Ah you're a Catholic!

[Appleday11]

I moved to England to work last year. I'm Irish.

When I arrived at my workplace, one of my colleagues said "Ah you are Irish, this is a nice city, there is a Catholic church down the road that you can go to".

I think she was trying to be helpful but I thought it was quite bizarre. I'm not Catholic and I told her so.

Second time - I was out in the pub with a mixed group of people. Some of them I had never met before. One man said "ah you're Irish, you're a Catholic!" I told him Im not.

Third time- I was at another group. A woman said to me "you are Irish. Ah so you like such and such. And you are a Catholic". I told her I am not.

I found it strange as I have never really thought about religiom. Do some people here think that all Irish people are Catholics? My family were not religious at all and I was never brought up any religion

Yes I wrote that there were a lot of church of England day care groups in my local area.

I did not write the following

"that CofE have a tie with all baby groups up and down the country",

which is something that you said I wrote.

That is something that you made up.

It would be strange because only around 6% of the population identify as Muslim. The ‘default’ religion in England is CofE. I suppose it would be the equivalent of me going to Ireland and the Irish there assuming I would be CofE. But I was actually raised catholic.

Other than the woman at work who I suppose was trying to be helpful by mentioning the church, I think it’s really strange that people are just blurting out ‘you’re catholic’ it’s so random. What’s your take on it OP? Were they trying to cause offence? Take a dig at Catholicism? Clumsily start a conversation? The tone is important. I don’t think I would take offense at having my religion assumed as long as the intentions were innocent.

Well it was me that named your behaviour as contrarian because it is. You live in the U.S. for goodness sake I actually live here and know the culture I am living in, it certainly isn't as you describe and I am arguing this because it's ridiculous to state these lazy generalisations that you have probably read about in the sensationlist newspapers along with all of the UK is a no go zone due to crime. I was answering a question in the OP but then it got on to heavier topics. However, I hope you OP continue to stand up for what is right and put them straight on the racism.

I think whats strange is assuming anyones religion really

I didn't quote you, I summarised as you were highlighting the massive influence the CofE has and I don't think they do. But to be fair perhaps you live in a religious area

Well I wouldn't make an assumption, I was trying to understand the reason for the OP's colleague doing it but it depends on their tone etc. I suppose.

Sorry for you.

I’m surprised that so many English people have said “You are a Catholic”. It’s very unusual for us to use assertive language like that. It would be far more common get “Ah you’re Irish? Are you a Catholic?” in which case they’re asking a question, which isn’t an unreasonable one given that 69% of people from ROI identify as RC.

I think it’s understandable to make some mental shortcuts, human nature. If I met someone who lived in Switzerland I might assume they were good at skiing. Or if I met someone from Iran I might inwardly assume they were Muslim. What I wouldn’t do is randomly blurt out ‘you’re Muslim’ or signpost them to the nearest mosque.

But yeah the people you’ve met sound a bit dense, like their only knowledge of Ireland has come from watching Father Ted combined with a bad case of verbal incontinence. Can you say which particular backwater you’ve ended up in?

I also find it interesting that you think people associate Spain or Italy with Catholicism. This would only be relevant to someone who came from a Reformation-influenced cultural tradition.

Catholicism is utterly woven in to Italian culture, and Spanish (post Franco thst changed a lot.) Still, my Spanish family would definitely associate many parts of Spain with strong Catholicism.
I don’t think it’s that weird to vaguely assume most Irish people are culturally Catholic although I’d never point them to a church!

I am ethnically Indian. My family is Christian. People always assume I am a Hindu or Muslim. It is a bit of racial stereotyping, but I rarely find it annoying. I did have someone ask me to leave a Church once as this is “not a place for you”. I was keen to point out that there were Churches in Asia before there were Churches in Europe.

I don’t practice any religion and had that happen to me when I moved from the north of England to the south!! The same person said it must be nice to have in inside toilet now I was living in the south 🤷‍♀️

Probability-wise, since Christians are 2% of India, Hindu or Muslim are more likely guesses- but people shouldn't be guessing, if they're curious they could ask...

Even today with the numbers substantially reduced, up to 70% of the population of Ireland are Catholic. And it was higher.

It's not a particularly crazy assumption. Although after the not unreasonable assumption you probably are even though you arent, it is maybe going a little further than I would have expected with the examples you mention.

I'm from a European country and I get some stereotyping comments as well albeit positive ones I guess (nothing to do with religion). I would just smile and say:
"No, Ellen, Not all..
french women are thin and don't wash
Italians know how to cook
Scandinavian women are blond and blue-eyed
Irish women are ginger
Asian people are muslims
Spanish women are hairy
British women are sleeping around on holidays (from another thread about stereotypes)"

They will probably then feel stupid for making assumptions ..

Fascinating that this has caused debate.

The people saying that to you are fucking weird, OP.

What odd people you go out with, OP. I have never heard or made such a remark about anybody, and that includes a time when I was working and socialising with a group including quite a few Irish people. England is such a secular country, it seems to be the norm not to have any kind of religious affiliation. Just did a mental review of our social circle and I can't think of anyone who goes to church, even at Christmas or Easter.

In from Northern Ireland and the majority of people's identity growing up was either you are a Catholic or a Protestant. But then our schools are either Catholic schools or state (we used to view them as protestant schools). I would presume most southern Irish people come from a catholic background (though not necessarily practicing). Obviously as times move on that is changing and evolving but I don't think it's strange to assume but probably strange to mention it.

I grew up in Glasgow where it was always assumed I was a Catholic based on my surname.

im not.

Yes every single Irish person is a catholic and lives in a Father Ted like parish.

2021 census shows that the UK is no longer a Christian majority country (only 46.2%)

To be fair Irish tar English people in the same way.

If we are talking Armenia regarding churches then they aren't Asian.

St Thomas was one of the apostles. He set up the church in India. There have been Christian communities in India and Asia for as long as Europe. The Roman Catholic church tried to take them over but the syro Malabar Catholic churches now often coexist with the Roman Catholic churches. I'm also ethnicity Indian with Catholic heritage. I don't live in London and the most ethnically diverse place I go is church! @Cyclebabble that's is disgusting that someone told you to leave a church!

It is ignorance. In my twenties I moved to London (am from a typical English rural county town) I offended a person from NI by referring to another person from Ireland as 'proper irish'. It was a light hearted comment meaning no ill will at all. I was shocked by the reaction and didn't understand it.

Later I learned about the history and started to read more about politics. It is amazing to me now to remember that I knew absolutely nothing about any of it. How could that be? I wasn't taught, I wasn't brought up to be curious to find out stuff for myself. It is embarrassing but now I find this very useful to remember, when I wonder how people can hold certain opinions or vote in certain ways, what it is like to grow up in some places in the UK.

Hopefully education has improved a lot but I think it depends on the parents to actually have conversations with their kids and if those parents (I am 40) are ignorant like I was then those kids will perpetuate these attitudes. I think this is why we are so gullible to the uk press and whatever bull they want us to believe. There is a delightful sort of irony in English attitudes that claim a superior smug know-it-all better than everyone else attitude when the opposite is true. This thwn leads to an inclination to bully and point out difference in people.

I will be flamed so hard for this post but sick of watching you be told your experience is impossible