I guess I should count myself lucky. I got fed similar stuff (although only for kindergarten plus maybe four years of catechism once or twice a week after school) but it just didn't resonate with me. I can't explain it. I was certainly not consciously using critical thinking at that age. Some of us seem to have been lucky enough to have been born with a hard-wired bullshit detector. I remember my one pervading thought through the whole thing was puzzlement. Why were they feeding us this nonsense? I just didn't get it.

(June 25, 2015 at 3:05 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: I guess I should count myself lucky. I got fed similar stuff (although only for kindergarten plus maybe four years of catechism once or twice a week after school) but it just didn't resonate with me. I can't explain it. I was certainly not consciously using critical thinking at that age. Some of us seem to have been lucky enough to have been born with a hard-wired bullshit detector. I remember my one pervading thought through the whole thing was puzzlement. Why were they feeding us this nonsense? I just didn't get it.

I was an atheist through most of this. It had an effect on me emotionally, mostly. But eventually my brain broke down and I started believing too.

I was raised Catholic too but it was more of a "softly, softly" Catholic experience for me, still utter bullshit but quite watered-down on the Hell threats. I'm sorry you went through all that.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? I've always put down my experience in "softer" Catholicism to being in the UK where it isn't the dominant religion, are you from somewhere where Catholicism is very dominant?

It truly takes being on the outside of this to see the harm they cause. They think they're doing a good thing. *shudder*

I'm truly sorry you guys had to go through that. A shared traumatic experience can lead to good understanding and help in overcoming, though. If there's a silver lining and all.

This is pretty grim reading, seems to be completely at odds with how Catholic_lady describes her church though. Strange that.

(June 25, 2015 at 10:58 pm)TubbyTubby Wrote: This is pretty grim reading, seems to be completely at odds with how Catholic_lady describes her church though. Strange that.

Probably more accurate, though.

Reminds me of Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes.

My second favorite book of all time.

"The master says it’s a glorious thing to die for the Faith and Dad says it’s a glorious thing to die for Ireland and I wonder if there’s anyone in the world who would like us to live."
~Frank McCourt Angela's Ashes

Some Irish Catholics amuse me, it seems to be all about keeping up appearances of following the faith.

My grandparents (Maltese grandfather, Irish grandmother) accidently let it slip to my Dad, then aged 26, that it was their 25th wedding anniversary. They had kept it a secret up until that point hehe.

Then they turned around and pressured my aunt into marriage after she got pregnant, class act.

(June 25, 2015 at 11:37 pm)Yeauxleaux Wrote: Some Irish Catholics amuse me, it seems to be all about keeping up appearances of following the faith.

My grandparents (Maltese grandfather, Irish grandmother) accidently let it slip to my Dad, then aged 26, that it was their 25th wedding anniversary. They had kept it a secret up until that point hehe.

Then they turned around and pressured my aunt into marriage after she got pregnant, class act.

Wow; it's a really good thing she didn't end up in the Magdalene Laundries. She really dodged a bullet!

This was all happening in the UK by this point so there weren't any real consequences. However, my Nan herself was born out of wedlock, was taken off her mother, and grew up in a convent until she was eventually adopted. Never found her real mother until she was an adult, it's really sad. Makes me wonder how she is still so Catholic to this day with how fucked over her life has been by it.