i went to catholic school from 1st to 12th grade. i am technically a catholic, considering ive been baptized and confirmed but that was all because i had to. i do not practice any religion anymore, but i remember always giving something up for lent as a youngin, and i distinctly remember following through with it as hard as i could and i remember the guilt i felt if i failed.
that all seems so foolish to me now. i would never consider giving something up or trying to do something better for 40 days just because im told that i am supposed to. i find it ridiculous that people do this, giving something up for their supposed "god" for 40 days. What is 40 days? you should do these things anyway, not because its lent. if you truly want to better yourself then do it for yourself, not for this lame tradition that so many people blindly follow. and for what? please, tell me. because i dont get it. and probably never will. (sorry if i pissed anyone off)
To be completely honest I feel this way sometimes about the whole thing. Like the fact that we aren't supposed to eat meat on Fridays. I don't think we are all going to hell if we eat a cheeseburger on a Friday when there are people out there killing each other. I know that's not the point of Lent but I can't help but think like that some times
I was raised a Catholic and went through church school every Sunday before mass. I would consider myself to be more of a Christian now. I do participate in lent because I have done it for so many years now that it has become some what of a habit. It is not as a big of a deal as it was when I was growing up. Now it is more of something that I have done for so long that it wouldn't feel right not to participate.
I was raised Catholic but I don't know if that is the right word anymore. I do things differently now than I did when I was younger. For example, I don't go to church regularly, but I do for holidays and weddings. I don't agree with any of the changes of the Protestant sects of Christianity, but I acknowledge that some of the traditional stances of my faith are either outdated or need clarifying, like marriage and contraception. So really, it's like being Catholic without as much emphasis on doing things for the sake of tradition. For Lent, instead of giving something up, I tend to give something back. I volunteer more of my free time to helping my friends and people in my community, I spend more time with my family, and I reach out to old friends that I haven't seen in a while. I think that is a fair trade, because it is less about punishing yourself and more about being selfless with your actions, which is what I believe Jesus would prefer.
Being baptist I do not have any obligations to participate in lent. However when I feel like when I should make small changes in my daily routine, I will choose lent to start. I personally don't take lent that seriously as for keeping up with my commitment. Lent is great to time to start reflecting on GOD and how much he has done for all of us. It is also a really good to reconnected and reflect about GOD.
I was born and raised in the Catholic church; I attended Catholic school up until the present. Ever since I can remember I gave up things like sweets, meat, cussing, etc. As I became older I learned that the act of giving something up for lent is to better yourself and become closer to God, and so I started praying more, going to mass more, etc. I think many people have a twisted idea of lent; they think it is where you give something up for the wrong reasons; for example giving up sweets to lose weight and get into shape. That is more along the lines of a new years resolution, not a lenten promise. Overall, yes I give something up or do something that will help strengthen my relationship to God for lent every year. I couldn't imagine not doing this, since I have done it ever since I was a child.
I do not follow the practice of giving up something for lent. I was born and raised in a Christian church (non-denominational), and currently practice the faith. While we celebrate Palm Sunday, and recognize Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter, I do not give anything up. The reason being, it is simply not something we practice at my church, or in my faith. Lent is meant to serve as a reflection of one's faith, and to grow spiritually closer to God. While I do not practice Lent, I do make sacrifices in my life for my faith and to grow spiritually. It is the same concept with different implementation.
Very interesting discussion. I want to follow-up on something that Michael said. I agree that certain religious practices can seem foolish: Lenten practice, Ramadan practices, etc. But if you can be as charitable and generous as possible, can you see something worthy in the practice (assuming that it is done for the right reasons)?
Growing up, I was baptized Catholic and went to church once a week at school and almost every Sunday with my family. Now that I am older I do not go to church as much because I prefer to pray in my own way instead of during mass. When I was in grade school, we actually had to give something up for Lent as part of the curriculum. I haven't given something up since then because for me, giving something up isn't very meaningful. This is not to say that it isn't meaningful for others. I find myself trying to just be generally nicer to others and make better decisions during Lent and just try to carry that through after Lent ends. I think that Lent and Ramadan and other similar practices can be very meaningful to people but I really don't see a point in forcing someone to give something up if it's not meaningful to them.
Since I was young, my family and I attended a non-denominational Christian church. Here we never practiced Lent or spoke about the meaning of it. A few years ago I started becoming closer with a few friends who were Catholic and because of this I learned more about the Catholic religion including Lent and its purpose. Last year I started dating someone who is Catholic and also began to attend mass with him and his family. I have really started to like Catholic practices and because of this, this year I decided that I too would give up something for Lent. I feel that this is a wonderful way for us to remember and honor the sacrifice that Jesus undertook for our sins.
For me, since I went to a catholic school since I was 5 years old, Lent was something that was basically beaten into my brain. When I was younger I just thought it was a time to not eat candy for 40 days. As I got older, the teachers explained to us what the true meaning of Lent actually is. Now I can say that I don't always give something up. However, I try doing things differently in my life. I also think it is a great time to stop a bad habit. I think the hardest thing about Lent is keeping in mind what it's all about. It's not just about being nicer to people and giving up candy. It's about remembering the sacrifice and suffering that Jesus took on just for us.
I do not give up something for Lent because I do not think it is necessary to reflect on the meaning of Lent. I think you can reflect on the meaning without giving something up. However, it may be a helpful reminder to some people, so I understand why it is a popular practice to give something up.
For me its a lot like Stephanie said. I don't always give something up instead a lot of the time I give myself a goal to break a bad habit or something to improve myself. I also went to Catholic school pretty much my whole life and when we got older we learned that Lent isn't always about giving something up. It is also a time that you can improve yourself and reflect on what Jesus did for all of us.
I am a Christian and lent is not something I do. Each day is of reflection for me and I do give up things on a daily basis and understand the meaning from my religious perspective. What Jesus gave up for us is always in my mind and for that I am grateful that he gave his life for my sin and salvation. Nothing we can give up here on earth compares to that.
Heidi, I come from a similar background with my Christian faith. Lent is not something I ever practiced and I agree that every day is a reflection of the sacrifice that Christ made. Giving something up seems like more of a tradition than a spiritual practice.
Since I grew up in a Catholic School, Lent was a huge aspect of what we learned about in religion class every year. They would make us write out what we were giving up each year, the reason, and how frequent it was in our lives so they could justify if it was a sacrifice or not. Today, I do not give anything up for Lent because I believe it is a situation between God and myself and it shouldn't be broadcasted. Also, I believe that our lives should be a continual reflection of how we can better ourselves and implementing ways we can do it. So in stead of giving something up, throughout the year I make adjustments and promises to do something (for myself or for others) so I am keeping up with this reflection throughout the year and not just for 40 days.
I always do something for Lent. I have grown up in Catholic schools even through college and my parents took me to church every Sunday. I was taught that Lent is very important, and I always try to either give up something or promise to do something better. Sometimes I might say that I'm going to eat better and try to be a better person. Other times, I will give something up like chocolate. It isn't just about those little things, however. The reason we give them up is so when we are tempted by them, we remember why we gave them up in the first place. If we want a piece of chocolate, we remember we gave it up for Lent because Jesus gave us the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life for us, we should be able to do something as simple as not eating our favorite snack for 40 days.
I always do something for Lent. I have grown up in Catholic schools even through college and my parents took me to church every Sunday. I was taught that Lent is very important, and I always try to either give up something or promise to do something better. Sometimes I might say that I'm going to eat better and try to be a better person. Other times, I will give something up like chocolate. It isn't just about those little things, however. The reason we give them up is so when we are tempted by them, we remember why we gave them up in the first place. If we want a piece of chocolate, we remember we gave it up for Lent because Jesus gave us the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life for us, we should be able to do something as simple as not eating our favorite snack for 40 days.
I always give something up for lent. I grew up catholic and believe that my sacrifice (even though extremely small in comparison) reminds me of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for me. Giving up my favorite desserts for the duration of lent and also meat on Fridays and holy days is only a small price to pay for such an important reminder.
i went to catholic school from 1st to 12th grade. i am technically a catholic, considering ive been baptized and confirmed but that was all because i had to. i do not practice any religion anymore, but i remember always giving something up for lent as a youngin, and i distinctly remember following through with it as hard as i could and i remember the guilt i felt if i failed.
ReplyDeletethat all seems so foolish to me now. i would never consider giving something up or trying to do something better for 40 days just because im told that i am supposed to. i find it ridiculous that people do this, giving something up for their supposed "god" for 40 days. What is 40 days? you should do these things anyway, not because its lent. if you truly want to better yourself then do it for yourself, not for this lame tradition that so many people blindly follow. and for what? please, tell me. because i dont get it. and probably never will. (sorry if i pissed anyone off)
To be completely honest I feel this way sometimes about the whole thing. Like the fact that we aren't supposed to eat meat on Fridays. I don't think we are all going to hell if we eat a cheeseburger on a Friday when there are people out there killing each other. I know that's not the point of Lent but I can't help but think like that some times
DeleteI was raised a Catholic and went through church school every Sunday before mass. I would consider myself to be more of a Christian now. I do participate in lent because I have done it for so many years now that it has become some what of a habit. It is not as a big of a deal as it was when I was growing up. Now it is more of something that I have done for so long that it wouldn't feel right not to participate.
ReplyDeleteI was raised Catholic but I don't know if that is the right word anymore. I do things differently now than I did when I was younger. For example, I don't go to church regularly, but I do for holidays and weddings. I don't agree with any of the changes of the Protestant sects of Christianity, but I acknowledge that some of the traditional stances of my faith are either outdated or need clarifying, like marriage and contraception. So really, it's like being Catholic without as much emphasis on doing things for the sake of tradition. For Lent, instead of giving something up, I tend to give something back. I volunteer more of my free time to helping my friends and people in my community, I spend more time with my family, and I reach out to old friends that I haven't seen in a while. I think that is a fair trade, because it is less about punishing yourself and more about being selfless with your actions, which is what I believe Jesus would prefer.
ReplyDeleteBeing baptist I do not have any obligations to participate in lent. However when I feel like when I should make small changes in my daily routine, I will choose lent to start. I personally don't take lent that seriously as for keeping up with my commitment. Lent is great to time to start reflecting on GOD and how much he has done for all of us. It is also a really good to reconnected and reflect about GOD.
ReplyDeleteI was born and raised in the Catholic church; I attended Catholic school up until the present. Ever since I can remember I gave up things like sweets, meat, cussing, etc. As I became older I learned that the act of giving something up for lent is to better yourself and become closer to God, and so I started praying more, going to mass more, etc. I think many people have a twisted idea of lent; they think it is where you give something up for the wrong reasons; for example giving up sweets to lose weight and get into shape. That is more along the lines of a new years resolution, not a lenten promise. Overall, yes I give something up or do something that will help strengthen my relationship to God for lent every year. I couldn't imagine not doing this, since I have done it ever since I was a child.
ReplyDeleteI do not follow the practice of giving up something for lent. I was born and raised in a Christian church (non-denominational), and currently practice the faith. While we celebrate Palm Sunday, and recognize Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter, I do not give anything up. The reason being, it is simply not something we practice at my church, or in my faith. Lent is meant to serve as a reflection of one's faith, and to grow spiritually closer to God. While I do not practice Lent, I do make sacrifices in my life for my faith and to grow spiritually. It is the same concept with different implementation.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting discussion. I want to follow-up on something that Michael said. I agree that certain religious practices can seem foolish: Lenten practice, Ramadan practices, etc. But if you can be as charitable and generous as possible, can you see something worthy in the practice (assuming that it is done for the right reasons)?
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I was baptized Catholic and went to church once a week at school and almost every Sunday with my family. Now that I am older I do not go to church as much because I prefer to pray in my own way instead of during mass. When I was in grade school, we actually had to give something up for Lent as part of the curriculum. I haven't given something up since then because for me, giving something up isn't very meaningful. This is not to say that it isn't meaningful for others. I find myself trying to just be generally nicer to others and make better decisions during Lent and just try to carry that through after Lent ends. I think that Lent and Ramadan and other similar practices can be very meaningful to people but I really don't see a point in forcing someone to give something up if it's not meaningful to them.
ReplyDeleteSince I was young, my family and I attended a non-denominational Christian church. Here we never practiced Lent or spoke about the meaning of it. A few years ago I started becoming closer with a few friends who were Catholic and because of this I learned more about the Catholic religion including Lent and its purpose. Last year I started dating someone who is Catholic and also began to attend mass with him and his family. I have really started to like Catholic practices and because of this, this year I decided that I too would give up something for Lent. I feel that this is a wonderful way for us to remember and honor the sacrifice that Jesus undertook for our sins.
ReplyDeleteFor me, since I went to a catholic school since I was 5 years old, Lent was something that was basically beaten into my brain. When I was younger I just thought it was a time to not eat candy for 40 days. As I got older, the teachers explained to us what the true meaning of Lent actually is. Now I can say that I don't always give something up. However, I try doing things differently in my life. I also think it is a great time to stop a bad habit. I think the hardest thing about Lent is keeping in mind what it's all about. It's not just about being nicer to people and giving up candy. It's about remembering the sacrifice and suffering that Jesus took on just for us.
ReplyDeleteI do not give up something for Lent because I do not think it is necessary to reflect on the meaning of Lent. I think you can reflect on the meaning without giving something up. However, it may be a helpful reminder to some people, so I understand why it is a popular practice to give something up.
ReplyDeleteFor me its a lot like Stephanie said. I don't always give something up instead a lot of the time I give myself a goal to break a bad habit or something to improve myself. I also went to Catholic school pretty much my whole life and when we got older we learned that Lent isn't always about giving something up. It is also a time that you can improve yourself and reflect on what Jesus did for all of us.
ReplyDeleteI am a Christian and lent is not something I do. Each day is of reflection for me and I do give up things on a daily basis and understand the meaning from my religious perspective. What Jesus gave up for us is always in my mind and for that I am grateful that he gave his life for my sin and salvation. Nothing we can give up here on earth compares to that.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, I come from a similar background with my Christian faith. Lent is not something I ever practiced and I agree that every day is a reflection of the sacrifice that Christ made. Giving something up seems like more of a tradition than a spiritual practice.
DeleteSince I grew up in a Catholic School, Lent was a huge aspect of what we learned about in religion class every year. They would make us write out what we were giving up each year, the reason, and how frequent it was in our lives so they could justify if it was a sacrifice or not. Today, I do not give anything up for Lent because I believe it is a situation between God and myself and it shouldn't be broadcasted. Also, I believe that our lives should be a continual reflection of how we can better ourselves and implementing ways we can do it. So in stead of giving something up, throughout the year I make adjustments and promises to do something (for myself or for others) so I am keeping up with this reflection throughout the year and not just for 40 days.
ReplyDeleteI always do something for Lent. I have grown up in Catholic schools even through college and my parents took me to church every Sunday. I was taught that Lent is very important, and I always try to either give up something or promise to do something better. Sometimes I might say that I'm going to eat better and try to be a better person. Other times, I will give something up like chocolate. It isn't just about those little things, however. The reason we give them up is so when we are tempted by them, we remember why we gave them up in the first place. If we want a piece of chocolate, we remember we gave it up for Lent because Jesus gave us the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life for us, we should be able to do something as simple as not eating our favorite snack for 40 days.
ReplyDeleteI always do something for Lent. I have grown up in Catholic schools even through college and my parents took me to church every Sunday. I was taught that Lent is very important, and I always try to either give up something or promise to do something better. Sometimes I might say that I'm going to eat better and try to be a better person. Other times, I will give something up like chocolate. It isn't just about those little things, however. The reason we give them up is so when we are tempted by them, we remember why we gave them up in the first place. If we want a piece of chocolate, we remember we gave it up for Lent because Jesus gave us the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his life for us, we should be able to do something as simple as not eating our favorite snack for 40 days.
ReplyDeleteI always give something up for lent. I grew up catholic and believe that my sacrifice (even though extremely small in comparison) reminds me of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for me. Giving up my favorite desserts for the duration of lent and also meat on Fridays and holy days is only a small price to pay for such an important reminder.
ReplyDelete