Learned something new today...

[PolskiKrol]

This came up in a discussion in the Guys forum,

I don't know if Catholics know it or not, but y'all have a reputation. It's not a good reputation. I didn't give it to you. I'm saying what is true. The general population sees you as a group of people who drink like fish. In high school Catholic = drunk. Oh the rejoicing when one of the Catholic kids threw a party, or if there was a Catholic wedding cause you KNEW you could go there and get freaking hammered.

Catholics are prone to alchool? I know Irish have the reputation, and many Irish are Catholic (like myself), but do Catholics in general have a reputation for drinking?

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

Depends on the Catholic if they are prone to addiction. Brain receptors control this addiction...some have the "right" receptors to become addicted easier than others.

As for reputation...I don't think so. I mean, we aren't strict on having a drink or two like Baptists or anything, but drunkiness is a sin in Catholicism.

 

[Rising_Suns]

This came up in a discussion in the Guys forum,



Catholics are prone to alchool? I know Irish have the reputation, and many Irish are Catholic (like myself), but do Catholics in general have a reputation for drinking?

I was not aware of this reputation. If anything, I would say Catholics are the most responsible drinkers, but not the heaviest.

 

[Dominus Fidelis]

I'm an Irish Catholic too, and I do like the occasional drink, although I much prefer a good Percocet pill. (In fact, I told my doctor not to refill the prescription after my surgery years ago because I knew I liked them way too much!)

 

[Rising_Suns]

although I much prefer a good Percocet pill. (In fact, I told my doctor not to refill the prescription after my surgery years ago because I knew I liked them way too much!)

Yes, pain killers can be *very* addictive. Good thing you were wise enough to let your doc know.

 

[tjboie2001]

But it also depends on the person not every catholic's drink at all. I mean there are catholics that probably don't like to drink at all.

 

[frettr00]

I don't drink much, I'll occasionally have a Lager or something but it's really not one of my more preferred things to do.

 

[ukok]

I rarely drink and i have never heard any such thing about Catholic's. This sounds to me like one guy's sole opinion...making the mistake that he can speak for the 'general popluation'...it's absurd...how big is the 'general population' and does he really know that many people!!!

God Bless.

 

[geocajun]

that's anti catholic stereotype thats been around for ages...

 

[faerieevaH]

Actually, I've heard of that reputation as well. I think in the US it might be indeed because alcohol use is associated with certain nationalities like the Irish or the Polish, and amongst them a majority is Catholic.
In Belgium though 'drinking a lot' is often something that's associated with priests as well, though that has probably other historical backgrounds as well.

 

[Dream]

I am an Irish Catholic; never touched a beer in my life. I think I'm the only sober person on campus.

 

[HumbleMan]

If you'll allow a non-Catholic to share his view.......

Most protestants are usually very strict in their view that alcohol is sin. Not the drinking of it, but alcohol itself. Since the Catholic church (and I believe Lutheran) really don't have a prohibition against moderate drinking, they're viewed as alcoholics. Plus all the Hollywood depictions of the jolly old catholic knocking back shots of Irish whiskey doesn't help.

 

[PolskiKrol]

I think in the US it might be indeed because alcohol use is associated with certain nationalities like the Irish or the Polish

Heh, I'm half Irish, half polish, all Catholic. Guess that explains a bit...

 

[Filia Mariae]

Most protestants are usually very strict in their view that alcohol is sin. Not the drinking of it, but alcohol itself. Since the Catholic church (and I believe Lutheran) really don't have a prohibition against moderate drinking, they're viewed as alcoholics. Plus all the Hollywood depictions of the jolly old catholic knocking back shots of Irish whiskey doesn't help.

HumbleMan,

You are correct that Catholics do not believe moderate drinking is sin, partially due to Jesus' example. Nor do most mainstream Protestant groups such as Lutherans or Methodists, although many evangelical and fundamentalist Protestants do.

I believe you are also correct in your assessment that Hollywood promotes the image of the intoxicated Catholic.

I also think alcohol consumption is associated with certain ethnic groups, like the Irish, who are mostly Catholic.

PS- Your kids are cute!

 

[ZooMom]

Heh, I'm half Irish, half polish, all Catholic. Guess that explains a bit...

Betcha love a rousing game of Bingo, too, dontcha?


It's nothing more than stereotyping, as Geo said. It's just like saying that all black people love watermelon. How stupid is that?? I haven't a clue how these idiotic things get started, but the best thing to do is make light of it. Anyone who would say something like that or believe, knows absolutely nothing about Catholics or alcoholism.

Peace be with you!

Sandy

 

[darby8]

I'm (mostly) Irish, too. I don't know how anyone can acquire a taste for alcohol. Yuck!

I'll have my beer at O'Reilly's. I don't taste it there.

Just pour me a sody-pop. Please, no diet. That taste's awful, too.

 

[ZooMom]

Heh. I can still hear the gasps from the Protestant forums when I first opened Reilly's. It was a scandal! Bad enough that the Catholics had their own forum, but now they're handing out *alcohol*! You should have seen the other establishments that sprang up and made a *point* of advertising *NO ALCOHOL, JUST GOOD CLEAN CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP* "We don't need to drink to have a good time!"

Guess that put us in our place, huh? Gee, I wonder whatever happened to those threads?

 

[Metanoia02]

For what it's worth, I was raised Lutheran. I am an alcoholic. I didn't stop drinking until I became Catholic. I guess that shoots a hole in that theory!

 

[ZooMom]

Nah. You're just an abberration.

Kidding. God bless and keep you. My step-father is an alcoholic and I pray that he finds the Grace to overcome it, as you have. He suffers now from diabetes because of it, and he still won't stop.


Peace be with you!

Sandy

 

[Miss Shelby]

Catholics are prone to alchool? I know Irish have the reputation, and many Irish are Catholic (like myself), but do Catholics in general have a reputation for drinking?

YES! And if you're Irish Catholic it's even worse! Invite this dude to one of our meatless keggers during lent and I will show him how to REALLY have a good time!

Michelle

p.s. for the benefit of the humor impaired, I am joking.