to think that Cultural Christianity is not a baffling concept?

[GooseberryRoolz]

I keep reading and hearing apparent bafflement about this.

It's NOT baffling is it?

[Out2pasture]

of course it falls on a line of belief one step away from someone who does not practice any form of Christian culture or beliefs. no easter no Christmas no nothing.

[ShadowsCollideIsSurroundedByAd]

I totally get what you're saying Gooseberry. I mean, I don't run around telling anyone who might listen that I'm a 'cultural Christian' as that would indeed be wanky. I don't describe myself using those words, ever, but they could be used to describe how I live my life.

So, I was raised Catholic but am definitely not a Catholic now. Nor are my parents or siblings. However, we celebrate Christmas and Easter. My parents still put out a crib at Christmas. I love Christmas carols.

My Granda only ever stepped foot in a church during the last 40 years of his life for funerals and memorial masses for his son (which are arranged for my Nana, who is religious), yet when he died, within an hour the whole family were gathered in his hospital room while a nun led a decade of the rosary.

Essentially, while none of us practice Catholicism, we still engage in the cultural practices. So no praying or attending mass, I'm not having a church wedding. But we like listening to carols at Christmas, my Mum always makes pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, and we bless ourselves when an ambulance passes. Though that last one may be more an Irish thing than a Catholic thing

[Vintage45]

I didn't and don't like the fact that the OP tried to say she was better than others.

All you ever need to know is we all come in the same way and all go out the same way too.

Treat people how you would want to be treated and you won't go far wrong.

It's that simple.

[FillingMakesMeVom]

To me it sounds like another way to label things in ways they don't have to be labelled like in the way you have ridiculous amounts of "sexual" like a metrosexual

[Scaredycat3000]

I think people are far more familiar with more common and inclusive terms such as;
Western culture,
European culture,
Germanic culture,
British culture,
English/Welsh/Scottish/Irish culture,
Pagan culture.
All cover the term cultural christian, more accurately.

The term cultural christian sounds like another desperate attempt to artificially swell the numbers of christians. On MN, at least, faking seems perfectly acceptable to christians. I've read many times that you 'pay or pray' to get your DC a good education.

[lorelei9]

Shadows - my mum likes carols at Christmas, pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, Easter eggs.

so does my sister.

neither of them are cultural Christians. They're just enjoying stuff that they have come across. Or as a pp said, in the case of my sis, being pagan.

[FillingMakesMeVom]

Like you live in The UK which is typically christian and celebrates Christian holidays to me you're either religious and apply a religious element to the holidays or you aren't religious and may still do something to recognise these holidays (probably to do with tradition) but take the religious elements out of it for example at Easter give Easter eggs and eat hot cross buns but don't worry about the religious aspect of Easter.

I reckon since more are moving away from religion these traditions will begin to be more rare, but having to call it cultural Christianity seems nonsense to me

[Scaredycat3000]

I enjoyed watching the Eid fireworks over Tooting out of the maternity window holding newborn DC2. Does that make me a cultural Muslim?

[Vintage45]

Gooseberry seems to like "hypothetical" bizarre questions this evening

[DaphneWhitethigh]

I have been known to use the phrase, because my DD was told by a primary school friend that she shouldn't have a tree and presents at Christmas because she didn't believe that Jesus Christ was her Lord and Saviour. The answers "fuck off" and "it's all Pagan really innit" were not going to go down well with her evangelical mates, whereas "cultural Christian" just about covers it without getting her into a massive fight.

[Whirlytwos]

Neither the phrase nor concept are confusing. I don't think the phrase is one I've heard before, but it's pretty self-explanatory.

[lorelei9]

Daphne, why would "cultural Christian" be any more useful than any other explanation? Lots of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs have Christmas trees.

[ShadowsCollideIsSurroundedByAd]

Well tbh lorelai, I'm not one either. I was just explaining what I thought Gooseberry meant and explaining how it could be applied to my life. In practice we just do the stuff that we grew up doing, and other stuff that we like.

Personally I think that there is far too much 'identifying as xyz'. Let's just all be whoever the feck we are and do what we like doing.

But I did understand what the OP was getting at. So wanted to articulate that.

[GooseberryRoolz]

That Daphne is exactly what I always thought. That there's no answer to "I'm a lapsed this/secular that/cultural the other", except a polite "Ah okay.

Am I vintage? Do you have a link?

[Vintage45]

The OP's tone was shit. I might have tried to understand other than that.

Ive got a great one now though. "Gender Fluid" and I love it! one of my DS's came out with it the other day.

[lorelei9]

Shadows, but in that case, what the OP is getting at definitely needs explanation and definition - which she's not keen to give.

Because with those lists, there's no difference between you, my mum (other religion) my sister (no religion) and I am guessing the OP would not describe all three of you as cultural Christians.

because we do still base holidays and now commerce around Xmas and Easter, and people do them for no reason at all really, I wouldn't say anyone was culturally Christian for doing them.

Maybe someone who goes to church every Sunday and doesn't believe it in is a cultural Christian? I have a friend who does that - and not to get her kid in a particular school either. She just does it because she likes it. She wasn't raised in a religious environment, nor did she go to a church school. She claims to be agnostic.

[Vintage45]

Im not a link person but wasn't it about reality tv? or was that someone with almost the same name?

[Vintage45]

Just checked and definitely you with the hypothetical thing going on

[RockUnit]

I think "cultural Christian" is fine as a term. To me it suggests someone who takes part in Christian activities, possibly including church activities, or comes from a Christian background, but doesn't have a Christian faith. They're comfortable with Christianity because it's part of their heritage.

[GooseberryRoolz]

You think I;m the OP of this;

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2596611-To-ask-a-hypothetical-question?

the one called Bickwood?

[GooseberryRoolz]

Yes that's what I've always taken it to mean rock. Not that I thought about it too deeply until recently.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"Maybe someone who goes to church every Sunday and doesn't believe it in is a cultural Christian?"

I'd call that a doubting Christian rather than just a cultural one. Loads of people do this for various reasons.

[lorelei9]

Gwen if they say categorically they don't believe, they're not doubting.

[GooseberryRoolz]

"Maybe someone who goes to church every Sunday and doesn't believe it in is a cultural Christian?"

Many churchgoers would call that "wrestling with your faith". Apparently it was even an issue for Mother Teresa, which must give a few people hope

[Vintage45]

Have to apologise 100% there for that one OP. Still think your attitude could do with a bit of work though