Is anyone not eating meat on Fridays up till Easter?

[BlueTsunami]

I know I'm going to be eating meat like I normally do. My mother actually tried to shame me into not eating meat on Ash Wednesday and I'm all like "lol" (stopped doing it ever since I turned 17. She asked me once why I would blaspheme like this and I replied with "Blame yourself or God" and walked away. It was awesome.

I just ate six strips of bacon and scrambled eggs, Jesus it was delicious. No wonder they feed old people scrambled eggs, you can gobble that shit like a duck without it getting logged in your throat.

[Eric P]

next time she does that, you pop off some moves and end it with "Vatican 2: electric boogaloo says i don't need to do all that."  then your friend turns on his giant boom box and you dance battle joseph ratzinger

[tiesto]

No I'm gonna eat more meat tonight than demi during a bear orgy.

[Tauntaun]

The Roman Catholic Church is     Where does it say in the Bible not to eat meat on Fridays?  These man made laws are dumb. 

[CajoleJuice]

My dad doesn't eat meat on Fridays all year round.

[Phoenix Dark]

is your dad bald?

[CajoleJuice]

hahaha no. Even my grandpa has a decent amount of hair. I will have a beautiful, thick head of hair for a long time.

[TVC15]

I never understood the whole "fish don't count" thing.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

why would you not eat meat on Fridays?

[CajoleJuice]

Because the Catholic Church says not to! That's enough, HEATHEN!

[BlueTsunami]

I never understood the whole "fish don't count" thing.

Same thing here, my parents will probably be eating Fish today too, or once they get tired of Cheese Pizza

[Rman]

This might bring some insight, TVC.  It may not be authoritative, though

I'm actually listed as an expert in this category because I'm an expert on the Catholic U of A. I'm really here as a grad student to tell people about housing, the library, the faculty, etc.

However, while not Catholic personally, I also happen to be a Medieval historian.   So I can tell you that the custom of abstaining from meat during Lent is far older than the 20th century.  Fasting has been around since the early days of the church.   The idea behind the fast is to eat only enough to sustain yourself (1 meal a day), and nothing luxurious such as meat.  Initially milk, cheese, and eggs were not allowed either.  By the 1400's most people were allowed to eat these on fast days, however (though members of monastic orders might still refrain).

Scripture is the source of the idea that people should fast.  The Gospel of Matthew says, "the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they shall fast" (Matthew 9:15).  The bridegroom refers to Jesus.  Of course this doesn't say how long one should fast!  Those sorts of regulations were also set very early however. The number of days in Lent was set at 40 by the 7th century AD if not earlier.

Because they didn't have a modern understanding of various species, what counted as meat was a little odd to Medieval Christians.  Of course, they allowed fish, even though it's technically the meat of a living thing.  And since some birds spend much time at sea (geese, puffins), they were conveniently classified as fish too at times! 

Also during the middle ages, one was supposed to fast EVERY day.  Well, every day that wasn't a feast day for a saint -- which is about 36 out of the 40.  As with the fasting during Ramadan in Islam, exceptions would be allowed for people who were young, ill, pregnant, etc.

Some historians do note that the period of Lent occurs during the time of least food.  You've used up many of your harvest supplies, and the new early crops haven't started growing yet.  So it may well be that the designation of 40 days was influenced initially by the realization that this was the time period people might well be forced to fast anyway. 

In that sense, necessity and food shortage may well have shaped Lent to some extent -- but far earlier than the first world war.

I hope that answers your question!  Thank you for writing,

[Fresh Prince]

I do by default unless I eat out.

[Phoenix Dark]

The problem with the religious people against meat: the law was given to the Jews, as were their diet limitations. But even those were eventually dropped. Rise Peter, slay and eat mother fucker

[Fresh Prince]

The problem with the religious people against meat: the law was given to the Jews, as were their diet limitations. But even those were eventually dropped. Rise Peter, slay and eat mother fucker

Ahh no. Look at Rman's link- it's about abstinence, depriving yourself of a 'luxury' on Friday probably in anticipation of Good Friday.

[Phoenix Dark]

no biblical basis eh? well then screw them, more meat for me

[Phoenix Dark]

Cohen, taste is not the same as appetite, and therefore not a question of morals. My taste includes both meat and fish

[Shins]

I ate a Big Mac, so its iffy.

[Fresh Prince]

no biblical basis eh? well then screw them, more meat for me

For a Christian you don't know much. The 40 days of Lent is to reflect Jesus and his 40 days in the desert, fasting etc which also serves to prepare people for Easter.

[Shins]

For a Christian you don't know much.

this can be a fun statement.

[CajoleJuice]

no biblical basis eh? well then screw them, more meat for me

For a Christian you don't know much. The 40 days of Lent is to reflect Jesus and his 40 days in the desert, fasting etc which also serves to prepare people for Easter.

Homeschooling even fails at teaching Christianity.

[Phoenix Dark]

no biblical basis eh? well then screw them, more meat for me

For a Christian you don't know much. The 40 days of Lent is to reflect Jesus and his 40 days in the desert, fasting etc which also serves to prepare people for Easter.

It's irrelevant to me as a gentile, and it certainly isn't biblical. But if it is someone's religious belief they are more than welcome to it

I don't believe in symbolic statements of faith, whether it's baptism ("outward act of an inward change") or fasting

[Fresh Prince]

I don't know how fasting (as in 1 meal on Friday, no meat etc)  can be symbolic considering people physically starve themselves for 'God'. It's small but it is a physical action, not some empty words and hand waving.

[Phoenix Dark]

Which is why I compared it to baptism. It's an outward show of faith, and rather unnecessary in my opinion.

[bluemax]

$1.29 filet o fish friday's! Thanks Catholics! (I miss the $1 filet o fish friday's though).