The sybolism is very strong. During the Spanish civil war, the republicans often had to physicaly destroy the statues of the virgin mary etc. before the people would believe they held no power.

Symbolism is used throughout the Bible. From Conveniently Named People and Places to Numbers like 3, 7 & 12, and literary constructs throughout. Speaking in alegory and parables rather than simple straightforward stories.

When the church began, the vast majority of people were illiterate, and the mass was in Latin, so they had to use symbolism and ritual. Not an excuse; just a fact. It appeals to a non-rational part of our minds.

Training church-goers with tradition?

Monkey see, monkey do

Agreed. Just think about being at mass. Stand, sit, kneel, sit, line up, have a lousy snack, shake hands, etc. Nothing more than human Pavlovian behavior.

I went to a Catholic midnight mass at Christmas once with a friend who was catholic. This was 40 some years ago.
All I can say is - WOW! what a show!! If you had no exposure to anything else this would be normal but having never seen it I left the church with NO desire to even try to understand and just appreciated my lack of 'faith'.

It seems odd to us brits that when we see the USA on TV or films there are stars and stripes flags all over the place. Offices, peoples lawns etc. unless England is having it`s usual brief go at the world cup, you would hardly ever see the union flag anywhere execpt for govt buildings. Is not old glory yet another symbol?

It’s always difficult, though I’m not complaining , not having been brought up within a religion.. Can I relate? I don’t know.

A daughter once asked ‘what those little t’s on the tops of those buildings mean?’... They’re the symbol of a religion, I may have answered.. So when you see ‘a cross,’ you likely envision JC nailed to it … whereas atheist children, myself included, see a waste of building material But when I seen the Atomic symbol - I think American Atheist! ...sorry, no real answer here, only perspective