What are YOU giving up for lent?
christianity
Quote from: RandMuadDib on March 08, 2011, 11:32:23 pm
christianity
Okkaayyyy but I expect you to be Christian after 40 days...
lol Touché
Lint.
Red meat
Putting in at least 1.5 hours of work into my patch every day
Reading "The Great Divorce" by CS Lewis - I enjoy forcing myself to plow through and digest a random philosophy/theology book/text/thing each lent. This time it's actually Christianity! XD. Was bought on a recommendation, but it's like... 150 pages and not small font, so 40 days to read it is nothing
Gettin' my ashes at noooooon.
~
Random background: Although I was raised catholic, I'm currently about as secular as someone can be. But Ash Wednesday and Lent is still a practice/ritual I like to be a part of.
What is lent...?
It's a time when you're supposed to sacrifice something in your life. I think it has to do with showing devotion to God, but I'm not certain of the details.
I gave up Eternal's dreams for lent...cuz...that's important to me...and stuff....
Quote from: Eternal248 on March 09, 2011, 12:46:25 pm
It's a time when you're supposed to sacrifice something in your life. I think it has to do with showing devotion to God, but I'm not certain of the details.
Less devotion to God, and more to gain a closer understanding on the nature of temptation (and sacrifice). During Lent one is supposed to give up something (a lot of people like doing food nowadays, buncha softies) they enjoy eating/doing/etc and simply do without it. More recently things have been adapted to include forcibly doing something positive as a replacement of simply doing without what is usually a negative. Coworker of mine for example is giving up fried food and sweets for lent. In my younger party days I gave up drugs (alcohol et al), but I'm at a different point in my life so giving up those things now is akin to me giving up "eating sticks of butter like they were apples"
Lent is forty days long, in parellel to the "temptation of christ" wherein Jesus wandered the desert for forty days and was continually tempted by Satan. During this time, Catholics are supposed to repent (more than normal), fast, and otherwise prepare their body both physically and spiritually for the resurrection of Jesus, which is celebrated on Easter. As per wikipedia: "The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigour during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbour)." On Ash Wednesday and all fridays, non-fish meat is traditionally forbidden, arguably in order to bring the nobles onto the same levels as the commoners for a few days out of the year (humility is awesome, no?). Used to be all meat and dairy, but like most things this practice, too, has become less rigid.
If you're familiar with Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) or Brazil's Carnival, it's joined to this. Because people are going through a period of fasting and withdrawing, they then go buck wild the night before and indulge in their sacrifice prior to it being forbidden.
The ash used to annoint people's foreheads for Ash Wednesday is typically made from burning last year's palms from Palm Sunday. The priest usually mutters either "thou are dust, and from dust you shall return" or "turn away from sin and be faithful."
PS - my favorite part about Easter is the fact that it's tied to the lunar cycle. Easter occurs on the sunday, after the first full moon, after the spring equinox.
Nice explanation. I knew Fat Tuesday was tied to it somehow, but I wasn't sure how.
Randomly, my birthday fell on Easter last year (or the year before). It was a good dinner. :D
What a waste of mentality...
The concept is nice, though. Build willpower by giving something up you really enjoy.
Beer
pr0n :(
Quote from: Eternal248 on March 09, 2011, 06:44:29 pm
The concept is nice, though. Build willpower by giving something up you really enjoy.
Considering it's religion, it's mostly a sacrifice to increase faith. Still a waste.
IF I was still catholic. I would give up Dino for lent.
*read philsov's ever-enlightening post*
I swear I learn more about religion on this board than I ever did in getting dragged to church as a child.
Quote from: Kokojo on March 09, 2011, 09:42:52 pm
Considering it's religion, it's mostly a sacrifice to increase faith. Still a waste.
Doing good things for the wrong reasons... is still doing good things. There is no way this sort of practice can be viewed as a waste.
No religious indifferences please. Only curious what people will give up for lent in this community.
(Mando you can never give up me)
Ok, incoming lent of giving up talking to Dino. Starting now!!!!!111
Quote from: dinosaur on March 10, 2011, 02:46:52 am
No religious indifferences please. Only curious what people will give up for lent in this community.
Iiiiiiiiiiiis dinosaur giving anything up?
I lent the dust in my apartment.
What do I get? What do I get?
Quote from: philsov on March 10, 2011, 12:15:25 pm
Iiiiiiiiiiiis dinosaur giving anything up?
"Black guys" ~ Stewie
Haha actually I am giving up nothing :3
Don't let your Faith get too high, or you'll leave the party. And how much does this sacrifice boost your Willpower? One point? Does it stack?
It gives you a +2 to Willpower but unless you have the True Faith feat it only lasts for about 7 days...but it does stack with all other bonuses.
Too bad you can't use it with Black Magic.
I have bullheaded and iron will, so I can easily last this 40 days.
... but wisdom was still my dump stat so I am not sure of what I am giving up yet >.<