I'll admit I was just joking with my defence of the photograph takers, nobody else was sticking up for them. So all that cash cow stuff was tongue in cheek.
However, I don't see the great hypocrisy between the ceremonial attendance and the day-to-day. It's a much bigger discussion, but it's too easy to judge all these people the same and forget about external or perceived pressure on them to do the "right" thing. Maybe it's the church going parents/grandparents who expect it all to be done officially, maybe it's a belief that with schooling, baptism is essential and that then you have to go through with communions and confirmations.
I'd agree, it may not be to everyone's liking, but when it comes to matters of family and kids, the path of least resistance is hard to ignore. In an ideal world we'd all be big an tough enough to stick to our morals and chosen lack of effort in faith or belief, but when it comes to not upsetting the nannies or at least not having them the talk of the town or when it comes to not having your child sat alone while all their friends do the communions, it's easier to just go along with it.
I'm sure there are many here who consider themselves agnostic, atheist or whatever who also had their confirmations etc at a local church. While in our day it may not have been at the scale it is today, when we made up our minds about not believing (or sit on the fence as each way bet agnostic) did you hand back your confirmation money, presents etc? Isn't that hypocritical, selfish, greedy, etc?
The main point is that this isn't hypocritical, it's just the way it is. I'd see Irish Catholicism in the same way as a lot of Judaism, it's more cultural than spiritual. There are an awful lot of atheists who still describe themselves as Catholics and the same in Judaism (outside of Israel).
And that's not unique to Ireland, I think it's a hang over from Celtic and other forms of paganism where it was more about there ceremony than the spiritual side. When completing the conversion to Christianity, the sales pitch was that you get to keep the parties, you just don't have to sacrifice any goats or virgins and you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn on an equinox to get soaked wet in Meath. We were basically told you could keep the parties and have a few more, just change who we're worshipping.
Anyway, I do agree with ignorant gits at these things taking pictures etc, but there are rude inconsiderate people everywhere in at every event. I do disagree with judging those who attend too harshly on whether they're hypocrites or not.
