Further to my query about the SCW (many thanx for all your help) may I now ask for your views on how religion is viewed in contemporary Spain?

It is clear from the books on the SCW that there was much antipathy to the RC church right from the turn of the 20th century. Does that anti-church sentiment still exist, or are most citizens not really bothered about religion, as seems to be the case in many European countries. Is Spain largely secular?

Having spent a week in Barca in 2006 and visited the Sagrada Familia as well as the old cathedral in the Gotic quarter, and also a museum of religious artefacts, I had assumed that Spain was still a strongly Catholic country; was I mistaken?
Regards Gibbo

I think it is although may be different amongst the younger generation. Youngsters confirmations are still taken seriously. Before my friends Son was confirmed he had to do many hours of bible chanting after school. I thought it was strange that they spent so much time letting him do this as he is behind in his normal school work.

Notice also when the local Saint/virgin is carted around the streets, almost all cross themselves when it passes.

Islam seems to be on the up... which is nice.

Trying to generalise, the Spanish as a people are more religious than the British, but not as religious as Americans.

There is a huge age devide. Anyone over 40 is more likely to be religious. And a regional devide with Andalucians more likley to be religious.

The people I know in their 30s aren't religious, didnt get married in a church, their children havent been baptised etc. The catholic church isnt as "liberal" as the English one so you have to be properly religious to go there.

PP supporters much more likely to be Catholic then PSOE supporters. Except the Latin American immigrants who are socialist and Catholic.

Spanish people will still celebrate the religious festvals whether they are Catholic or not as it is traditional.

yes Spain is still strongly catholic, although it is becoming less so

if you opt for your children to study 'Religión' in Spanish state schools, they will only be taught catholicism - you can opt out though

several years ago those opting out were simply put into a different room & allowed to do homework or just do nothing if they so chose

now they have a sort of citzenship lesson - at the schools my 2 go to in any case

I agree there does seem to have been quite a big political ,religious divide.
There is a long history of extreme socialists or lefties burning chuches and monasteries to the ground, which goes back long before the civil war

The kids in the village or public schools are offered no religion at all (instead, they get a kind of 'ethics' class). The crucifixes are coming down off the walls.
In public hospitals, there are no more virgens or crucifixes (although there are in some private ones) and new public hospitals don't even have a chapel.
The evangelists seem to be making some impact in Spain ('iglesia evangélica').
There is a Catholic radio channel called La COPE which is popular (it has good sports coverage!). The channel is virulently anti-PSOE.

"Citizenship" classes are compulsory in spain now just as in the UK - it's a euro guideline I think.

other than that, while I don't deny that I find the religion issue interesting, as with the thread of the civil war, I just don't feel qualified to comment.

Carry on.

Religion is definately on the way down in Spain, less and less people are going to mass.
I find that people only seem to take communion when they cannot avoid it, IE when standing as a Godparent or something.

The "fear" that made the older folks go (especially in rural Spain) holds little sway over the people under 35 ish.

The protestant church has been on the up in Spain in recent years, mostly because of immigration from Latin America, and the Gypsy communities. In fact, Huelva has large Evangelical and Pentecostal congregations which are gaining popularity.

yes, they do ciudadanía as a separate subject at dd1's Instituto - but we still had to opt out of religion

at dd2's primary school they do the ciudadanía when the others are doing religion - so maybe they (the authorities) have decided that catholicism counts as citizenship

strangely I was discussing this with a student a few weeks ago - he was saying (from a spanish non-practicing-catholic lawyer point of view) that he thought it appalling that catholic kids don't get the citizenship lessons - which include sex education

so the catholic kids don't get the sex education at all

no they are just told they will burn in hell if they spill the seed

Hi
Can anyone tell me please about the religious concertado schools? are they all run by the church? Can u send your children to one even f u r not catholic? Thanks in advance.

I don't know much about them, except that they are difficult to get into, so probably catholics get first chance - or up the waiting list faster

Right - they all seem to have good reputations... thank you anyway