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Community => Religion and Philosophy => Topic started by: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 10:29:13 am

Title: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 10:29:13 am
Most of us here were raised with one particular religion, which isn't in itself a good or bad thing. Some of us were raised with hardcore abusive fundamentalism, others in fairly devout families, and others still with the most liberal or token attachments to whatever faith their parents (or guardians) presented to them. And of those who were raised in religious households, most of THEM seem to have at some point abandoned it, sometimes for atheism or agnosticism, and sometimes for another system of belief.

But whether you ditched the religion you were born into, whether you were a child or an adolescent or an adult, it can be very hard to shed the habits of a lifetime, especially when you're raised from the cradle to believe certain things and have certain specific practices--to the point where those practices and habits become automatic with no real meaning behind them. And sometimes you may even feel uncomfortable stopping them, even though the gestures are a meaningless throwback to a faith you no longer (or maybe never even DID) ascribe to.

How many of you who grew up with religion and then left it have maintained--or even STILL maintain--some throwback or relic from that time? Is there some religious iconography you can't bear to part with? Do you find yourself sometimes starting to pray in some situations? Or something else?

I was never religious myself but was raised in a pretty religious environment. And for a long time I still kept doing things that were relics of it.

For one thing, I had a Saint Christopher medallion. Most Catholics--and I think a lot of other Christian denominations as well--are fans of St Christopher, who is the patron saint of travellers. Since my family travelled a looootttt, usually overseas, my mom made sure my brother and me both had one of these. (Having a saint medallion of some sort of supposed to give you the power or protection of that saint--hellooooo there Catholicism's pagan roots!) I wore one on a necklace pretty much nonstop until I was about nineteen, maybe even twenty. I never actually believed in any part of it, but my mom made me wear it when I was a kid and I just never took it off. Like, ever. I showered with it. If for some reason I couldn't wear it around my neck, then I'd just wear it somewhere under my clothes, like wrapped around my bra strap and tucked into a cup. I felt really weird and naked and strangely vulnerable without it, even though I didn't believe in it. The first time I went on a plane without it, I actually remember feeling apprehensive.

Another: being from a fairly old-school Catholic family, and being left-handed, there was always this weird, quiet stigma on me. But a stigma nonetheless. I was encouraged to do things with my right hand and for a while was told that I was being rude when I reached for something at dinner with my left. There's this big thing in some Catholic cultures for referring to all things bad and taboo as 'left-handed' so I developed a weird complex about it. I started think of my left hand as being 'bad' or 'evil'. I never made more than a token effort to stop using it but even to this day I still feel very distinct, different things towards my left and right hands. Not that I don't like my left hand or being a lefty (I think it's actually pretty cool), but just... it's like when you see a picture of someone who bullied you in school, it just makes you feel uncomfortable and maybe slightly bitter. Thanks, religion!

I also can't stand the thought of throwing away or shredding a bible. Though this might be just because I don't like the thought of destroying ANY books, because of what destruction of books represents.

So.

Does anyone else have any secret religious throwbacks?
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: R. U. Sirius on December 31, 2012, 12:03:15 pm
I occasionally use the Lord's Prayer as a meditative focus, though I see it more as a way to remind myself that there's only so much of life I can control and not to get too worked up over the things I can't.

Not a religious throwback, but I've somewhat adopted the phrase "nothing personal" as a semi-mantra. Rather than its usual context (doing something bad to someone and not caring), I use it as a reminder not to take unpleasant things personally. They usually have nothing to do with me as a person; I was just the one they happened to happen to.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 12:09:03 pm
This is kinda unrelated, but I really miss wearing crosses for fashion. I see all these super cute clothes with huge crosses on them, which is perfect for a goth or punk look, but everyone will think I'm some kind of fundie, or that I am trying to insult others.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: R. U. Sirius on December 31, 2012, 12:10:55 pm
Depends entirely on context. If you're deliberately going for a goth or punk look, I doubt anyone will mistake you for a fundie.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 12:14:01 pm
Quote from: R. U. Sirius on December 31, 2012, 12:10:55 pm
Depends entirely on context. If you're deliberately going for a goth or punk look, I doubt anyone will mistake you for a fundie.

Well, most of the crosses I see are from Forever 21, which is a very christian company. I also don't want people to think I'm being insulting or trying to be all controversial.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Xander Zzyzx on December 31, 2012, 12:23:26 pm
I do keep a cross on the wall of my house, even though I'm not a practicing Catholic. I also keep a Saint Christopher medallion in my car, since I travel a lot. Other than that I don't do much of anything else. I also don't consider those things to be secret, since I never actually renounced my faith, I just simply don't go to church anymore.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Canadian Mojo on December 31, 2012, 12:41:02 pm
About the closest I come to a religious throwback is using the lord's name in vain and that's just a product of cultural swearing norms.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 12:54:18 pm
I dunno that that one counts, since like you said, it's just a cultural swearing norm.

Quote from: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 12:14:01 pm
Quote from: R. U. Sirius on December 31, 2012, 12:10:55 pm
Depends entirely on context. If you're deliberately going for a goth or punk look, I doubt anyone will mistake you for a fundie.

Well, most of the crosses I see are from Forever 21, which is a very christian company. I also don't want people to think I'm being insulting or trying to be all controversial.

See, I specifically AVOID wearing stuff with crosses on it because I actively dislike religious iconography. (That's still religious, anyway. I don't wear ankhs or anything but I have no problems wearing them purely for fashion because mostly they've outlived their religious connotations.)
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Vypernight on December 31, 2012, 01:03:56 pm
I say, "Jesus Christ" a lot, usually when playing videogames or driving.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: dpareja on December 31, 2012, 01:14:25 pm
I don't know whether this counts as an actual throwback, but I still quite enjoy a lot of music inspired by Christianity.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 01:28:14 pm
Quote from: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 12:54:18 pm
I dunno that that one counts, since like you said, it's just a cultural swearing norm.

Quote from: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 12:14:01 pm
Quote from: R. U. Sirius on December 31, 2012, 12:10:55 pm
Depends entirely on context. If you're deliberately going for a goth or punk look, I doubt anyone will mistake you for a fundie.

Well, most of the crosses I see are from Forever 21, which is a very christian company. I also don't want people to think I'm being insulting or trying to be all controversial.

See, I specifically AVOID wearing stuff with crosses on it because I actively dislike religious iconography. (That's still religious, anyway. I don't wear ankhs or anything but I have no problems wearing them purely for fashion because mostly they've outlived their religious connotations.)

I've seen a lot of crosses and christian iconography in trendy Japanese fashion, but they're less than 1% christian so it doesn't have to connotation.
Title: Re: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: ThunderWulf on December 31, 2012, 01:28:19 pm
Quote from: Vypernight on December 31, 2012, 01:03:56 pm
I say, "Jesus Christ" a lot, usually when playing videogames or driving.

I do a lot of that type of stuff. Like saying "I swear to god" before saying something sometimes.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: R. U. Sirius on December 31, 2012, 01:36:35 pm
Quote from: dpareja on December 31, 2012, 01:14:25 pm
I don't know whether this counts as an actual throwback, but I still quite enjoy a lot of music inspired by Christianity.

I enjoy Trans Siberian Orchestra despite the fact that most of their music is explicitly Christian, being adaptations of classical music. I also love "Jesus Christ Superstar."

I enjoy movies and documentaries about religious figures in general and Jesus in particular, but not if they're explicitly evangelistic. I prefer a critical look at the subject's life and teachings ("critical" here meaning "questioning"), like in "The Last Temptation of Christ."
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 02:01:30 pm
Quote from: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 01:28:14 pm
I've seen a lot of crosses and christian iconography in trendy Japanese fashion, but they're less than 1% christian so it doesn't have to connotation.

Aye, I've seen that a lot as well--still residually fascinated with Japanese and Korean cultures from my weeaboo days, another secret throwback--but it's a different cultural climate. Those symbols have no religious meaning in a country where almost nobody is Christian and it's almost solely a fashion statement, whereas in the US in particular wearing a cross on your clothing is generally seen as a proclamation of your faith.
Title: Re: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Distind on December 31, 2012, 02:15:06 pm
Quote from: TGRwulf on December 31, 2012, 01:28:19 pm
Quote from: Vypernight on December 31, 2012, 01:03:56 pm
I say, "Jesus Christ" a lot, usually when playing videogames or driving.

I do a lot of that type of stuff. Like saying "I swear to god" before saying something sometimes.
I've got the whole slew of name in vain going myself, though I swear to god is slowly getting phased out for I swear to fuck... which is a lateral improvement at best.

That and bless you, never really got around to any of the other options, but then I'm not terribly stuck on removing god references from my vocabulary.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Cerim Treascair on December 31, 2012, 02:33:16 pm
The guilt! Oh, the religious guilt is a massive stopping point for me.  One of my friends (who is a very conservative Christian, no less) is doing his best to help me work through that, though, and hopefully find my way back to religion.  Or, more accurately, the Christianity I grew up with when I was little, rather than what got used against me from my uncle's murder when I was 7 and on from there.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: R. U. Sirius on December 31, 2012, 02:34:03 pm
I still say "gesundheit" when someone sneezes.

When swearing, though, I'll generally say something like "for the love of fuck" or "for fuck's sake". Not a conscious rebellion against BibleGod, just something I started one day.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: erictheblue on December 31, 2012, 05:13:54 pm
Until I started dating my now-wife, I sang Christmas carols in the shower. And I know multiple verses to many of them.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Witchyjoshy on December 31, 2012, 05:17:56 pm
I actually still quite enjoy Christian mythology, particularly the mythical birth of Jesus, the legend of Samson, and so forth.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Sleepy on December 31, 2012, 05:30:46 pm
I enjoy mythology in general. My friend took a Christian mythology course at our university and said students were offended as hell that it wasn't what they thought it would be (ie, a bible study class, like something out of church).

Anyway, I'm thankful that I never had to deal with hardcore beliefs in my family. I don't recall my parents mentioning religion a single time when I was growing up, and such a thing doesn't exactly appear to be common. At least, not here in the US. I do occasionally feel strange saying "god dammit," but that's probably because it feels odd to say such a thing with my lack of belief, considering its original meaning.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Jack Mann on December 31, 2012, 05:31:30 pm
I still sing Christmas Carol whenever December rolls around.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Osama bin Bambi on December 31, 2012, 05:57:23 pm
When I was like 12 or something I dabbled in Wicca...
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: nickiknack on December 31, 2012, 06:07:01 pm
I still say "Bless you" when some one sneezes, but I wasn't rasied in a particularly religious household, never really went to church, so...

Quote from: Wykked Wytch on December 31, 2012, 05:57:23 pm
When I was like 12 or something I dabbled in Wicca...

I tried dabbling in Wicca when I was in college, I gave up half way through because I got lazy.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Witchyjoshy on December 31, 2012, 08:40:37 pm
I pretty much consider "Bless you" to be on the same level of "God dammit" in regards to that kinda stuff.

Also, I really wanted to be Wiccan when I was 14.  Like...  extremely badly.

Did I mention I was a fundamentalist Christian then?
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 09:05:17 pm
When I was in Florida, I was the only atheist there. People actually asked me--in all seriousness, trying not to offend me and just being nice--if I minded or was offended at people saying 'bless you' when I sneezed. I'd never been asked that before and of course it doesn't bother me, since it's just part of the vernacular. But I thought it was really sweet that they were trying to make sure they didn't make me uncomfortable.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 09:06:29 pm
Quote from: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 09:05:17 pm
When I was in Florida, I was the only atheist there. People actually asked me--in all seriousness, trying not to offend me and just being nice--if I minded or was offended at people saying 'bless you' when I sneezed. I'd never been asked that before and of course it doesn't bother me, since it's just part of the vernacular. But I thought it was really sweet that they were trying to make sure they didn't make me uncomfortable.

Ah Florida... The more north you go the more southern it gets.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Material Defender on December 31, 2012, 09:49:32 pm
I think if we're talking about throwbacks, I find comfort in church songs. Maybe Nostalgia, but maybe it's just the simple idea of gathering people together like that for communal reinforcement of good activities. You don't really get that outside of churches, provided it's a more liberal type of church focused on charity work. I also tend to enjoy discussing with people directly in their religion, but I think that's just me trying to be nice.

I think mostly it's because I'm pretty so-so on religion. It's fine if you believe, it's fine if you don't. It really doesn't matter unless you try to force it into the public sphere.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: rageaholic on December 31, 2012, 10:22:48 pm
I find myself saying.

"Oh my God" or "Thank God". 
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Itachirumon on December 31, 2012, 10:42:39 pm
Does loving "Greensleeves" count? If it's the regular version and not the Christian version? I'm...a bit of a sucker for that song if you get someone with a beautiful british-irish voice singing it...
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Canadian Mojo on January 01, 2013, 12:03:51 am
Quote from: Itachirumon on December 31, 2012, 10:42:39 pm
Does loving "Greensleeves" count? If it's the regular version and not the Christian version? I'm...a bit of a sucker for that song if you get someone with a beautiful british-irish voice singing it...
Amazing grace on the bagpipes does it for me.

Every freaking time.

So does Halleluja.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: dpareja on January 01, 2013, 12:14:32 am
Quote from: Canadian Mojo on January 01, 2013, 12:03:51 am
Quote from: Itachirumon on December 31, 2012, 10:42:39 pm
Does loving "Greensleeves" count? If it's the regular version and not the Christian version? I'm...a bit of a sucker for that song if you get someone with a beautiful british-irish voice singing it...
Amazing grace on the bagpipes does it for me.

Every freaking time.

So does Halleluja.

I personally like Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring when sung by a really good singer. (Brian Stokes Mitchell's performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is amazing but I can't find it on Youtube any more.)

Or this version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF2pO7mRYHM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF2pO7mRYHM)
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Alehksunos on January 01, 2013, 12:17:51 am
I love Emerson, Lake & Palmer's cover of Jerusalem. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN11bI1_sZo)

In fact, when that one child in the choir sang this tune in the beginning of the 2012 Summer Olympics (London), I automatically thought of their cover...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Mechtaur on January 01, 2013, 12:30:21 am
Wasn't raised Jewish in any way, but I like to hum Shalom Aleichem.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Witchyjoshy on January 01, 2013, 05:14:54 am
I forgot about one thing.

Despite the fact that it was steeped in religious fundamentalism, I still look back on my baptism with fondness.  More so because I asked to be baptized and didn't have it foisted on me.  (Since it was non-liturgical protestant, baptism was done with being essentially dunked into water.)
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: The Right Honourable Mlle Antéchrist on January 01, 2013, 05:27:12 am
I think that, on some subconscious level, I still fear hell, god, Satan, etc., despite not consciously believing in any of it. Kind of like how horror films about ghosts and various monsters can be scary even though you know they're not real, but on a deeper level due to having had it engrained in me as young child. I also sometimes still get the urge to pray if I'm in a shitty situation, largely for the same reasons.

It's kind of weird, having this dissonance between my rational mind and the irrational, emotional part of me.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: TheL on January 01, 2013, 11:33:33 am
I listen to a lot of old religious music, and I still have my Sacred Heart statuette.

The Catholic Church bothers me deeply, but it has some cool art.

I also say "Bless her/him" a lot, which is sort of a throwback to my Southern roots more than my religious upbringing, but it's kind of hard to separate one from the other.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Caitshidhe on January 01, 2013, 01:14:25 pm
Quote from: Auggziliary on December 31, 2012, 09:06:29 pm
Quote from: Caitshidhe on December 31, 2012, 09:05:17 pm
When I was in Florida, I was the only atheist there. People actually asked me--in all seriousness, trying not to offend me and just being nice--if I minded or was offended at people saying 'bless you' when I sneezed. I'd never been asked that before and of course it doesn't bother me, since it's just part of the vernacular. But I thought it was really sweet that they were trying to make sure they didn't make me uncomfortable.

Ah Florida... The more north you go the more southern it gets.

'In Florida' has become my euphemism for 'in rehab'. Only one or two of the patients were actually local and the rest were from other states. They were just being nice, and were some of the sweetest people I've ever met.
Title: Re: Your Secret Religious Throwbacks
Post by: Old Viking on January 01, 2013, 04:51:39 pm
I still enjoy humming the old hymn, "Gladly, the Cross-Eyed Bear."