Background: Stopped believing in God when I was 8. My Catholic mother knew from the start and aside from insisting that this wasn't to be discussed openly until I was older always supported my intellectual freedom. This did not relieve me of my responsibility of attending mass or completing catechism through CCD.
If I was coerced by some means, it would likely take a gun to the head or some such, to adopt theism tomorrow I would have no problem identifying as Catholic. My experience in the church was very unlike the evangelical Jesus on the brain 24x7 types. CCD on Wednesday after school (pre-confirmation only), mass on Sunday, and the obligatory 'Bless us Oh Lord' prayer at dinner. Outside that, religion was rarely discussed and my grandmother was the type that had a crucifix of some sort on a wall in every room.
There are always exceptions but a vast majority of Catholics that I have known or are still friends with simply don't obsess over religion and Jesus the way evangelicals do. This may be an unfair generalization since I'm very aware that I likely subconsciously weed out those that do obsess over religion regardless of any particular affiliation.
If I was coerced by some means, it would likely take a gun to the head or some such, to adopt theism tomorrow I would have no problem identifying as Catholic. My experience in the church was very unlike the evangelical Jesus on the brain 24x7 types. CCD on Wednesday after school (pre-confirmation only), mass on Sunday, and the obligatory 'Bless us Oh Lord' prayer at dinner. Outside that, religion was rarely discussed and my grandmother was the type that had a crucifix of some sort on a wall in every room.
There are always exceptions but a vast majority of Catholics that I have known or are still friends with simply don't obsess over religion and Jesus the way evangelicals do. This may be an unfair generalization since I'm very aware that I likely subconsciously weed out those that do obsess over religion regardless of any particular affiliation.
