It depends on the country. Italy has a lot of relgions floating around right now because it's one of the primary immigration points in europe at the moment (to the annoyace of the locals), but the primary religion is, of course, Catholcism. I would say that the same amount of people are religious here and elsewhere, if not more here. Having not lived in other european countries I can't say what they are like, but in Italy, even in a *very* liberal city like Florence, you had better watch that you don't take the lord's name in vain on the street, and there are strict dress codes for a lot of places.
The biggest difference seems to be that Europeans, at leats italians, are *just* as religious, just ot as loud-mouthed about it. Priorities are different, too. There isn't an obsession about virginity and abstinence here, but you can bet your ass if you get pregnant, you're keeping it, and NO WAY do you live in sin. In fact, near 50 percent of the population 25-30 still live with their parents. Honor thy mother and father is real big, too. Gays? sure, if they don't mind being terrorized.
Sunday is not just a day off. Certainly, lots of people take it that way, but many of them spend their mornings in church. the bells are actually what I rely on to get me up on Sunday mornings. All Saints Day and the Annunciation are major national holidays.
As for 'pagan' religions, I've never ever met someone who would come close to professing they believe in them here. Germany, I hear, is much more open to that.
Lastly, sexual politics are HORRIBLE over here. HORRIBLE. This is something that I think is pretty much an Italian issue, but women's rights stink. Aside from the constant, *constant* cat-calling, there is not a female classmate that I know who has not been sexually molested on the bus, and several now have more nasty stories (ike being followed and grabbed, or having someone sit across from you in the train and openly masturbate). This is the country that let a man off with a lighter sentence in a rape case because the girl wasn't a virgin, and another man was let go entirely because the courts ruled that you can't rape someone wearing tight jeans.
And yet, there are more female bus drivers, doctors, police officers, construction workers and street cleaners.
It really seems like relgion isn't a huige subject here, ot because people aren't religious, but because they are A. more pragmatic about it and B. they all live in it. It's tradition. Why muck around with it?
It's a different from the fanaticism we see in America. Of course, if you follow the European view on that, it's because all Americans are basically teenagers-- passionate, loud, not very bright, freindly, but very black and white.
no subject
The biggest difference seems to be that Europeans, at leats italians, are *just* as religious, just ot as loud-mouthed about it. Priorities are different, too. There isn't an obsession about virginity and abstinence here, but you can bet your ass if you get pregnant, you're keeping it, and NO WAY do you live in sin. In fact, near 50 percent of the population 25-30 still live with their parents. Honor thy mother and father is real big, too. Gays? sure, if they don't mind being terrorized.
Sunday is not just a day off. Certainly, lots of people take it that way, but many of them spend their mornings in church. the bells are actually what I rely on to get me up on Sunday mornings. All Saints Day and the Annunciation are major national holidays.
As for 'pagan' religions, I've never ever met someone who would come close to professing they believe in them here. Germany, I hear, is much more open to that.
Lastly, sexual politics are HORRIBLE over here. HORRIBLE. This is something that I think is pretty much an Italian issue, but women's rights stink. Aside from the constant, *constant* cat-calling, there is not a female classmate that I know who has not been sexually molested on the bus, and several now have more nasty stories (ike being followed and grabbed, or having someone sit across from you in the train and openly masturbate). This is the country that let a man off with a lighter sentence in a rape case because the girl wasn't a virgin, and another man was let go entirely because the courts ruled that you can't rape someone wearing tight jeans.
And yet, there are more female bus drivers, doctors, police officers, construction workers and street cleaners.
It really seems like relgion isn't a huige subject here, ot because people aren't religious, but because they are A. more pragmatic about it and B. they all live in it. It's tradition. Why muck around with it?
It's a different from the fanaticism we see in America. Of course, if you follow the European view on that, it's because all Americans are basically teenagers-- passionate, loud, not very bright, freindly, but very black and white.