[southernnorthcarolina]

No doubt I'll get flamed for this, but that's OK, I can take it... One thing that really bugs me about many religions is the proscription of various foods. No pork for Muslims or Jews, no beef for Hindus, no meat on a few ever-changing days for Catholics (used to be all Fridays; do you suppose someone who ate a cheeseburger on a Friday in 1960 is now suffering eternal damnation, whereas it's OK to do so now?). Rules such as these, it seems to me, come closer to superstition than theology.

If someone were to force me to join a church (and that'll be a cold day in Hell, so to speak), I'd become an Episcopalian, I guess -- I'd only be required to give up something I don't like anyway for Lent.

[Bobby777]

no flame ... the New Testament addresses this specifically ... you might be surprised to read this ...

Colossians 2:16 KJV
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink,
or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon,
or of the Sabbath days:

http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible?search=judge+drink&SearchType=AND&version=KJV&restrict=Epistles&StartRestrict=&EndRestrict=&rpp=25&language=english&searchpage=0&x=12&y=7

[valkyrieanne]

If someone were to force me to join a church (and that'll be a cold day in Hell, so to speak), I'd become an Episcopalian, I guess -- I'd only be required to give up something I don't like anyway for Lent.

Episcopalians don't "force" you to give up anything for Lent.