My wife decided to become Catholic last year. She just had to do Baptism as an adult, but it involved going to Sunday school for 60 hours or so. I went to a Catholic Elementary and Highschool (really common and publically funded in Canada), we had confirmation in grade 8, but I skipped it. Technically we have been allowed to eat the cracker since some ceremony we had in grade 1 called 'first communion'. I skipped that too but I've had the cracker a few times anyway. I also skipped something called the first confession and have never done one of those.
However, one thing I've always been clear on is trying to respect people and their faiths. Much of it is confusing for me (spirits and souls and faiths - how they believe, not what they believe). I understand some people may not be confused and this is confusing.
One thing that pissed me off the most was a lot of people were bragging about the gifts they got for doing their holy sacraments for the first time (I only did baptism as a baby). They don't really believe it but want to make their family happy which is okay, but then to go on and brag about the money they got is just odd. It reminds me of selling indulgent and whatnot. No, your 6-year-old kid has not accepted Jesus as the true lord and saviour, they accepted those gold trinkets and that cash and want to keep you happy.
Labelling people and small slights which are probably unintentional and just a little insensitive is called microaggressions. If I pay attention, I can experience them several times a week while living in Korea as an obvious-looking foreigner. "When do you plan on going back?" is probably the most common one. Yup it will come from people who know I've been here over a decade, have a good job, and am married to a Korea.
Once I had a lady ask me if we allowed black people in Canada (she said much worse stuff along those lines). That more general racism is much rarer. I've actually had a couple of people be outright racist towards me. It's very rare and usually, they are highly intoxicated so it's easy to brush off. It only happened to me once where I felt awful, and it was the reactions of the guy's sober peers. The boss being belligerent while wasted at an after-work party and his sober underlings were defending him with apologetics that was quite insulting to me and Korean culture in general (please understand this is normal - um okay, I've seen it once in 15 years).
It is common in Australia too, but they are generally "private" (subsidized though) schools. I went public all the way, some of my siblings did a mix.
Tell me your sins, and I will tell you how much you need to pay me for you to be saved.
Most don't think too much about it, but if they could put themselves as an alien looking in, they would find it strange. I think people want an authority, something outside themselves to work for - and they choose something that can't threaten their sense of right, the afterlife.
Trusted to make a decision on a way of life that is meant to serve for eternity - can't be trusted to drink, drive or vote - or cross the road unaided.
People look for them everywhere, reasons for why they can't instead of just doing.
After all these years I have found one thing - adults are far inferior at insults than 5 year olds. :D
!ENGAGE 25
ENGAGEtokens.