Posted on 02/27/2006 9:47:28 AM PST by tje
Just wondered what people were giving up for Lent.
I would note the great common sense closer from the website:
"One final consideration. Before all else we are obliged to perform the duties of our state in life. Any deprivation that would seriously hinder us in carrying out our work, as students, employees or parents would be contrary to the will of God."
And, no, I am not Roman Catholic, and I do have several minor theological differences with the RCC (like picking on freemasons, how silly), but I am tired of knee-jerk RCC-church bashing by people who don't understand their traditions (not that you are doing so).
I'm giving up television for lent.
"Can that be translated as "It is a sin to not comply"?"
Not a Roman Catholic, so "I don't know," is my answer.
My GUESS, being Anglican, is that they would not "be in good standing" and thus not able to hold lay office in the church that year.
I do not believe it is a matter of "sin," so much as "respect." Basically, if you don't "respect" the traditions, go somewhere else.
Oh, I haven't decided yet, but that would be soooo difficult for me, too. Quite the sacrifice. ;-)
So, a Nigerian Catholic is sinning for eating meat on a Friday outside of Lent, while God gives an American Catholic a pass? What if the Nigerian Catholic is visiting the US? Does God make him follow the Nigerian rules or the American rules? How about if he is flying to the US from Nigeria on a Friday? Does the Nationality of the Air Line then determine whether God permits the Nigerian to eat meat? I wish Paul had addressed some of these concerns in his Epistles? He would have had to substitute a ship for the plane, but I'm sure we could have figured it out...
It shouldn't be. The practice is encouraged, not mandatory.
A great devotion. I haven't decided yet, but that is a great idea for Lent and all year.
You posted this to yourself.....cute.
Giv'n it up for "beer docks"
I don't defend any bueracracy or their quibblling.
The purpose of Lent is to remind one self, in a very small way, of the sacrifice of Christ.
If you chose not to do so, that is your business.
You don't have a television. Right?
It was still read by the intended party.
I like this answer. I am fully supportive of any group saying: "This is how we are. If you want to join us, you must be this way, too."
What I don't like is: "This is what we believe, and if you don't accept it, you are going to Hell, because we are the one, true Church."
Accidently...
I don't consider my Catholic-bashing to be "knee-jerk". I prefer to think of it as "well planned and flawlessly executed".
</Tongue-in-cheek>
But if a group says this, and you don't believe it to be true, why would you care?
Islam says this too, but since I don't believe it, I just don't care.
As long as you don't add "funny" to that list.
The Lord told me we were even for a couple decades.
You mentioned St. Paul --- he addressed your quandry quite squarely in Romans. (This is Romans 14, about half-way through a barn-burner):
1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[b] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
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