A question (thought) about sacrifice

[Heddi]

Per Wikipedia re: Lent:

Lent (Latin: Quadragesima: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, doing penance, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, and self-denial.[1] This event is observed in the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic Churches.[2][3][4] Some Anabaptist and evangelical churches also observe the Lenten season.[5][6] Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the tradition and events of the New Testament beginning on Palm Sunday, further climaxing on Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday, which ultimately culminates in the joyful celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting, as well as "giving up" certain luxuries in order to "replicate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s journey into the desert for 40 days."[7] Many Christians also add a Lenten spiritual discipline, such as reading a daily devotional or praying through a Lenten calendar, to draw themselves near to God.[8][9] The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ's carrying the Cross and of his execution, are often observed. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches remove flowers from their altars, while crucifixes, religious statues, and other elaborate religious symbols are often veiled in violet fabrics in solemn observance of the event. Throughout Christendom, some adherents mark the season with the traditional abstention from the consumption of meat, most notably among Roman Catholics.[10]

Lent is traditionally described as lasting for forty days, in commemoration of the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry, during which he endured temptation by Satan.[11][12]
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So Lent is a 40 day giving up of things, a sacrifice akin to the sacrifice Jesus made as he wandered the desert for 40 days, resisting temptation and wrasslin' with the devil.

I have known people, my father in law amongst them, who give up things for Lent that aren't really a sacrifice to give up. He typically gives up Liver and Onions for Lent -- a meal that he eats, at most, once an eon. Or he'll give up using a caddy during golf (something he typically does anyways because he's cheap and doesn't want to pay for one or tip the poor schmuck who schleps around his golf bag all day).

So not really a sacrifice, but a giving up of something. To me, that kind of defeats the purpose of a sacrifice -- kind of like people who "boycott" a product or store that they'd never purchase or shop at to begin with. "I'm boycotting Trader Joes," says someone who lives in a state with no TJ's and whose closest TJ is a 3 day drive away.

Anyways.

So Lent -- sacrifice -- giving up something that has meaning for 40 days.

No meat on Fridays (except for Fish because fish is apparently....a vegetable?).

Well.....except for this friday which is St. Patricks' Day...and meat is okay then because hey! It's just ONE DAY of a 40-day pennance. And I mean you're BOUND to go to hell if you don't eat Meat on St. Patrick's Day, right? Because having Meat on the day before or the day after St P's day is just....amoral.

I don't know -- just musing on the twisty bendy rules that are supposed to show true oneness with God, to understand Jesus' struggle, to make time to remove the things that give you pleasure so you can focus on the real meaning of things....well, until you're inconvenienced. Then hey! Who cares if I break my fast or eat meat or not really give up anything that has any purpose or meaning in my life.

Just another in a litany (hehe) of cafeteria, picking and choosing of holy rites and rituals. Don't eat meat on Friday because SIN (unless it's st patty's and omg corned beef wooo). Fast for 40 days (well not really a fast more of a giving up but not erally giving up because hey! I don't use a caddy anyways!)

But damn it, don't let women have BC Pills or abortion or end of life decisions -- those are VERY IMPORTANT THINGS THAT MATTER more than meat and sacrifice and penance and deep thoughts. Those rules are flexible (because they're for Catholics). The other rules...nuh uh. Those rules are for YOU and NO EXCEPTIONS, SINNERS

For the pending jury that will be called b/c of the alert I will get: Please note this is posted in the atheist and agnostic group, where our group purpose statement is " A place where atheists and agnostics can engage in frank discussions about the effects of religion on politics, free of debate about the existence of a deity or deities."

thank you.