Lent

[BoneSnapDeez]

NO FAP LENT.

[Luke]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is 'Lent'?

It's a Catholic thing. You give up something you like for 40 days to build up bonus cookie points with God or some such crap.

No. No no. Not at all correct Boring.

Many faiths practice Lent including Protestant religions including Lutherans. It's a practice of self control and self reflection, and doesn't have to involve religion at all.

For me at least, lent and/or fasting are some of the biggest confidence builders you can experience. Not eating or giving up something you love for 40 days will give you that "If I can do this, I can do anything (except for a perfect game of Ninja Gaiden)" feeling.

The basic philosophy of fasting/lent is also very present in Asian cultures as well (but without all the Jesus stuff).

[foxhound1022]

Yeah, I was raised in a Catholic family, so I'm well aquainted with it. I vow to give up all tomfoolery and skullduggery for 40 days. lol.

[BRIK]

I might not go outside for 40 days then. Should be easy

[dsheinem]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is 'Lent'?

It's a Catholic thing. You give up something you like for 40 days to build up bonus cookie points with God or some such crap.

No. No no. Not at all correct Boring.

Many faiths practice Lent including Protestant religions including Lutherans. It's a practice of self control and self reflection, and doesn't have to involve religion at all.

For me at least, lent and/or fasting are some of the biggest confidence builders you can experience. Not eating or giving up something you love for 40 days will give you that "If I can do this, I can do anything (except for a perfect game of Ninja Gaiden)" feeling.

The basic philosophy of fasting/lent is also very present in Asian cultures as well (but without all the Jesus stuff).

I gave up drinking alcohol while my wife was pregnant since she couldn't drink. It seemed the fair thing to do as a sign of solidarity with her and what she was going through.

For something like Lent, unless you are doing it for religious purposes (which is a whole different conversation), I don't see the point of doing something like this for "self control" reasons. I think that most people already know what kind of self control they have or need to have, and denying yourself something that you want just to prove a point seems more like macho posturing than character building.

[Xeogred]

I definitely think if I fasted I'd die or something. I can't miss a meal a day or it's game over, enough as is right there.

That said I plan to change up my diet a lot in general this year. Gotta start cooking or something. My excuse is that I grew up with parents that rarely cooked so maybe that made me lazy, but it's probably time to change the family habit myself. Fast food and processed crap is just killing me.

I gave up caffeine last year, so I can probably quit soda this year.

[MrPopo]

I definitely think if I fasted I'd die or something. I can't miss a meal a day or it's game over, enough as is right there.

Heh, don't convert to Judaism then. We fast from sundown to sundown on Yom Kippur, 24 hours. That's a full fast, no food, no water (unless you have a medical condition, like diabedes). You don't tend to notice it, though, since you spend the whole time in prayer.

[s1mplehumar]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is 'Lent'?

It's a Catholic thing. You give up something you like for 40 days to build up bonus cookie points with God or some such crap.

No. No no. Not at all correct Boring.

Many faiths practice Lent including Protestant religions including Lutherans. It's a practice of self control and self reflection, and doesn't have to involve religion at all.

For me at least, lent and/or fasting are some of the biggest confidence builders you can experience. Not eating or giving up something you love for 40 days will give you that "If I can do this, I can do anything (except for a perfect game of Ninja Gaiden)" feeling.

The basic philosophy of fasting/lent is also very present in Asian cultures as well (but without all the Jesus stuff).

I really do not understand this argument. Are you practicing Lent or just fasting? Anywho, if we're going to call it Lent, then let's practice Lent from its origins. That said, I do not practice Lent, but I do believe some of its principles have merit. I'm completely pro reflecting on Christ's burial and resurrection, but that's something Christians should be doing 365 days a years anyway, imho. I won't elaborate on this point anymore (for sake of rousing another "Mosque" thread) on reasons why I don't participate in Lent.

Fasting on the other hand is something I'm actively involved in, or rather the Biblical perspective of fasting. I've been fasting since I was a young child. Heck, I'm on a fast right now (not bragging or anything...like Luke mentioned).

16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.


"Matthew 6:16-18"

[flex wood]

I lent someone a video game once never got it back.

Never doing that again.

[s1mplehumar]

I lent someone a video game once never got it back.

Never doing that again.

Pfft! I'm waiting on nearly 10 still out in the wild. When I find that turd!