Nora,

I have to agree with you.  Just because you choose to stay out of a religious (or political) discussion to avoid negative consequences, does not mean 'faking'.  Faking to me is pretending something you are not, or claiming you are religious, when you are not.

Angie

Amen, Angie!   Some of my friends and I have,  on occasions when religious affiliation came up, used terms such as "nominal Christians", and "lapsed Catholics", and "non-observant Jews" , etc.   This is because we are persuaded that there are a lot of our friends and neigbors who continue to describe themselves as "Christians", or "Catholics" , or "Jews" who simply don't EVER visit a church, or synagogue, or temple of any sort, and who don't EVER utter (even just mentally) a prayer of any sort!   They're beyond the "C & E Christians" (who only think of their 'faith' on CHRISTMAS and EASTER").   Know any of those?