There is not a clear line between anecdote and verified fact, or repeated observation and a 'law'. I recommend people read Hume's "On Miracles". No matter how often we observe something happening or not happening it is a leap to say it always/never happens.


And talking of anecdotal evidence: my experience of UKCatholic primary schools iwas nothing like that of Dave and Raggy, and my honest assessment is that I would probably have 'left the church' as well if it had been. We all fall short when it comes to "practicing what we preach" but there is a point where they are so far out of line that the whole caboodle becomes intolerable and I quite believe that's how I would have felt as well with the experience they both had. Yes, there were oddities like processions through the town every Corpus Christi but actually that was seen as an event for the whole town with a huge turn-out of people watching, big spreads in the local paper and what-not, but odd nevertheless.