I grew up Catholic and therefore stopped going to church when I was 12.  My older sister taught me the slick way to sneak out during communion.  (Sit in the last pew and bolt!!! when no one is looking.)  I never would have thought of that on my own; I was a "good" girl.  After we left, she used me as her lookout when she shoplifted pink lipsticks from the local drugstore.  As soon as I figured her out (I was a tad slow), I stopped hanging out with her.  I would have been better off in church.

To this day, she thinks I didn’t know she was stealing.   I hope she is reading this.

I agree with much of what Joan Juliet Buck wrote.  In particular:

"I’m afraid I can identify with most heritages, cultures and religions I come across, which makes me either a cultural and religious whore, or a new-age patsy. I like most religions and traditions, apart from cannibalism, Meso-American human sacrifice, Dragon lore, witchcraft, female circumcision, Sundance rituals and Morris Dancing."

The only ‘caveat’ is that while I respect and appreciate most religions and cultures, I long ago abandoned participating in any ‘structured’ or ‘sacred’ [religious] rituals - such as communion, for example.  Yet, I enjoy many of the Catholic and Presbyterian ‘holy’ celebrations, with all the pomp, glorious decor, and choral music.  Also, I enjoy the tranquillity of meditation and chants, which are common in many of the [Eastern] Buddhist Temple ceremonies.

I grew up in the 1940s in a small town of about 12,000 to15,000 in central Texas.  My culture comes from the Germans who settled New Braunfels Texas in 1845 - 1860.  All of my ancestors were from Germany.    New Braunfels was very much a " German town"  when I grew up.  I spoke German before I spoke English.  I can remember 2 girls who tried to talk to me as a small child and I couldn’t understand them.  I learned English by the time I was 3, but German was spoken in the community even in downtown stores. We spoke German in the home or with relatives. But it was the "Old German language" in which there was no word for new inventions, such as, airplane so they called it a luftschief … which is a dirigible, same for other things, telephones, cars, etc.    Our " OLD" German language  is being lost and someone from the University of Texas has been interviewing people who still are fluent in the language to tape it for the future. 

 The traditions we have carried forth by the few Germans still left here are the music, card games such as Skat, dominoes, nine pin bowling, the interest in the people, we  who go back to the original settlers.  Sadly I no longer speak German.  I married a guy from Philadelphia who didn’t speak German.  He did love New Braunfels and  hearing the German language spoken and the clean neat homes and how everyone would keep a clean yard and home, the church was an important part for many.  Women were expected to use their time and interest in "Kirche, Kinda, Kuche" translated as  "Church, Children and Kitchen," 

 Our traditions are still kept in some homes, Christmas, Easter, and birthdays were all special times with great food and family.  Both sets of my grandparents were German and I do miss the good foods, such as: Pannas (Scrapple), home cured hams, sausage, homemade yeast coffee cake with jelly & thick cream with sugar and cinnamon on top.  Sweet rice as a part of the meal, homemade bread, always.  The women spent long days taking care of the house and garden, and the church activities or the farmer’s wife who also worked in the field, gathered eggs from the chickens and did all this without running water or electricity until the beginning of the fifties for some. W.W. II didn’t allow for getting electricity to the farms. 

 Our town has grown to such an extent that if I find someone who is of German ancestory we usually find someone in our lives who is related  in some way.  We now have many tourists in summer who enjoy our rivers and in winter we have many Winter Texans from the states of the upper mid-west.

 I am blessed that I came from good people who longed for freedoms and were willing to take risks to better themselves in Texas. My name Omie is a German word for Grandmother.  My grandmothers were Oma, and my mother was Oma to our daughter.  When grandchildren came along Mother was still Oma and I became Omie.  But that tradition is fading fast also.  I am the fifth German/Texan living in New Braunfels, we now have an 8th generation in our great grandchild and soon to be more, God willing.

Like Chris I ended up in Unity but lately losing it there too. So much for religion. I like to think I am spiritual and leave the religion out of it.

 Family history? well I left the Flanders 56 years ago but the Flanders never left me. I have poppies all around in my house, in paintings, embroideries and in silk. I cook tons of "French" fries.Gravies are my specialties.  I use French and Flemish words for things I never did remember in English and my kids do the same thing. 

My family history is mentioned in our history books going back to Charles V  , we were always in the town of Ghent ,  cobble stones, castles and cathedrals they are all etched in my memory.

I rejected my religion and ethnic background when I was fourteen.  I was brought up in a Jewish household, in a Jewish community, but I never felt I belonged.  I found so much bigotry and hypocricy there, and it revolted me. 

I have always had friends of many different backgrounds, and it has enriched my life considerably.  I consider myself "non-sectarian" and I became a Unitarian when I was nineteen — actually I suppose I had been one earlier, but that’s when I found out that there was a name for what I was.  I think religion and ethnicity divides people, and of course, has caused many wars and killing.

hmmm…. definitely no religion. And culture? Not one that’s considered a culture by any means. Although my best friend thinks of my family as sort of the last generation of the "hard west" culture. Loners, hard workers, card players, a little on the edge of legal lol. But the loner part is what makes it disconnected. 

I’ve always envied both the hispanic cultures and the african american cultures. They are so NOT alone. If you’re african american you’re automatically part of something in this country based on your skin color. you have your own way of relating that I envy. A sort of "I’m not alone" type of thing. A rich history of connection that I really missed growing up. There are caucasian cultures that have it. but not mine.

And the hispanic culture…. same thing but a different history. So much connection and family.

Both of my parents were first generation, parents immigrating from Italy and Ireland and living in immigrant rich Connecticut I was surrounded by the cultures everyday. When I was young the Catholic church was the center of that and I have fond memories of the music and holiday traditions - but never embraced the dogma. I feel equally Italian ( carrying on my grandmother’s tradition of making Italian Easter bread for the family) as I do Irish ( weeping into a pint of Guinness at the sound of Irish songs of longing for the old sod ) 

But I have the feeling that a strong cultural heritage ends after the 3rd generation. My sons are truly American, embracing the varied cultures of all their friends and girlfriends … Jewish, Asian, African American  .. and while they enjoy their Irish/Italian background ( My oldest living in Boston goes to the North End for ingredients for his Sunday Gravy) they really are citizens of the world.

I was a Catholic (RC) from Boston and Irish till I was in my late 20s; It was a heritage which gave me many things, but in 1966 an atheist/agnostic friend said, "If I were anything, I would be a Baha’i, and to my "What’s that" she explained that the Baha’i’s believe you must investigate truth yourself, but it is a world religion, and Baha’is believe in a concept called Progressive Revelation which basically means, in every age, God, who is an Unknowable Essence, sends Prophets, Manifestations, Messengers who brings social teachings for the age and renews spiritual teachings and unfolds to human kind further understanding.  Basically there are, according to this Baha’i, two purposes:  to know and to love God (that involves an ocean of comments) and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.  Which boils down to boys and girls, every age has it’s own purpose; Baha’is are followers of Baha’u’llah, Who they believe is the Promised One of all Ages.  As you know, the traditions of almost every people include the promise of a future when peace and harmony will be established on earth and humankind will live in propsperity.  Baha’is believe that the promised hour has come and that Baha’u’llah is the great Personage Whose Teachings will enable humanity to build a new world.

In other words, at the core of every religion is spiritual truth; because we’ve been in our infancy, childhood and now adolescence.  Humankind is coming of age; thus the global disequilibrium and equilibrium. It boils down to the oneness of humankind and service to humanity.  I have been a Baha’i (www.Baha’i.org) for over 43 years.  It has caused me to leave narrowness of belief, to see everyone as a soul, and caused me to be a small bricklayer in the process of building a foundation for justice, love and peace.