Controversy! Arguementation! Choose your religion!! [With poll]

[Dark Jaguar]

I've heard that from former Catholics in that they still somehow consider themselves catholic even after shedding pretty much every single aspect that makes them a catholic. That's not a bad thing, it's your choice, but it is weird that so many former Catholics hold onto the label. It's not something you see from most other religions. I've not heard of former protestants who keep the title of "christian" or former scientologists who still consider themselves scientologists after abandoning everything else, or former jedi who still call themselves jedi. Well actually come to think of it a lot of former Jewish people (Jewish faith, I should make that distinction) still call themselves Jewish, even if they don't actually believe anything that would make them Jewish any more. It is an odd peculiarity I have a hard time wrapping my head around. I understand the "entire identity wrapped up in faith" thing mind you, as mine was once upon a time, but when I finally decided to go all the way to "6 out of 7" on the atheism scale, I had no desire whatsoever to keep ANY part of that, title and all, in my life.

I'm not saying you can't call yourself whatever you want to call yourself, but it does defy understanding by someone on the outside. Is part of it a community thing?