Why is Ireland more Catholic than the UK?
488931
It is because in the 5th century St Patrick came to Ireland on a mission to convert as many pagans as he could in Ireland because the majorty of Ireland was pagan.  By the time of his death he had converted most of Ireland to Catholicism.\n\nNow by the 16th century King Henry VIII came into power and rejected the Catholic Church because the Pope would not let him divorce his wives (the reason he divorced his wives is a different story).  He then created his own religion and called it the Anglican Church.  This religion soon spread througout England, Whales, and Scotland. \n\nThat is why Ireland is predominantly Catholic and England Protestant.\n\nIf you have any more question go to where you can find any of the questions I asked and leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.
362966
Belfast is the capital of Northern Ireland. The island of Ireland is split in two. The South or republic of Ireland has its own government and is ruled from the capital city Dublin. The North of Ireland is governed from England and is part of the UK - united Kingdom. There are six counties in the North and twenty six in the South. At the moment due to the peace agreement there is little conflict going on. Previously paramilitary groups regularly bombed and murdered. Nationalist paramilitaries bomb and kill in hopes of a united island of Ireland and loyalist paramilitaries do the same in hope that they remain loyal to the queen and England. It's an extremely difficult situation and one that has involved the whole island of Ireland. There is alot of bitterness from the induced famine, emigration, penal laws etc. There was wrong on both sides - though I would say the British government never had the good of the people in mind or what might be right for Northern Ireland same as with the other colonies they held. The people in the North are trying to work towards a solution and a future without mindless violence and I wish them well in their endeavour.
1118067
Absolutely British.  As in they hold a British Passport !\n\nThere is no animosity between England and Scotland like there is between England and Ireland because England didn't occupy and segregate a part of Scotland as they did in Northern Ireland.  Secondly, there is no religious warring factions in Scotland as in the case of the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.
682280
some prejudice, yes but you will find a great deal more whom are related.  There is a huge pride in our Irish heritage.  We've suffered throughout time but coming from such a small island, isn't it curious? keep optimistic
244942
It actually depends on their diocese.  I know the bishop in ours offered a special dispensation that allows Catholics to eat corned beef on St. Patrick's Day.  Our Irish and Catholic population is pretty large, so it was a big deal.  I'm not Catholic and I don't really get it, but there you go.
1181440
LOL well my family migrated from Ireland, and sorry...we were not white trash...if you want to talk about HOLY WAR then look at your fantastic Ireland and her holy war friend, thats why my family left....\nPerhaps on the catholic side but still, its a stupid war, which would end if England which we can all agree are a bunch of tards lol....if they would get their hands off Ireland, Ireland would be much better off...\nIreland teaches its children how to hate one another, teaches how to fight and beat others who are not of their RELIGION!!! nice...real nice....\nProud of my background...
1021123
I believe it is because so many questions come from USA where most people are religious, go to church and are puzzled by what information they receive there.  Clearly their concerns are not answered by their priest etc.  In Australia only 1% of the population attends church regularly so there is not the concern about religious matters, and therefore not the steady flow of questions of this type
659028
It's not Parliament, it's the position of Head of State from which Roman Catholics and anyone married to a Roman Catholic are barred.\n\nIf the House of Commons and the House of Lords can allow Asian and African people into the chambers (Lord Tarsem King of West Bromwich, and Baroness Patricia Scotland of Asthal come to mind), then it's likely they'll allow Roman Catholics.
631864
The conflict is political not religious. England has for centuries tried to conquer and rule Ireland. It has even tried to outlaw Catholicism in Ireland like it did once in England.\n\nBoth England and Ireland were Catholic for centuries. Then King Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church so that he could get a divorce. Since then England has been Protestant. \n\nIreland has constantly tried to regain its freedom and independence. England has so far been pushed back to occupying six counties in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe media, which sadly always looks for short and easy ways to tell complicated stories, calls the Irish who wish a unified Ireland "Catholics" and the Northern Irish who wish to remain with England "Protestants" although there may be Catholics and Protestants on either side.\n\nI don't see know it relates to Romeo and Juliet.
939140
*waggles fingers* Atheist and American here. But still, you do have a point. Sure there is religion in the UK, but everytime I go over there alot more people have no religion than here in the US.
638177
I am in Bath, England and I can tell you, the main religion in this country is Christian (Prosestant), with a large number of Catholics also. We also have a massive Islamic community, particularly in the cities. The other religions you see here are Hebrew, Buddist (particularly in the South and London) and Jewish.\n\nHope this helps!
83930
It could be that the person they are planning to marry may be of another religion.  Such as catholics are only supposed to marry catholics.  It could also be that they had a bad experience with their prior religion and looked into different religions and found one they felt was more "in tune" with their personal beliefs.
390445
In America the non-theist were happy to let the theist live seperate lives.  Then one day we woke up and their religion was plastered everywhere.  Now we are fight for our basic rights against an uncarring judicial system.\n\nIn England the non-theist have been seeking a ballance for a long time.  Basically they have worked hard to keep the religious from trampeling all over them.
226642
'Cos people like being Irish I guess :)
576660
You need to draw a distinction when giving opinions on the situation in Ireland, as there are two very different situations in place. The Republic of Ireland is a democratic independent country for nearly 80 years, while Northern Ireland is still part of the UK. The history of both states has been very different since the 1920's, when the partition of the country was introduced.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, things were very tough, right up to the 1990's, with widespread emigration, high unemployment and very low income per capita. It was a poor country, often referred to as the "sick man of Europe". It was primarily an agricultural country, and the Catholic Church had huge prominence in the country, because the government did not have the resources to invest in schools and hospitals. The only thing it did have going for it was a good education system. But since the 1990's things have improved significantly. EU membership and massive inward investment, particularly from US IT companies and healthcare companies, propelled Ireland from the bottom of the league right to the top. It is now one of the richest countries in Europe, and huge amounts of money are being spent on bringing the infrastructure up to date. The Catholic church's influence has declined greatly and the country is at full employment. Most people in Ireland look at the country primarily from an economic perspective. Politically it is very stable and democratic, with no major conflicts and issues internally or with other countries. Most issues these days tend to be economic and how to cope with the demands of an increasing economy. \n\nNorthern Ireland was set up as a kind of British enclave, on the lines of a Protestant state for a Protestant people, notwithstanding the fact that it had a sizable Catholic population in its midst. Demands for greater Catholic civil rights in  the 1960's lead to riots and eventually the onset of the Troubles where the IRA decided to fight Britain using guerrilla warfare tactics. 3500 dead people later, the IRA decided to call it quits, and now things have begun to normalise in Northern Ireland. It's a much more peaceful place with an economy that is beginning to find its own feet. However huge scars still exist - Catholics and Protestants are still very divided, and it will probably take generations for these old divisions to be properly sorted out. The real issue for Northern Ireland nowadays is how the two communities can reach an accomodation with each other, and how the political leaders in the region can take full ownership over their own local problems. Re-integration with the rest of Ireland is a long way down the road. Nobody, except the most hardline, want to go back to the bad old days of the Troubles.
385690
Currently there are about 8 million parishoners in about 150 countries all over the world.\nThis figure is growing fast at the present time.\nAs to why this is the case, I would imagine it has something to do with personal choice. You would have to ask them individually.\n\nYou might however, consider sticking to your original ideas about religion.\nLet them be, and I'm sure they will continue to let you be.
34526
Catholics can be categorized as Christians. The difference is the Catholics believe that their church (via the Pope) has absolute authority in matters of spirituality. The rest of the Christian world (Protestants) believes that spiritual authority comes from the Bible alone.