I'm half and half on this subject, mostly because I have a bit of a tiff with religion and the churches.
I can trace my mom's side of the family to both sides of Ireland (North and South), so my family has had a really big influence in religion. That is, until my mom was born. She grew up religious and once she married, she just stopped doing religious things. She hates Ireland, won't tell me anything about my family (same with my grandma on her side) and thus I honestly can't tell you anything but I know I'm from both sides.
My Fiction professor Monday told us, "If you don't know it, avoid it." Which I think is actually good advice. Just because religion isn't IN a fic doesn't mean that it isn't in the background. Just because it isn't mentioned that a character goes to church or prays doesn't mean that he doesn't do it.
With Seamus, it is assumed that the Good Irish Boy has religion in him, people assume that of all Irish, but what if he doesn't? What if his father wasn't religious and therefore his mother wasn't? It can happen. My grandma let it slip one day that her grandparents weren't religious and they were 100% Irish blood. Her mom was only religious after she married her father, who was religious (and they were the ones that came from the North and South). So while it's assumed he's religious, he could be one of the rare ones that isn't religious.
What it all comes down to is the author's preferences. I personally don't write religion (I hate it, to be honest, and there's nothing that I've seen that could change my mind) unless I absolutely have to. Like if I would write Seamus now, he wouldn't be religious. BUT, if it were canon in the books and Rowling explored that instead of focusing on how much Harry wants Malfoy, then I would write it in, I'd just ask a lot of dumb questions to see if things would be in character for the religion.
On the subject of Boondock Saints -- I love the movie WAY too much to actually get into the fandom of slashing them. I don't know why, but I just like seeing them and the relationship they have there. I think if I realy the slash fandom, it would ruin it for me. Hell, I'll slash them in my head during certain scenes (deleted scene where they're rolling around naked anyone?), but other than that I just love seeing them as the close brothers that they are.
no subject
I can trace my mom's side of the family to both sides of Ireland (North and South), so my family has had a really big influence in religion. That is, until my mom was born. She grew up religious and once she married, she just stopped doing religious things. She hates Ireland, won't tell me anything about my family (same with my grandma on her side) and thus I honestly can't tell you anything but I know I'm from both sides.
My Fiction professor Monday told us, "If you don't know it, avoid it." Which I think is actually good advice. Just because religion isn't IN a fic doesn't mean that it isn't in the background. Just because it isn't mentioned that a character goes to church or prays doesn't mean that he doesn't do it.
With Seamus, it is assumed that the Good Irish Boy has religion in him, people assume that of all Irish, but what if he doesn't? What if his father wasn't religious and therefore his mother wasn't? It can happen. My grandma let it slip one day that her grandparents weren't religious and they were 100% Irish blood. Her mom was only religious after she married her father, who was religious (and they were the ones that came from the North and South). So while it's assumed he's religious, he could be one of the rare ones that isn't religious.
What it all comes down to is the author's preferences. I personally don't write religion (I hate it, to be honest, and there's nothing that I've seen that could change my mind) unless I absolutely have to. Like if I would write Seamus now, he wouldn't be religious. BUT, if it were canon in the books and Rowling explored that
instead of focusing on how much Harry wants Malfoy, then I would write it in, I'd just ask a lot of dumb questions to see if things would be in character for the religion.On the subject of Boondock Saints -- I love the movie WAY too much to actually get into the fandom of slashing them. I don't know why, but I just like seeing them and the relationship they have there. I think if I realy the slash fandom, it would ruin it for me. Hell, I'll slash them in my head during certain scenes (deleted scene where they're rolling around naked anyone?), but other than that I just love seeing them as the close brothers that they are.