Calling all cultural Catholics!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think most cultural Catholics were more involved as children and fell away later. I think you'll find it hard to do these things, because they'll essentially have no meaning for you.

I guess I didn't mention in the OP that I was raised semi-Catholic (my relatives all have really complicated relationships with the Church)-I can't imagine that someone with no Catholic background would embark on this project. However, I wouldn't call myself and ex or lapsed Catholic because I wasn't confirmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think most cultural Catholics were more involved as children and fell away later. I think you'll find it hard to do these things, because they'll essentially have no meaning for you.

Perhaps you shouldn't tell people you are not acquainted with what has no meaning for them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think most cultural Catholics were more involved as children and fell away later. I think you'll find it hard to do these things, because they'll essentially have no meaning for you.

Perhaps you shouldn't tell people you are not acquainted with what has no meaning for them

Well, I do appreciate that PP wasn't evangelizing: "Don't explore Catholicism, you will find it meaningless!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think most cultural Catholics were more involved as children and fell away later. I think you'll find it hard to do these things, because they'll essentially have no meaning for you.

Perhaps you shouldn't tell people you are not acquainted with what has no meaning for them

Lighting candles without believing has no meaning.

[Anonymous]

The differences is that Jews are a ethnicity (mostly) while catholics are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think most cultural Catholics were more involved as children and fell away later. I think you'll find it hard to do these things, because they'll essentially have no meaning for you.

Perhaps you shouldn't tell people you are not acquainted with what has no meaning for them

Lighting candles without believing has no meaning.

Lighting candles bring light into darkness, with or without belief

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The differences is that Jews are a ethnicity (mostly) while catholics are not.

so what -- it doesn't mean there can't be cultural Catholics.

[Anonymous]

I am practicing Catholic and what OP is trying to do is fine. There is a long history of barely observant Catholics who consider themselves in some form Catholic, culturally or otherwise. My father recalls the priest in his youth jokingly referring to the Christmas hollies and Easter lilies--people who attended mass twice a year.

OP--there is also Epiphany when the wise men arrived at the manger. The French celebrate this with a special cake and as I recall there are some treats hidden inside.

In the Middle East there is a celebration of St. Barbara's day and a special sweetened type of porridge is made. I have never gotten a straight answer as to the origin of this, but Barbara, the sweet, is delicious. Perhaps a recipe on the internet?

[Anonymous]

I think your thinking is fine (celebrate holidays without a religious meaning, lots of people do) but trying to label it "Catholic" and as part of a culture is unnecessary and confusing.

Join the rest of the US on St Patrick's day (clearly no one is honoring a saint) or leave out eggs on Easter.

Why do you have to associate any of these things with Catholicism? It's an unnecessary reach.
Just do it to be curious and have fun, you're tripping yourself up by trying to make a relationship that isn't there

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The differences is that Jews are a ethnicity (mostly) while catholics are not.

Yes, I would ask yourself why you are trying to force some Catholic relation to your activities while actively avoiding practicing Catholicism

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think most cultural Catholics were more involved as children and fell away later. I think you'll find it hard to do these things, because they'll essentially have no meaning for you.

Perhaps you shouldn't tell people you are not acquainted with what has no meaning for them

Lighting candles without believing has no meaning.

Says you. (And you're wrong).

If you can't say a prayer when you light a candle, at least you can send a good wish or a hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The differences is that Jews are a ethnicity (mostly) while catholics are not.

Yes, I would ask yourself why you are trying to force some Catholic relation to your activities while actively avoiding practicing Catholicism

I was raised Catholic and now I am an atheist. I'm also as far away from the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church as it is possible to get and still be a productive member of society.

I totally understand where OP is coming from, though. If you grew up Catholic, you grew up with a lot of rituals and a certain pattern to the year. Those rituals are frequently beautiful and comforting. They hold out the hope of light in the darkness. They are rituals and beliefs that often connect you to over 1000 years of your ancestors and to your heritage as whatever hyphenated-American you are. Catholics are lot of ethnicities, and all of those ethnicities practice Catholicism in particularly ethnic ways and being Catholic is a huge part of being Irish American or Italian American or Polish American or Mexican American for a lot of families. It is a little like being a non-believing Jew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The differences is that Jews are a ethnicity (mostly) while catholics are not.

Yes, I would ask yourself why you are trying to force some Catholic relation to your activities while actively avoiding practicing Catholicism

I was raised Catholic and now I am an atheist. I'm also as far away from the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church as it is possible to get and still be a productive member of society.

I totally understand where OP is coming from, though. If you grew up Catholic, you grew up with a lot of rituals and a certain pattern to the year. Those rituals are frequently beautiful and comforting. They hold out the hope of light in the darkness. They are rituals and beliefs that often connect you to over 1000 years of your ancestors and to your heritage as whatever hyphenated-American you are. Catholics are lot of ethnicities, and all of those ethnicities practice Catholicism in particularly ethnic ways and being Catholic is a huge part of being Irish American or Italian American or Polish American or Mexican American for a lot of families. It is a little like being a non-believing Jew.

Yes, but this op is on here asking for ideas on what to do, not continuing 100 years of family traditions. There are no rituals. They are asking random internet strangers on how to start something they want to call " culture Catholic", which is contrived and strikes many oif us here as odd and unnecessary. Your example is vastly different, not an attemopt to "invent" a culture and tradition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inspired by my friends who are cultural Jews, I'm interested in developing more Catholic rituals for my daughter-advent wreath, Saint's days, but I'm not interested in attending Church or participating in sacraments. Is anyone else doing this? Is this something you have always done, and, if not, how did you start?

I'm the same way..Chocolate advent calendar. For Easter of course coloring eggs, making baskets. Maybe make a decorative basket for nursing home or make baskets for kids at a battered womens shelter.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Easy to follow teachings of Jesus without organized religion.