Catholics taking the "Pledge" for confimation

flanum · 19-01-2014 07:29AM #1

Following on from the "confession" thread, I remember taking the "Pledge" for my confirmation (pledging to not drink alcohol until 18). it was a choice thing. we even got certificates and badges. I remember when I was about 13 and I had a bad flu, my mother making me a hot toddy with lemsip and poitin and me being pissed off because it would be me breaking the pledge! I remember it being ok though if you went to confession and they would reinstate the pledge to you!! I actually lasted tuntil I was 16!! is it a nationwide thing - the pledge? does it still go on?

edit to add... im 44 yrs old, sitting here just polishing off my 2nd bottle wine at 6:30am .. home alone on a sat nite/sun morning...

Phill Ewinn · 19-01-2014 07:35AM

Home alone - polishing your eh... wine

_Redzer_ · 19-01-2014 07:40AM

I didn't last long. I remember at the dinner after it my sister gave me some of her Smirnoff ice.

Meh. I knew the whole lot was bollocks anyway so I didn't care.

Toots · 19-01-2014 09:34AM

In my school we got to choose what age we would 'pledge' until. I set the bar low - pledged until 14.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 19-01-2014 09:35AM

I didn't take it because I had no intention of keeping it.

It's very typical of Ireland's attitude towards Catholicism these days really-do it because everyone else does but don't take it seriously or stick to it in any way.

suicide_circus · 19-01-2014 09:45AM

I refused to take it. the other magic spells were harmless but that was a step too far.

Sunnyisland · 19-01-2014 09:56AM

Took the pledge all right but like a lot of things the church taught they went straight over my head, It's funny and maybe for me a bit nostalgic thinking of them days, it seems we were all so innocent.

Sunnyisland · 19-01-2014 09:56AM

Is it still done today ?

MRnotlob606 · 19-01-2014 09:57AM

i took it till i was 18

SilverScreen · 19-01-2014 10:04AM

I took it when I was 12. At 15 I was drinking cider in a field. Good times

Cabaal · 19-01-2014 10:08AM

Refused to take the pledge, I was only one in my class that refused to sign up to the nonsense and I got grief from the teacher for it.

Still didn't drink till I was around 18, growing up in a pub will change your outlook on people drinking far more then some pointless pledge.

eviltimeban · 19-01-2014 10:12AM

Still better than one of those chastity rings they make American kids wear.

Like everything to do with that stupid religion, people just did it cos it was the thing that was done, no one gave a blind bit of notice to what it meant.

Except I did feel the power of the holy spirit fill my very being when I was confirmed.

Micky Dolenz · 19-01-2014 11:12AM

Woah, hang on a sec OP. at 630 you were only finishing of your 2nd bottle? What the feck were you doing all night?

WilyCoyote · 19-01-2014 11:14AM

Gave into temptation before my teens as I discovered the buzz from Altar wine - nicked from the sacristy after serving Mass. This early discovery gave me an appreciation for fermented grape juice that I hold 'til today

WilyCoyote · 19-01-2014 11:15AM

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Woah, hang on a sec OP. at 630 you were only finishing of your 2nd bottle? What the feck were you doing all night?

Afters?

Legs.Eleven · 19-01-2014 11:25AM

Yeah, took it because I could hardly say no in front of my parents. Drank a year later.

Toto Wolfcastle · 19-01-2014 11:27AM

Took it and didn't drink until I was 18, although that was down to a lack of interest in drinking more than anything.

P_1 · 19-01-2014 11:28AM

Like many of the 'appease the mammy' things related to religion I did do it. Naturally a few years later I was spending weekend evenings in a field/on a beach breaking it.

ZzubZzub · 19-01-2014 11:30AM

Made the pledge. At my confirmation dinner, not 2 hours later, my mammy gave me a wine with 7 up.

Sir Osis of Liver. · 19-01-2014 11:47AM

Didn't take it.
A few of us bought cans of Stag later that evening with our confirmation money to celebrate.
Still supping away nearly 30 years later.:)

MJ23 · 19-01-2014 11:56AM

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

Didn't take it.
A few of us bought cans of Stag later that evening with our confirmation money to celebrate.
Still supping away nearly 30 years later.:)

Same as that lad.

humbert · 19-01-2014 11:56AM

Very typical Catholic ceremony. Commit to something before you understand to it. I too took it and broke it.

I love how quickly someone's managed to use it to bash the whole country. I think we should have our own Godwin. If a thread reaches one page someone will have used the topic to cast a negative slant on Ireland.

whatdoicare · 19-01-2014 12:07PM

I took the pledge but I was one of those kids permanently wired into another channel so I actually didn't know what it was, as I hadn't been listening. So I just thought it was a pretty badge.

Didn't realise until my youngest brother was giving out about himself taking the pledge what it was. I was in my early twenties at the time. Oh well.

Mr. CooL ICE · 19-01-2014 12:25PM

Took the pledge. Didn't want to, but despite being told it was a choice, our christian brother principal threatened everyone with detention unless they took it

languagenerd · 19-01-2014 12:41PM

I was the only one in my class not to take the pledge - and now, 11 years later, I'm the only non-drinker! :pac:

Zaph · 19-01-2014 12:44PM

It wasn't really an optional extra when I made my confirmation (1979), everyone was expected to take it and did. Didn't drink myself until I was 16, but it wasn't the pledge that stopped me, more a lack of interest and/or opportunity.

Inventive User Name · 19-01-2014 12:50PM

Took the pledge and kept it, never had any interest in drinking. Almost 22 now and I still have the same attitude (not for religious reasons btw).

Sky King · 19-01-2014 12:51PM

I always thought it was something to do with furniture polish.

ianobrien · 19-01-2014 01:23PM

I didn't take the pledge and as I was the only one in the class that didn't take it I got loads of grief from the teacher and others. My logic was that I had no intention of signing up to something that had no logic or bearing on my life. That being said, it was a country school so it was a minor scandal at the time.

My parents thankfully were quite open about it (The Father always said if you're going to drink, be man enough to do it in front of your parents, not sneaking at the back of the shed). The irony is that I'm in my late 30's now and I never drank.........

Ruu · 19-01-2014 01:37PM

We didnt need to sign anything,no badges or certifcates either. We just had to pledge to ourselves at Confirmation day. Ripped off!

Talib Fiasco · 19-01-2014 01:51PM

Yeah we all took the pledge until 16...broke it about two weeks later at one of the lads older brothers's 18th. I still have the badge and all that somewhere. Always reminds me of a badge you could make in the old Fifa games.

Catholics taking the "Pledge" for confimation

Comments