Posted on 02/12/2008 11:35:43 AM PST by forkinsocket
Dutch Catholics have re-branded the Lent fast as the "Christian Ramadan" in an attempt to appeal to young people who are more likely to know about Islam than Christianity.
The Catholic charity Vastenaktie, which collects for the Third World across the Netherlands during the Lent period, is concerned that the Christian festival has become less important for the Dutch over the last generation.
"The image of the Catholic Lent must be polished. The fact that we use a Muslim term is related to the fact that Ramadan is a better-known concept among young people than Lent," said Vastenaktie Director, Martin Van der Kuil.
Three decades ago the Catholic Church was as strict as many Muslims are about Ramadan with a total ban on meat and alcohol during the 40-day Lenten period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
Most Dutch Catholics now focus on charitable work after the Vatican loosened fasting strictures for all but the first and last days of Lent back in 1967.
Four million Dutch describe themselves as Roman Catholics and 400,000 people attend Mass every week but only a few tens of thousands still mark Lent by fasting, said Mr Van der Kuil
Vastenaktie organisers hope that by linking the festival to Ramadan they can remind Christians who may be less observant than Muslims of the "spirituality and sobriety" of Lent.
"The agreements are more striking than the differences. Both for Muslims and Catholic faithful the values of frugality and spirituality play a central role in this tradition," said Mr Van der Kuil.
I’m a Catholic and this allows me to expand my self-denial. I’m giving up sweets for Lent, and diversity, multiculturalism, moral relativity, ecumenism and all vestiges of political correctness for Christian Ramadan.
Left??? They're already lost!
Dinah Lord, you took the words right out of my mouth. Before which I had NONE.
We had friends who lived in Damascus, thinking ‘living in another culture would be so enriching.’ (libs). They came back, really HATED that culture. She said that during Ramadan they had all-night, every-night feasts and drinking to excess, that ended as the sun came up.
As Christians, thinking ‘fasting’ and what it meant to them, she said it was just disgusting to see the contrast. The entire experience was disgusting, actually.
This was about 1984, a little pre-jihad, although probably not really.
Hey all you Dutch pseudo-Catholics, you certainly haven’t given up licking Muzzie ass for Lent or whatever other blasphemous term you want to give to it. Yum-Yum! Can’t get enough! If I lap it up more cravenly will you kindly not cut off my head?
Where is the Inquisition when you need ‘em?
Why did every movement toward total decadence in the world seem to start in the sixties? Vatican II was no more enlightening than the Great Society and improbably more harmful.
I’m giving them up forever.
Muslims must present non-Muslims with the three choices of the Koran - Sura 9:29: conversion, submission with second-class status under Islamic rule, or death.
It's my death or the Muslim's. I'm going to have to change my tagline one of these days.
Yes, and voluntarily taken.
You will see the first European nations start to fall by 2020 and after that it will be a quick succession.
Here's hoping that their displeasure is reflected in the amount of money NOT collected by this charitable organization and its boneheaded director.
Wait. I thought Ramadan was the Islamic Lent. Don’t they give up beheadings from sunrise to sunset?
I tried to find more info on Vastenaktie, but don't see anything of interest that translates well.
Looks like the Dutch are opting for the second door. What has happened to a once proud people?
They also abstain from sexual relations with chickens, or so I’ve been told.
no worries. I was about to rebrand “moderate muslims” as people who call themselves muslims but act like Christians.
Your question seems to ignor the obvious fact that Europe is already LOST!
*gag*
Not cool at all.
Ok, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and now the Dutch...
This is insane.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.