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"Irish Catholic" is just short-hand for a very specific cultural experience - it's a two word phrase that conveys an entire lifetime of customs and behaviors. It really has less to do with religion than it does with culture.
Yep.
My husband has some (documented) Irish (probably more German if I recall) but grew up in a Midwest community where which Catholic church you attended determined much of your culture - his family attended the more Irish one (as opposed to the Mexican, or Belgian Catholic church). He attended Catholic schools his entire life and he (and his family) identify as Irish Catholic. More of a cultural identity that a religious or even completely genetically accurate one.
Last edited by maciesmom; 01-11-2020 at 10:59 AM..
"Irish Catholic" is just short-hand for a very specific cultural experience - it's a two word phrase that conveys an entire lifetime of customs and behaviors. It really has less to do with religion than it does with culture.
THIS. I have an Irish protestant friend (who still lives in Ireland) and when we met, he pretty much said “Hi, I am XY. I am Protestant.” Being Protestant is part of his identity, although I don’t think he is particularly religious at all.
I have a couple of friends who are always pointing out that they are Irish Catholic. I am not although I am a Christian.
Each of them, at least once per conversation will say "being Irish Catholic...we always did this..." Usually it's something that everybody does so I find it kind of funny that they think it's specific to being Irish Catholic. One of them is divorced and the other has had an abortion so they are not really strict Catholics.
I get that they are proud of their heritage but I don't know why they have to keep telling me this. It's not like they are 1st generation.
It's really bothering me and I don't know if I should say something or just ignore it. I would like to understand why people do this. Any thoughts? It's as if they think they are superior or special for being born Irish Catholic.
I think they are explaining their mindset or their actions by mentioning that they were raised in that faith. Many times I have seen references to Catholic guilt, for instance. I suspect your friends explain some of their actions or feelings to themselves by referencing their religious upbringing.
I have a couple of friends who are always pointing out that they are Irish Catholic. I am not although I am a Christian.
Each of them, at least once per conversation will say "being Irish Catholic...we always did this..." Usually it's something that everybody does so I find it kind of funny that they think it's specific to being Irish Catholic. One of them is divorced and the other has had an abortion so they are not really strict Catholics.
I get that they are proud of their heritage but I don't know why they have to keep telling me this. It's not like they are 1st generation.
It's really bothering me and I don't know if I should say something or just ignore it. I would like to understand why people do this. Any thoughts? It's as if they think they are superior or special for being born Irish Catholic.
So ask them next time why they think the behavior in question is specific to Irish Catholics. You can just say you've aways wondered why they say this, because it's something everyone does. Don't say it in an annoyed or judgmental tone, but simply out of curiosity.
In my experience a lot of Americans love to claim they are Irish, but can't even really pinpoint a specific ancestor who came from Ireland and when. It's an American love affair with Ireland and the Irish, perhaps it comes from the JFK era, I really don't know. I do have an ancestor who came from Ireland but I don't go around telling people I'm Irish. I have a mixture of different things in me.
The other day, the idiot up the street from me painted the public fire hydrant in front of his house the colors of the Irish flag.
LOL to me that's been the funniest side effect of the home DNA tests, the debunking of all the Native American ancestry. My family supposedly had native American ancestors. Turns out they were French.
Same here, my family said this for years but DNA tests turned up no Native American at all.
That's why I couldn't stand Elizabeth Warren carrying on with that lie for many years that she was Native American, with nothing to prove it, no cultural ties to any tribes, no known ancestors who were NA. She even published some Cherokee recipes in a cookbook. That's just mentally ill.
I don't see a problem with it, though it is an interesting observation. As for the one who had an abortion, does that really make her "not" a true Catholic? Sure, she violated church teachings in a grave way, but I'd imagine that its something that she could be forgiven for But, then again, I'm not Catholic so don't really know.
Yeah, I get what you're saying. I don't know why people do this except that they are trying to make themselves sound important or special. But that would make the rest of us not special, and that's wrong.
I don’t think it has to do with trying to be important or special, it’s just a identity marker and defines who they are. Having said that it would start to get old if I had a friend that kept saying this.
So ask them next time why they think the behavior in question is specific to Irish Catholics. You can just say you've aways wondered why they say this, because it's something everyone does. Don't say it in an annoyed or judgmental tone, but simply out of curiosity.
I don’t think it has to do with trying to be important or special, it’s just a identity marker and defines who they are. Having said that it would start to get old if I had a friend that kept saying this.
It's ridiculous to me that they keep saying this. I could identify as Italian because I grew up around a lot of Italians, all my friends & boyfriends were Italian and know their culture pretty well. I am not Italian and am basically a WASP! but I don't walk around saying I'm Italian or a WASP b/c I'm a lot of different things at different times.
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But, then again, I'm not Catholic so don't really know.
