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...the fall has done something to us that makes it very difficult for us to live in health without the help of animals "giving" to us of their bodies

Our digestive system is simialr to other ominvorous beasts (bears and pigs) -- namely intermediate in length. The ruminating animals, such as cows have very long and complex alimentary canal (even two stomachs!) just to digest cellulose, and strict preditors (carnivors) have very short digective tracts.

The fact is that people world over like meat and compliment it with non-meat rather than the other way around. But, the animals do not only "give" us of their bodies, in Judaism, they even "take" and "atone" for our sins by being ritualistically butchered at the alter and their remnants offered (in lieu of us!) to God. This is something Judaism is traing very hard to revive.

Then there is the goat of Yom Kippur, who is not slaughetered but the "atonement;" instead our sins are transferred on the goat by laying our hands on its head and letting him run away with our sins, thus burdening the animal with our transgressions!

Fast is not a fast, of course, unless you feel that something is missing. Thus, having a lobster on a Friday night is really not a fast although it is technically speaking within limits required for fast. I think it is much more important to obstain from evil than from food. There is no point being myserable. We are not doing God a favor by fasting. We need to match our food with what's in our heart, our Chirstian heart.

There is no point being myserable. We are not doing God a favor by fasting. We need to match our food with what's in our heart, our Chirstian heart.

I pretty much agree.

The longest I've fasted was for close to 24 hrs. I've done shorter periods that were more beneficial because the 24 hr. one was in the mind of atonement, and the shorter ones were precipitated by a sense of love for the Lord, and wanting to exhibit the love by the fast. I still suffered pangs of hunger, but I welcomed them, because I welcomed the fast. It was a full free-will fast.

I've often wondered why the Church (maybe it does, and I don't know it) doesn't advise one during Lent to give up things like talking, excepting when necessary. Or to give up all negative commenting on anything under the sun.

I often think I should leave FR alone for several weeks, and spend that time praying or reading Scripture, etc., and not discuss any of it with anyone, allowing the assimilation of the reading or prayer to be between just me and the Lord.

And yet here I sit prattling away...