Well its that time again...

[jimmygun]

Time for all good Catholics to give up stuff for lent. According to the GodSquad site...

"Catholics who have reached their 14th year are bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and on the Fridays of Lent. Catholics 18 to 59 are bound to observe the fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday (March 25).

On a fast day, Catholics eat only one full meal; two smaller meals may be taken, and food is not eaten between meals. Liquids may be taken at any time. Persons who because of age or illness cannot fast are encouraged to engage in some other form of penance."

Can someone please tell me what eating one full meal and two smaller meals has to do with fasting? I got into this argument last year with the wife. It is my claim that fasting for a Catholic is just a matter of pretending and boasting. The same can be said of the Catholic doctrine that declares there is no such thing as divorce.

[Zep]

The whole idea is not at all "Christian" in any sense. I'm sure theological scholars will correct me, but these ideas of penance were all invented by the church clergy in the Dark Ages for some reason, probably to keep the peasants in line and permanently penitent. And poor.

[RamblingOnwards]

Originally posted by jimmygun
Can someone please tell me what eating one full meal and two smaller meals has to do with fasting? I got into this argument last year with the wife.

Be aware that catholics do use the word 'fast' more widely than the rest of us and here probably means ALL the days of lent (fasting days on the catholic calender are four wednesdays, fridays and saturdays spread out through the year, all the days of lent, All Saints Day, Christmas day). Since a special note is made of ash wednesday and good friday, it might imply that those are 'strict' fasts - using the word the way we understand it.

[Hutch]

On a fast day, Catholics eat only one full meal; two smaller meals may be taken, and food is not eaten between meals. Liquids may be taken at any time. Persons who because of age or illness cannot fast are encouraged to engage in some other form of penance."

ah yes, 'fasting', which meant grilled cheese sandwiches on Fridays (I hated fish) and only one meal during Fridays of Lent.

At least when Muslims fast, they really do it right. During the period of Ramadan, a Muslim (unless very young or ill) cannot eat food, drink water, and must abstain from smoking and sex. And having spent 4 years in a Muslim country, I am convinced that most do it.

Of course, once the sun goes down at Iftar, then the party begins......

[StaticEngine]

Has anyone noticed that this fasting time occurs at the end of Winter and beginning of Spring, when perhaps 500 years ago, food stores would have been at their lowest and the spring crops would not have been harvested yet?

Seems pretty convenient to me...

Personally, the only reason I fast is to lose weight, and then I just eat smaller meals. Plus exercise. I don't know what any religion says about exercise though.

[alfaniner]

I used to think of it as an exercise in discipline. Now I don't think about it at all.

[c4ts]

Originally posted by Hutch

Of course, once the sun goes down at Iftar, then the party begins......

That's what fasting is really about!