Bonus update!

I know it's not Sunday, but I had an experience that deserved to be recorded in ye olde 'blog today.


One of the interesting things about living in Ireland is the attitude toward religion. No one here seems to feel the need to proselytize or make a big fuss about saving your soul, and overall everyone seems very religiously tolerant. Of course, that's easy enough when 90% of the country is Catholic. No one cares, or makes a big deal, if you're not Catholic, but most people are. There is a tacit assumption in the culture that you will be familiar with Catholic culture. When talking about religious symbolism in poetry in one of my classes, the lecturer said "Now, if you remember your catechism..."

Anyway, today I was having coffee with a couple friends, and we were talking about how this week is Ash Wednesday. One turned to me and said "So what are you giving up for Lent?" I stared for a moment, then said "Oh, I'm not Catholic!" She laughed and said "Oh, right! Sorry!" No hostility, no judgment, but there was that moment of assumption. Being American doesn't spare me-- most of the Americans I know are Catholic anyway.


(This reminds me of another anecdote related by an American Lutheran friend of mine. He was trying to buy a packet of crisps in a vending machine in Limerick, and the bag got stuck. He spent a few minutes shaking and kicking the vending machine, all the while swearing loudly... then turned around to see a very shocked-looking nun staring at him. He thought to himself, well, in for a penny, in for a pound, and exclaimed "And I'm a Protestant, too!" before marching off.)