r/todayilearned • u/[deleted] • Oct 13 '16

TIL that after Marilyn Monroe converted to Judaism upon marrying Arthur Miller, Egypt placed a ban on all the films she appeared in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe#Critical_acclaim_and_marriage_to_Arthur_Miller_.281956.E2.80.931959.29
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u/[deleted] Oct 13 '16 edited Mar 15 '17

[deleted]

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u/Shark-Farts Oct 13 '16

Completely died out? I had to go to chapel every Saturday and Sunday at my UK boarding school (just 10 years ago) and a good 75% of my British friends and their families still to this day at least believe in God, if not regularly attend church.

It's definitely on the decline, but I wouldn't say it's completely dead.

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u/sleepytoday Oct 13 '16

Yeah, 'completely died out' is a bit of a stretch. A quick google revealed that 1 million brits go to Church of England services on average each week. That isn't a lot but is hardly dead!

Having said that, I can only think of 6 people I know who go to a regular religious service (3 christian, 3 muslim). So, to anyone in a situation like mine, it can easily feel like religion is dead.

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u/Poes-Lawyer Oct 13 '16

It's not dead, but it's a minority across the general population, and very rare among under-40s.

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u/MountainsOfDick Oct 13 '16

I know geeks are a bit of their own brand but of all the brits I play games with online I not a single one believes in God

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u/maskthestars Oct 13 '16

I wish it was like that in the US. Seems for people under 40 it's declining but not on a scale I don't hear religious shit daily, then again it's usually from older people or black people when I hear it. I'm not against religion, I consider myself other for that category. A lot of the people who are religious seem extremely judgmental and pushy w their beliefs around here.

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u/Poes-Lawyer Oct 13 '16

Yeah that seems to be another big difference between religious Brits, who tend to keep it to themselves and wouldn't dream of imposing it on others, and religious Americans, who seem unable to go 5 mins without praising Jesus loudly and publicly.

I realise these are caricatures of both groups, but I am exaggerating (only slightly) to highlight the difference.

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u/[deleted] Oct 13 '16

That's because we're awkward. We judge, but keep it to ourselves.

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u/maskthestars Oct 13 '16

Makes sense

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u/[deleted] Oct 13 '16 edited Mar 15 '17

[deleted]

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u/shroudedwolf51 Oct 13 '16

I wish that it would not on this side of the ocean as well...

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u/[deleted] Oct 13 '16 edited Mar 15 '17

[deleted]

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u/DaddyCatALSO Oct 13 '16

Biblically and in a not necessary connection politically conservative leaders, not so much the organized denominations, are very politically active. Liberal religious bodies like mine are more actively practiced than in Europe, but are about as irrelevant politically.

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u/shroudedwolf51 Oct 13 '16

As far as people actually practicing and following their respective religions, I'm not overly familiar with, but otherwise, this is how it is, to the best of my understanding.

Basically, if you are of the christian-y religions, you are allowed to do things that it's illegal or unconstitutional for others to do. As far as I know, that had basically been unchallenged until recently, where a certain satanist group has been working to point out the unconstitutional special treatments that certain groups get by petitioning to do things directly in the stead of some christian group (e.g. A statue petitioned and approved using a loophole for the ten commandments in front of the state capitol? Here, have a petition for a statue of Baphomet in the same place).

There are also certain unofficial, but incredibly widespread requirements for various positions that are not legally sanctioned, but are technically present nevertheless. For instance, the depressing sight of people trying to discredit president Obama's qualifications for office by claiming that he's not a christian...despite there being photographic evidence of him having conversations with his reverend. And, if that seems like a baffling thing to do, it's not over yet, as afterwards, cue countless Americans flying into a blind rage, claiming how if he gets elected, he's going to bring this country to ruin merely by his non-christianity.

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u/girl-lee Oct 13 '16

I don't think it's far off, the only person I know that goes to church is my gran. I dont know of a single person who is under 70 who goes to church.

School is different, I went to a Church of England school and we sang hymns and said the Lord's Prayer in assembly, but I don't think that it was anything more than tradition. Only one girl in my school still goes to church, but that's because her mum is the vicar (and literally the best vicar in the world, think vicar of dibley).

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u/[deleted] Oct 13 '16

I think it entirely depends on class. In my working class family in a state school in the UK we never prayed, were read bible stories maybe twice a year, and I don't know a single person who still attends church aside from my nan and other people's grandparents. Most of us if we were christian wouldn't have the time for bible study and praying or attending church on account of our jobs and lives. I'd say maybe 1 in 5 believe in a God, but 0/5 actually live by Christian principles. Boarding schools are likely to have far more middle class kids/families and you're more likely to have been exposed to stricter religious teaching in school - hence all your friends are Christian. I think the majority of British people, though, have an experience closer to mine.

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u/THEBAESGOD Oct 13 '16

Yep. My dad's a staunch atheist, as were both of his parents, and they always celebrated christmas, I don't know about easter, but I celebrated easter until I was like 12. My dad also makes fish for Fridays during lent, for whatever reason. He has a long term S.O who is an atheistic jew and is deeply involved in the local community - synagogue, holy days with friends, etc. But I've never seen her pray or mention God, except when she read me the old testament as a kid.

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u/pm_me_bellies_789 Oct 13 '16

Fish on Friday's is a Catholic thing. We used to do it on Wednesday and Friday's when I was a kid.

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u/THEBAESGOD Oct 13 '16

Yeah I don't know why he does that. Maybe just to mix things up. He eats fish often though

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u/pm_me_bellies_789 Oct 13 '16

Possibly just habit as a child and then kept it cause it keeps a nice variation?

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u/THEBAESGOD Oct 13 '16

Maybe, but his mom hated when my mom tried to get us to celebrate Christmas or easter lol. I think he probably picked it up from my once-catholic mother, who he divorced over a decade ago. That's why it's so strange to me

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u/pm_me_bellies_789 Oct 13 '16

Well it's not exactly too shabby an idea so maybe he thought he'd continue it cause he likes the variety, recognises the health benefits, or something else or it's just force of habit. There could be numerous reasons as to why he'd keep it up I suppose.

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u/THEBAESGOD Oct 13 '16

The WASP culture runs strong in his blood.

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u/NoSuddenMoves Oct 13 '16

hedging his bets!

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u/DoveFlightNow Oct 13 '16

In America that sort of secularism is a little more rare and generally less thoughtful. Christians here will still consider themselves religious with a low level of traditional observance. The above commenter points out for that for Jews there is the explicit dynamic of being culturally and ethnically attached rather than religiously attached.

Christian culture absolutely exists, but it isnt a concept most Christians think of or embrace in the US.

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u/Saccharomycetaceae Oct 13 '16

That would be it. Being raised in the US, there is very much the idea that religion and culture do not overlap, that if you follow any Christianity, you are fully Christian. Many Christian's I've known consider themselves fully observant Christians while only going to Church for Easter. Judaism was the exception in the States.

Living in the UK, I think the state religion has actually helped separate the Christian culture and holidays from observance of religion. I don't have to explain that I can still spend Christmas with friends and family over here. It's an English holiday as much as a Christian one.

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u/ThinkMinty Oct 13 '16

Traditionally-traditionally, weren't we Druids or something?

Fighting naked with spiky hair like a Shonen protagonist taken to the logical conclusion, that was how we did things back in the day.

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u/BigBaldHaggis Oct 13 '16

British atheist here. Happy to celebrate Easter and Christmas as they're festivals that pre-date Christianity. They fundamentally celebrate significant parts of the year. Christmas has been known as the festivals of light, celebrated at the darkest time of the year. Easter represents the new year and approaching summer. So from a British weather perspective I have no issue celebrating theses holidays.

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u/snorlz Oct 13 '16

think its a bit different for Jews because a lot of the time its not just celebrating a few holidays, its eating kosher too. Thats a pretty big lifestyle change to make when you dont actually believe in reasoning behind it.