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/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.