Isn't multiculturalism great...

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As I said, I grew up in a very Catholic country...do you think Catholicism "benefits" people?

I think exposure to different cultures is very good. But to be honest, I can't say I've really studied, say, Shinto enough to say "oh that'd be good for her".

Omackerel asks you what religion if any is going to benefit her at all, and you answer him with a question that provides nothing in the way of an answer, instead inquiring as to whether he thinks Catholicism "benefits" people?

What's that even supposed to mean? It certainly isn't an answer to Omackerel's question, and it opens the door to a lot more questions, particularly why do you ask Omackerel whether Catholicism "benefits" people?

You alluded to the same "white Catholic Ireland" in your opening post, as though it was something negative, something to be ashamed of, yet you've done very well for yourself haven't you?

I have too btw, thanks for asking. We've done this before -

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Conor I'm Catholic, but even that level of self-flagellation is beyond the pale.

My son is also white, Catholic and Irish, and he won't grow up ashamed of it either. You're now beginning to remind me of Patrick Kavanaghs "Stony Grey Soil" -


O stony grey soil of Monaghan
The laugh from my love you thieved;
You took the gay child of my passion
And gave me your clod-conceived.

You clogged the feet of my boyhood
And I believed that my stumble
Had the poise and stride of Apollo
And his voice my thick tongued mumble.

You told me the plough was immortal!
O green-life conquering plough!
The mandril stained, your coulter blunted
In the smooth lea-field of my brow.

You sang on steaming dunghills
A song of cowards' brood,
You perfumed my clothes with weasel itch,
You fed me on swinish food

You flung a ditch on my vision
Of beauty, love and truth.
O stony grey soil of Monaghan
You burgled my bank of youth!

Lost the long hours of pleasure
All the women that love young men.
O can I stilll stroke the monster's back
Or write with unpoisoned pen.

His name in these lonely verses
Or mention the dark fields where
The first gay flight of my lyric
Got caught in a peasant's prayer.

Mullahinsa, Drummeril, Black Shanco-
Wherever I turn I see
In the stony grey soil of Monaghan
Dead loves that were born for me.


I do hope that your daughter while learning from other cultures, is able to impart some of her own. Probably not Patrick Kavanagh though, God he was a miserably, bitter shìtehawk :pac:

Deleted User wrote: »

...today I brought my daughter to the playground to meet Slovakian friends with their kids. Also met my cousin and his African partner and their little daughter. After that, I went to my Turkish Muslim barber and to her delight he produced a lollipop.

And I thought, she'll grow up experiencing diversity and cultures that I could only dream of when I was a child in white Catholic Ireland in the late '70s and '80s. And it felt good.

Slovakian, African and Turkish Muslim.

But you left us hangin with the religion of the Slovak and the religion and country of the African. Why does the Turkish Muslim get their country and religion a mention but not the rest? Is it because he produced a lollipop. So uncharacteristic of those lads!

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Was Taoism the right answer so? I shouldda gone with Taoism.

Not sure that Kavanagh had the same issues. He didn't like his childhood. I loved mine...I just think my daughter will be exposed to more cultures than I was, and I think that's good. Do you think that's "self flagellation"?

Why are you asking me was Taoism the right answer? Omackerel asked for your opinion on which religion if any do you think will benefit your daughter. You made the original point about religions being beneficial, but when asked to expand on which one, you chose to deflect from answering with a question of your own as to whether Omackerel thought Catholicism "benefits" people.

I completely agree with you that it's a good thing that your daughter will be exposed to more cultures than you were, and they too will benefit from being exposed to your daughters culture, which is why the whole "white Catholic Ireland" spiel really did come off like you were ashamed of your own heritage and culture.

Again, that's just the impression I got, but I'm also open to the possibility that it wasn't your intent. Quite frankly I'm still trying to work out what was the point? Multiculturalism is great. So what? I just don't get your point is all tbh.

I don't think there's anyone except ideological scumbags who would think you can't have a pleasant day with people of different ethnicities...

I recently had a conversation about Jehova's Witnesses. It's amusing the way the same people who deliberately overlook the failings and flaws of Islam for example tend not to be shy about not only condemning the JW's but I suspect keeping their distance from them in such social situations as the OP describes. And imo the JW's are another weird cult with its own creepy conduct and its own parallel society. I just cannot imagine this post with the ''Jehova's Witness barber even produced a lollipop! swoon!'' but maybe I'm wrong.

JW's maybe don't hold any allure because they're sort of familiar. I don't get the love affair with the exotic here. It's like the grass is always greener on the other side.

Deleted User wrote: »

His is the only one I know. Think the Slovakians and African are Christians of some form or other.

But "African" is just thrown in for multiculti points. You'd get extra for mentioning the country or tribe.
Must be white South African, because you get minus points for them.

I'm also sickened you've no one in your group from Asia. Why do you hate Asians?

Edit: Far East Asia, further than Turkey

Widdershins wrote: »

I recently had a conversation about Jehova's Witnesses. It's amusing the way the same people who deliberately overlook the failings and flaws of Islam for example tend not to be shy about not only condemning the JW's but I suspect keeping their distance from them in such social situations as the OP describes. And imo the JW's are another weird cult with its own creepy conduct and its own parallel society. I just cannot imagine this post with the ''Jehova's Witness barber even produced a lollipop! swoon!'' but maybe I'm wrong.

JW's maybe don't hold any allure because they're sort of familiar. I don't get the love affair with the exotic here. It's like the grass is always greener on the other side.

JW's simply don't hold any allure because they're generally not as obvious in society as adherents of Islam. I'd never condemn either JW or Islam.

I think people will cherry-pick what they will to suit their particular reasons, so I wouldn't see JWs as another weird cult, I'd see it as the guy who used sit beside me in math class annoying the shìt out of me to go to one of their prayer meetings! But that's one individual, same as my sister is one Individual who converted to Islam. She's grand... for the most part :pac:

But again - individuals. I'd be silly were I to tar them a whole group in society as Conor appeared to have alluded to with his "white Catholic Ireland" nonsense.

What haircut did you get?