Like the famous movie quote, religion in Ireland is currently as varied as 'a box of chocolates'. When you go out socialising on a Saturday night you are just as likely to see a Jew or Muslim as a Catholic. Although, thats if you can even tell them apart, which is an achievement in itself.
Yes, the Irish have come a long way in regards to religion and now that our opinions are starting to change, do you think we will ever see religion having the same control over the population as it once had?
There has not been such a bleak outlook for the Irish Catholic faith since the plantation times, where even then, masses were said regularly at certain designated 'holy sites' or mass rocks'. The Irish were renowned for their devoutness and we even earned the title of 'The Island of Saints and Scholars'. But what has happened to that Ireland? How have we managed to lose our faith in so short a period of time?
Only the older people and the devout attend weekly mass any more. Many now simply 'don't have the time' or see it as a yearly pilgrimage to be made at Christmas. Bishops and priests have their work cut out for them if they want to reach out to the young people.
The generation before me, the older middle-aged lets say, are still clinging on with all their might to their religion. They don't want to give up on it as a lost cause. Yet they are fighting a losing battle. How many young people go to mass on a regular basis? I can guarantee that it is not a high percentage.
Despite being raised a Roman Catholic myself, I personally have no time for religion. Its' simply boring to me. And I am not usually one to have a short attention span. Yet, if given the choice of staying in bed or going to mass on a Sunday morning.......I know which one I would choose.
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