our own relatives, which often makes our interactions with them awkward. Not following traditions would just make things even more awkward. So from that point of view, you'd follow traditions because you're forced to, not because it's easier. I guess that's kind of why I didn't see your point immediately.
IpseDixit wrote:If we consider that Catholicism has quite strict rules about morality and sexuality, I really struggle to believe that someone might uncritically accept those rules without giving that some thought
I don't think I struggle to believe that at all. If that's all you ever hear, that's all you think exists; you think it's that way for everybody and therefore just normal. I mean, I'm not even Catholic, and until I joined UniLang (and stayed here for a while, read what other people had to say about stuff like this, and talked about it here), I used to think I had to abstain from sex until marriage, too, because otherwise, I could contract or help spread an STD or even get someone pregnant.
I was raised Catholic (more or less, my parents didn't really talk about religion), went to a Catholic school for kindergarten and secondary school, had Religion for all of it (Catholicism), and I never believed that. Neither did my parents, who were raised properly Catholic.
But was Catholicism all you were exposed to?
IpseDixit wrote:Honestly, I'm not sure what the purpose of this conversation is anymore.
Relax, we're just talking about religion!
I just wanted to say that iodalach's idea that if you haven't received a good education then you must be Catholic is untrue and unfair, and I know that for a fact because I personally know several people who barely have a high school diploma and are Atheist/Agnostic/vaguely Deist.
I have no problems with this position.
vijayjohn wrote:If that's all you ever hear, that's all you think exists; you think it's that way for everybody and therefore just normal.
In the context of Italian society, this is impossible unless you live like a prisoner in your house.
Oh, so kind of like me then?