Where Did It All Go Wrong?

Soo, bit of a touchy subject. Or at least a subject which I don't know how to effectively broach. My three week gap between posts has been due to me pretty much being unable to properly put into words what I'm about to write about. I've had this idea or topic ready for well over a week, but I haven't been able to properly bring it forward - hence my hiatus. But I've decided 'what he hell', it's been long enough.

Now let's begin.



I'm Catholic. Let's start with that. But bear in mind this post has nothing to do with my particular religion, or any religion in particular for that matter. Actually, I still don't really know the real point of this post, but it's got to do with religion. Anyway, I'm Catholic, my whole family is Catholic, the whole sha-bang. We're practising Catholics, in that we go to church every week and go to all the 'event' services (for lack of a better phrase) - Good Friday, Christmas, etc. And that decision has never really been up to me, it's been made by my parents. And that's kind of what has brought this post around.

Me and my brother have no real say in whether we go or not, we just go. It's essentially forced. We have no real say in the matter. Or at least we didn't. I've recently started to 'rebel' against the whole situation, because I believe religion isn't something anyone should be forced into. Maybe 'forced' is too strong a word, but I still don't have much say in whether I go or not. Fair enough if I have plans for the night, I go and do what I've planned, but if I'm at home, I'm expected to go to church with my parents. That's always rubbed me the wrong way, but I've stuck with it. At least until recently, when I flat out said "No. You can't make me go to church,". That kind of worked, but I think it was more out of shock on my parents' part. A few weeks later, I tried the whole 'no' thing again and then got the answer that I was indeed coming to church. Soo, that didn't last too long.

Surprise Lolcat picture to break Wall-of-Text

Now so far it seems like I'm all anti-church and anti-religion. I'm not. There's nothing wrong with church or religion at all, just in the fact that I'm forced to go to it every week. What do my parents think is going to happen when I move out? That I'll still go routinely? No. And that's because I feel my parents have gone about it in the wrong way and left a bad impression. With me being constantly given no choice in the matter as to whether I attend church weekly or not, it's left a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like a chore, something that takes time out of my day, rather than something that leaves me feeling relaxed or revitalised or whatever. Religion isn't supposed to make you feel like that; it's meant to have the opposite effect. Isn't it? I feel that my parents have gone about the whole 'religion' thing in a very negative way. And the fact that they've failed to realise this is baffling. How can they think that forcing me to go will mean I'll still go when I'm living on my own? It won't. It's only starting to drive me further from it.

And that gets to me. Because I have nothing against church or my religion, and I don't want to lose it as I grow up and go through life. I've never been one who is skirts around the question 'what religion are you?'. I've never been ashamed to say that I'm Catholic. Hell, I'm one of the few people on facebook out of my friends that actually lists my religion in my 'About Me' section (not that that means much.). I'm just trying to make the point that I'm Catholic and proud of that fact. I don't want to lose that connection. But having no say as to whether I go to church every week has kind of tarred religion for me; religion isn't something that can or should be forced on someone. It should be done out of one's own volition and choice. Of course parents have a responsibility and the choice to bring up their kids how they want, I'm not doubting that, and I'm glad that I was brought up with a form of religion in my life. But now that I'm old enough (and indeed when anyone feels old enough) I should have the right to choose. And I feel that right has been taken from me. Or at least it will be until I move out and start my own life. In that aspect, I think my parents have failed. They just went about it the wrong way.

Another picture, for those of you still in the game

I can't fault them too much. Here in Australia, religion has been dying down for a while. It's not as focused as it is in the 'States for example, or even in my home country of Sri Lanka. The vast majority of people you see in church these days are older people. You rarely see people in their older teens to mid 30's... it's a pretty sad state. Religion has been on a steady decline down here for quite some time. And because of that, I can see where my parents are coming from. Also because they grew up in Sri Lanka, where religion is much more the norm. But still, I feel that if I ever have a kid (and depending on the religion of the Missus too, assuming she follows a religion) I would have my kid Baptised and brought up as a Catholic. I would want them to have at least some sort of religion in their life. But when I feel they're old enough, I would let them make their own choice as to whether or not they go to church. They should have that right. I should have that right, but I didn't, and still don't. I don't want to make the mistake my parents did.

Where do you guys stand? What's the situation like where you are? Do you 'practise' your religion? Do you get a say in it or not? I want to know what everyone else's thoughts and situations are like. I can't be the only one feeling like this, but what I'm feeling towards religion isn't 'right'. It isn't 'wrong' either, but I want to get peoples thoughts on the matter. It's been plaguing me a while, and I want to get a read of the room.

I just want to restate that I have nothing against religion in anyway. I'm Catholic, and glad of that fact. It might seem like I'm contradicting myself, but I'm simply saying that having no choice as to whether to go church or not isn't the way to get someone to stick with religion. If I was able to make the call whether or not I'd attend, I'd feel better about going. But that choice has been essentially taken away from me, and I feel that's wrong.

Anyway. Thoughts?

Final prize for those who read this far.

 Also, I realise that bringing this topic up on Good Friday isn't the greatest move, but... I got nothing.  As you were.



Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Oasis,
Standing on the Shoulder of Giants, 2000