When aren't you a Catholic?

kneemos

For the purposes of the Census are you still a Catholic even if you don't practice or believe in it?
There's a definite vagueness regarding that particular question I'd have thought.

thattequilagirl

kneemos wrote: »

For the purposes of the Census are you still a Catholic even if you don't practice or believe in it?
There's a definite vagueness regarding that particular question I'd have thought.

They should definitely break it down into practicing and non-practicing.

Jayop

kneemos wrote: »

For the purposes of the Census are you still a Catholic even if you don't practice or believe in it?
There's a definite vagueness regarding that particular question I'd have thought.

Yeah probably. I still go to mass a few times a year but I find more and more that I sit there sighing or just not listening at all.

Radharc na Sleibhte

kneemos wrote: »

For the purposes of the Census are you still a Catholic even if you don't practice or believe in it?
There's a definite vagueness regarding that particular question I'd have thought.

I'm gonna put down no.

Sonics2k

Because I don't believe it, I don't accept Transubstantiation is a real thing and I don't accept Catholic Dogmas.

If you don't believe these things, then you are quite simply, not a Catholic.

castletownman

When I am eating a steak, and washing it down with a pint on Good Friday, and following it up by having pre-marital sex with the GF.

CIARAN_BOYLE

kneemos wrote: »

For the purposes of the Census are you still a Catholic even if you don't practice or believe in it?
There's a definite vagueness regarding that particular question I'd have thought.

Do you want a Catholic school for your children?

Speedwell

You aren't a Catholic when you don't bother going or you wish you could not bother going to Mass, and the idea of being claimed as a member by the Catholic Church seems slightly distasteful or worse. Same goes for other religions; I'm a Jew but not "Jewish" for those reasons.

kneemos

Sonics2k wrote: »

Because I don't believe it, I don't accept Transubstantiation is a real thing and I don't accept Catholic Dogmas.

If you don't believe these things, then you are quite simply, not a Catholic.

If you're babtised you're on the books as a Catholic.

Skylinehead

kneemos wrote: »

For the purposes of the Census are you still a Catholic even if you don't practice or believe in it?
There's a definite vagueness regarding that particular question I'd have thought.

You're whatever you put down on the form, regardless of whether the church is too clingy to let you go.

Speedwell

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Do you want a Catholic school for your children?

Would you rather have a school that reflects how you think the world should work and how your children should be educated?

endacl

kneemos wrote: »

If you're babtised you're on the books as a Catholic.

The church's books. Not books that matter.

Fian

You are not a Catholic if you don't believe in Catholicism.

I don't mean to go as far as to suggest you are not a catholic unless you agree with the church that contraception, abortion, divorce and homosexuality are sinful, though strictly speaking that is arguably true.

But if you don't believe that God created the Earth and that Jesus was the son of God, that he "died for our sins" and that we will go to heaven or hell (or purgatory or Limbo) after death depending on how diligently we followed the commands of God during our lifetime - then you can't consider yourself to be a Catholic.

endacl

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Do you want a Catholic school for your children?

Nah.

Sonics2k

kneemos wrote: »

If you're babtised you're on the books as a Catholic.

Only in a technical sense, but in a more theological sense, the more important one, you're not a Catholic.

endacl

Fian wrote: »

You are not a Catholic if you don't believe in Catholicism.

I don't mean to go as far as to suggest you are not a catholic unless you agree with the church that contraception, abortion, divorce and homosexuality are sinful, though strictly speaking that is arguably true.

But if you don't believe that God created the Earth and that Jesus was the son of God, that he "died for our sins" and that we will go to heaven or hell (or purgatory or Limbo) after death depending on how diligently we followed the commands of God during our lifetime - then you can't consider yourself to be a Catholic.

Not quite. All of that plus transubstantiation. Without the cannibalism, you're only a christian.

The Backwards Man

I'm not on their books. Any dealings I have with them are strictly cash in hand.

osarusan

I'm always never one.

Liberosis

Fian wrote: »

You are not a Catholic if you don't believe in Catholicism.

I don't mean to go as far as to suggest you are not a catholic unless you agree with the church that contraception, abortion, divorce and homosexuality are sinful, though strictly speaking that is arguably true.

But if you don't believe that God created the Earth and that Jesus was the son of God, that he "died for our sins" and that we will go to heaven or hell (or purgatory or Limbo) after death depending on how diligently we followed the commands of God during our lifetime - then you can't consider yourself to be a Catholic.

Absolutely, although correct me if I'm wrong but I think I read somewhere that the church teaches that once you're baptized, you're in for life. That's bull IMO.

Ironically one of the reasons I abandoned the Catholicism is because I went to a catholic school. Well, that and because the food is sh1t.

suicide_circus

Bishop Facks: So, Father. Do you ever have any doubts about the religious life? Is your faith ever tested? Anything you would be worried about? Any doubts you've been having about any aspects of belief? Anything like that?

Father Dougal: Well, you know the way God made us all, right? And he's looking down at us from heaven and everything?

Bishop Facks: Uh-huh.

Father Dougal: And then his son came down and saved everyone and all that?

Bishop Facks: Yes.

Father Dougal: And when we die we're all going to go to heaven?

Bishop Facks: Yes. What about it?

Father Dougal: Well, that's the bit I have trouble with.

beach_walker

kneemos wrote: »

If you're babtised you're on the books as a Catholic.

Well despite what a lot of people think, there is no actual "book" from which you can be removed. There is no central archive in the Vatican. Catholicism teaches that once baptised into the church, you are (and always will be) Catholic. Not the same thing at all but seems to be a big sticking point for some for some reason.

OP for the purposes of the census, I imagine most people could put it together themselves where they stand on the issue. There is no set list of things needed to actively do to consider yourself as such.

Mr. CooL ICE

Born atheist, baptised roman catholic, but answered "no religion" in the last census.

Speedwell

It strikes me that our answers to that question on the census form are more an expression of how we want the government to think of public policy than they are a hair-splitting test of faith and dogma. If you wish the government would butt the hell out of public religious expression, tell it you don't have one.

eviltwin

I'm not a Catholic because I don't believe in God but even if I did believe I'd think I'd just do my own thing rather than belong to an organisation that has such little respect for people.

Galwayguy35

thattequilagirl wrote: »

They should definitely break it down into practicing and non-practicing.

I don't see why, if someone isn't going to Mass then they aren't a Catholic because going to Church is part of the deal.

People need to be honest with themselves.

eviltimeban

eviltwin wrote: »

I'd think I'd just do my own thing .

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter

Liberosis

"I'm staunchly atheist, I simply don't believe in God. But I'm still Catholic, of course. Catholicism has a much broader reach than just the religion. I'm technically Catholic, it's the box you have to tick on the census form: 'Don't believe in God, but I do still hate Rangers."

- Dara O Briain

sbsquarepants

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

I don't see why, if someone isn't going to Mass then they aren't a Catholic because going to Church is part of the deal.

People need to be honest with themselves.

NO.

being honest with yourself is even worse than being honest with other people - no good can ever come of it.:mad:

henryporter

Doesn't matter if you put down Catholic or No Religion or anything in between - almost everyone else will stick down Catholic and thereby skew the results - amazing the amount of fluent Irish speaking devout Catholics there are in the country every 5 years

Speedwell

henryporter wrote: »

Doesn't matter if you put down Catholic or No Religion or anything in between - almost everyone else will stick down Catholic and thereby skew the results - amazing the amount of fluent Irish speaking devout Catholics there are in the country every 5 years

You aren't kidding, there. I had a friend back in the Bible Belt of the American South accuse me of moving to Ireland "to get away from religious people". Ahem.

traprunner

kneemos wrote: »

If you're babtised you're on the books as a Catholic.

Yeah, the church are fans of fiction!


You are catholic if you believe in all that stuff. You are not if you don't believe. Just because your parents got a book with your name printed as one of the characters does not mean you are really that character.