Why do people find it so awkward to talk about religion?

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

Absolutely right, I can agree with all posts above, but we should be doing more to spread the good news and truth of catholicsm, me included!

Some of us don’t have a clear testimony or have the vocabulary. Even Moses needed Aaron. Some friends of mine went round in pairs and amid a lot of brush-offs, which they expected, they got a few people interested in going to church by explaining Jesus’ impact in their lives. Since that time, on and off I would have been interested in being one of a pair but it has all stopped.

Aforethought needed to be given it by those of influence within the Church. The NT makes clear that the apostles taught the members how, just as Jesus had taught them.

 

[exnihilo]

I think the awkwardness comes in part from the Masonic idea that you don’t talk about religion or politics. I think also, at least in the US, the wide variety of beliefs, particularly within Christianity due in part to Protestantism, can make such discussion more contentious. But i would think religion has always been a contentious subject because it goes to the most fundamental beliefs a man has. It is very personal and very important. Talking about anything personal always makes a man vulnerable and runs the risk of being emotionally hurt.

In the Bible Belt we talk about faith, religion, the Bible etc. quite a bit.

Amen! People still ask what church you go to expecting the answer not to be I don’t or I’m not religious.

 

[Sarcelle]

In the UK, if you talk about your faith, you’re usually regarded as a nutter or a fool.

I was called a fool when I told people I believed in bread and wine turning into the Body and Blood of Jesus.

I was flattered.

 

[Sarcelle]

I think the awkwardness comes in part from the Masonic idea that you don’t talk about religion or politics. I think also, at least in the US, the wide variety of beliefs, particularly within Christianity due in part to Protestantism, can make such discussion more contentious. But i would think religion has always been a contentious subject because it goes to the most fundamental beliefs a man has. It is very personal and very important. Talking about anything personal always makes a man vulnerable and runs the risk of being emotionally hurt.

Amen! People still ask what church you go to expecting the answer not to be I don’t or I’m not religious.

Why are they expecting you to answer that way? Just curious.

 

[Bonnie]

I think the awkwardness comes in part from the Masonic idea that you don’t talk about religion or politics.

Masonic? That’s a new one on me. I refuse to talk politics because people get so heated and irrational about the subject. Ditto for religion, but I do state my beliefs when asked.

 

[exnihilo]

Why are they expecting you to answer that way? Just curious.

Because almost everyone is at least a member of a church. It is the Bible Belt.

 

[multitude]

I think the awkwardness comes in part from the Masonic idea that you don’t talk about religion or politics. I think also, at least in the US, the wide variety of beliefs, particularly within Christianity due in part to Protestantism, can make such discussion more contentious. But i would think religion has always been a contentious subject because it goes to the most fundamental beliefs a man has. It is very personal and very important. Talking about anything personal always makes a man vulnerable and runs the risk of being emotionally hurt.

It’s not just in the US. I believe you’ll find that anywhere where American media, say, will have a heavy influence. Anyways, as far as I have read, it seems to me that the Masons and Protestantized folk have found a common ground maybe a couple centuries back or so; they both wanted freedom. It’s a bit of an unspoken alliance that works, but to the detriment of religion. When your forefathers operated on these ideas and, it works, then it’s not like the offspring wouldn’t pick it up as their own. So it is systemic. As a bit of an aside, though, I doubt that these highly influential men had nothing to answer for on their judgement days before God, not even close.

 

[jane_doe]

I’m open to any answers. I just want to hear people’s opinions.

(blind post here)

Two reasons

1. Because somebody may have a different belief than you, and most people find hearing such a belief to be terrifying offensive (even if the abstractly already know another person believes differently).
2. Rather than possibly hear something they don’t like, most people would rather not hear anything at all. End result: “you can’t talk about religion!” taboo.

Sorry for being so pessimistic sounding. I feel that the “you can’t talk about religion” taboo steadily results in spiritual starvation for society and individuals. (Admittedly, this is a soap box of me).

 

[clem456]

In our “enlightened” age, truth has almost died in favor of a relativist “whatever”. This relativism is making a play at dictatorship. It does this by attempting to silence discussions of substance that attempt to answer life’s questions with any objectivity.

Religion, or better yet faith, proposes answers to questions. Faith is a search for and adherence to the truth. What offends relativism is not necessarily the specific answers to life’s questions, but simply the proposal of a truth, any truth, outside one’s self.

The proposal of any truth is seen as an intrusion on the freedom of another. Never before has such intolerance been proposed in the name of freedom. In an absolutely self absorbed world, anything that points to a real truth outside one’s self makes people uncomfortable.

Funny, how people who might consider themselves free from the shackles of religion, are in fact enslaved to their own selves.

 

[Maximilan_Kolbe]

I have personally never understood the reticence to discuss with passion politics or religion in any venue. I walk right up the line of acceptibility in my job when it comes to both, but never go so far as to get a call from the EEOC folks. I used to debate with some Muslim students in my dorm in college. They’d flat out tell me they believed I (we) were going to Hell. That didn’t offend me AT ALL. Why would it? They are wrong! I know that, and as such, why would I care what other people believe about me? Afterwards, we go back to playing Madden on Sega Genesis. I am Catholic. I belong to a religion and faith that possesses the fullness of the Truth. Why would I care what those who do not have that advantage think?

Some of the people I respect the most that I encounter are the ones who are confident in their beliefs, yet don’t seek to offend, nor do they shy away from them. As a staunch Catholic and American conservative, I’ll debate with a liberal in the workplace all day, but when it is time to go back to work, I let it all go. There are no hard feelings.

I realize some people aren wired this, and others aren’t, and accept that, however, but I don’t understand it either.

I think those who consider religion the most verboten are the ones who are wishy-washy, or don’t hold onto their beliefs with near the passion or fervency (the majority of America, I would say) and it makes them uncomfortably self-concious.

They see someone with passion and zeal for something like God or religious faith, and it makes them in a small part feel guilty.

And while they may look at you and think “you make me sick!”

what they are really saying in most cases is

“I make me sick, and you remind me of that…”

 

[PJM]

=Facite;13361614]I’m open to any answers. I just want to hear people’s opinions.

I SUSPECT it has to do with not knowing their faith well enough to explain it or if necessary, defend it:shrug:

God Bless you,

Patrick

 

[fred_conty]

Always taught … never talk about politics or religion.

It is a part of a person’s makeup … very tender… stepping on eggshells.

Win an argument and lose a friend.

And what starts out in a very simple way ends up in the toilet very fast.

It may be ok under certain circumstances, but both must understand that it will be about information and not confrontation. Unless everyone is of the same feather.

 

[Padres1969]

When the subject of religion comes up, people of different religions or no religion often aggressively challenge one another, which can get quite heated and contentious because we so strongly identify with our religion or lack thereof. Some of us just do not like arguing and confrontation.

I’d probably cite this as the reason I don’t tend to talk religion much in my daily life unless I know I’m with people where an argument is guaranteed not to ensue. And even then it’s a more watered down conversation. Even on this cite, which is obviously very religion based I’d censor myself to an extent to prevent offense in some cases. Religion is a very personal and often inflexible thing for many individuals. It’s quite often not like discussing other things where there’s plenty of room for concessions to be made in the conversation. And as a result it becomes a source of friction. So best to just not bring it up to avoid the all but inevitable argument.

I always was taught the same as many of the previous posters, you just don’t discuss politics or religion if you’re not in a setting where those subjects are natural to discuss (which tend to be few and far between). That and I tend to live by the idea of “keep thy religion to thyself.”

 

[PJM]

=Padres1969;13510535]I’d probably cite this as the reason I don’t tend to talk religion much in my daily life unless I know I’m with people where an argument is guaranteed not to ensue. And even then it’s a more watered down conversation. Even on this cite, which is obviously very religion based I’d censor myself to an extent to prevent offense in some cases. Religion is a very personal and often inflexible thing for many individuals. It’s quite often not like discussing other things where there’s plenty of room for concessions to be made in the conversation. And as a result it becomes a source of friction. So best to just not bring it up to avoid the all but inevitable argument.

I always was taught the same as many of the previous posters, you just don’t discuss politics or religion if you’re not in a setting where those subjects are natural to discuss (which tend to be few and far between). That and I tend to live by the idea of “keep thy religion to thyself.”

a beutiful reply Thank you.

Might I ask my friend what you think of this quote?

“Truth is the condition of grace; it is the source of grace; it is the channel of grace; it is the divinely ordained requirement of grace.”

Fr. John A Hardon S. J.; one of the most respected theologians of the 20th Century.

God Bless you,

Patrick

 

[Padres1969]

a beutiful reply Thank you.

Might I ask my friend what you think of this quote?

“Truth is the condition of grace; it is the source of grace; it is the channel of grace; it is the divinely ordained requirement of grace.”

Fr. John A Hardon S. J.; one of the most respected theologians of the 20th Century.

God Bless you,

Patrick

I think it’s an interesting quote. But it begs the question, whose truth? Which I think gets down to the heart of why people don’t talk about religion very much as most religions would claim their interpretation of the truth, is the truth. The RCC clearly does, as do the EO churches. Scriptural Protestants would argue the bible is the only truth (or at least their interpretation of it). Muslims would argue the Koran is the truth. Etc… Etc…

And that doesn’t leave much room for conversation if you want to get deeply into it. If you want to talk surface ecumenism between religions, that’s fine. But ultimately that’s why you don’t go deep into the issues in a polite conversation because most religions would claim that ultimately they’re the best way to ultimate truth and the grace it provides.

 

[PJM]

=Padres1969;13512079]I think it’s an interesting quote. But it begs the question, whose truth? Which I think gets down to the heart of why people don’t talk about religion very much as most religions would claim their interpretation of the truth, is the truth. The RCC clearly does, as do the EO churches. Scriptural Protestants would argue the bible is the only truth (or at least their interpretation of it). Muslims would argue the Koran is the truth. Etc… Etc…

And that doesn’t leave much room for conversation if you want to get deeply into it. If you want to talk surface ecumenism between religions, that’s fine. But ultimately that’s why you don’t go deep into the issues in a polite conversation because most religions would claim that ultimately they’re the best way to ultimate truth and the grace it provides.

My friend, your asking the impossible question. WHY?

Because in an absolute sense truth is NOT up to you; its NOT up to me; no, truth is exactly and ONLY that which is TRUE.

Pope Benedict XVI explained it his way:

"There CANNOT BE [my emphasis] your truth and my truth or there would be no truth."

Truth does not ask us for our opinion of it. It is what it is. THEE singular; and THEE only possible answer to a defined issue. And like His Church; truth too is singular:thumbsup:

My friend I am both delighted and grateful to go into the depths of your faith beliefs compared to Catholicism. PLEASE send me a private message if you’d like to do so.

Because of the need to stay on TOPIC on the FORUM as well as the space limits; it would perhaps be prudent to do this just between us.

God Bless you! And I look forward to hearing form you,

Patrick [PJM] here on CAF

 

[Padres1969]

My friend, your asking the impossible question. WHY?

Because in an absolute sense truth is NOT up to you; its NOT up to me; no, truth is exactly and ONLY that which is TRUE.

Pope Benedict XVI explained it his way:

"There CANNOT BE [my emphasis] your truth and my truth or there would be no truth."

Truth does not ask us for our opinion of it. It is what it is. THEE singular; and THEE only possible answer to a defined issue. And like His Church; truth too is singular:thumbsup:

My friend I am both delighted and grateful to go into the depths of your faith beliefs compared to Catholicism. PLEASE send me a private message if you’d like to do so.

Because of the need to stay on TOPIC on the FORUM as well as the space limits; it would perhaps be prudent to do this just between us.

God Bless you! And I look forward to hearing form you,

Patrick [PJM] here on CAF

Thank you for the offer, but I’ll politely decline. I’m well versed in what Pope Benedict calls the singular truth (what I would call the RCC’s truth). 17 years of Catholic education saw to that. The discussion would simply be for the sake of discussion since I reject much of the RCC’s notion of what the singular truth is even if I do understand and appreciate some aspects of it.

But I appreciate the offer none the less.

 

[PJM]

Thank you for the offer, but I’ll politely decline. I’m well versed in what Pope Benedict calls the singular truth (what I would call the RCC’s truth). 17 years of Catholic education saw to that. The discussion would simply be for the sake of discussion since I reject much of the RCC’s notion of what the singular truth is even if I do understand and appreciate some aspects of it.

But I appreciate the offer none the less.

Thanks

Have you ever read Hebrews 6:1-7? It is in the bible precisely for folks like yourself, who have for what ever reason freely choose to abandon God and His Church.

Pray much my friend; heaven & HELL are very real and after-death is Eternity in one or the other.

God Bless you,

Patrick

 

[FollowChrist34]

I have personally never understood the reticence to discuss with passion politics or religion in any venue. I walk right up the line of acceptibility in my job when it comes to both, but never go so far as to get a call from the EEOC folks. I used to debate with some Muslim students in my dorm in college. They’d flat out tell me they believed I (we) were going to Hell. That didn’t offend me AT ALL. Why would it? They are wrong! I know that, and as such, why would I care what other people believe about me? Afterwards, we go back to playing Madden on Sega Genesis. I am Catholic. I belong to a religion and faith that possesses the fullness of the Truth. Why would I care what those who do not have that advantage think?

Some of the people I respect the most that I encounter are the ones who are confident in their beliefs, yet don’t seek to offend, nor do they shy away from them. As a staunch Catholic and American conservative, I’ll debate with a liberal in the workplace all day, but when it is time to go back to work, I let it all go. There are no hard feelings.

I realize some people aren wired this, and others aren’t, and accept that, however, but I don’t understand it either.

I think those who consider religion the most verboten are the ones who are wishy-washy, or don’t hold onto their beliefs with near the passion or fervency (the majority of America, I would say) and it makes them uncomfortably self-concious.

They see someone with passion and zeal for something like God or religious faith, and it makes them in a small part feel guilty.

And while they may look at you and think “you make me sick!”

what they are really saying in most cases is

“I make me sick, and you remind me of that…”

Yes, I agree. At my job, they recently terminated a woman in her late 60s, past retirement age, and a group of us were all talking about how horrible it was, right before Christmas. (I am not convinced it was age/retirement related but the timing was appalling.) Anyway, I went into a real diatribe about how we can’t throw out the elderly onto the streets, especially as so many of us have no guarantee of enough retirement savings at the time of retirement. No one backed me up. I think Pope Francis would have been very pleased however. It is a dog eat dog mentality - none of the people in that group will have enough retirement either and they know it - but they just accept it, as an evolutionary reality - they’ll be on the streets. The weak are toast. And you do get a very death like neutral stare in their faces when you suggest any other mode of social behavior or policy.

 

[CyrilSebastian]

Different denominations have different procedures. Someone may not want to offend the other party. An argument is spared.