What are you giving up for Lent?
I'm giving up Michigan basketball and hockey losses.
February 17th, 2015 at 9:48 PM ^
February 17th, 2015 at 9:59 PM ^
bareback giraffe riding. Sick of getting booted from zoos.
February 17th, 2015 at 10:15 PM ^
What a politically correct world we live in when you cannot create a thread that simply asks what you are giving up for a religious holiday. People are way too sensitive.
I have no problem asking for a thread to be deleted if the purpose is to discuss religious beliefs, spread religous beliefs, or bash religous beliefs. But making a stink out of a thread that inquires what simple pleasure you are giving up just makes you look petty.
This is no more a religious thread than someone asking what is your favorite brand of matza to have on Passover.
February 17th, 2015 at 10:21 PM ^
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
-Galatians 4:8-11
February 17th, 2015 at 11:02 PM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 12:17 PM ^
feck off
February 18th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^
Paul wrote Galatians to a primarily gentile church that a faction was trying to persuade needed to follow of customs of the Jewish law jn order to be part of the people of God... Basically that the only way for Gentiles to be Christians was for them to become Jewish - following all of te Jewish customs including their feast days - in addition to believing in Christ.
Paul's conclusion and what he underscores in the epistle is that whether one is a Jew or gentile, what saves them is faith in Jesus Christ (or te faith of Jesus Christ, depending how the Greek text is translated) this it is not necessary for Gentiles to participate in Jewish feast days, be circumcised, etc.
In other words nothing to do with lent.
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February 17th, 2015 at 10:50 PM ^
February 17th, 2015 at 11:02 PM ^
Atheism
February 17th, 2015 at 11:20 PM ^
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February 17th, 2015 at 11:29 PM ^
post season play
February 17th, 2015 at 11:37 PM ^
Organized Religion.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:38 AM ^
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February 18th, 2015 at 9:13 AM ^
I'm giving up ...
Disorganized Atheism.
February 17th, 2015 at 11:47 PM ^
I've decided to work out twice a week. Easier said than done when you are used to being lazy. :/
February 18th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
You're giving up being lazy.
Good for you!
February 18th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
Yes, exactly. :)
February 17th, 2015 at 11:58 PM ^
Short answer: nothing. I'm giving up nothing for Lent.
Long answer: probably nothing. I mean, there will be some changes for me in Lent. But maybe I'm inconsistent. Maybe I fail. Which is ok. Giving up something, just for Lent, seems a manmade rule, questionable in keeping.
Longer answer: I'm cutting back on a couple of things.
- Gluttony. I like food, and eat too much. Need to cut back on carbs. And processed food.
- Groupon. I've mostly quit, but I think I'm done altogether.
- The Internet. Including MGoBlog. I waste too much time on the Internet, from MGoBlog to FB to the newspaper. When I stopped coming to MGoBlog for more than a month in the Fall, it was . . . liberating. But I might not manage, because I am an addict. I've always been nagged by a quiet question in my head: I sometimes wonder if Brian and Seth cackle knowingly, roll their eyes, and shake their head when looking at the total minutes some users spend on the blog. That's not a list I want to be on.
So, if you don't see me here til April 5, I made it! Still love the blog, but this is probably a good time of the year for a break anyway. Signing off.
EDIT: I just don't get the readers who are EITHER staunch anti-religionists OR staunch believers who continue to get their shorts in a wad about posts like this. SMH, rollng my eyes, frowning. You know, while I'm a strong Christian, and I observe Lent, I really don't care whether or not anyone else on the blog does. It's none of my business. But this is Brian's blog, and those of you who can't handle it are like a whiney 13 year old girl (I have one, so I know) continually complaining that something isn't fair. Lighten up and get a life.
February 18th, 2015 at 8:56 AM ^
" seems a manmade rule, questionable in keeping."
I don't think you should be so dismissive of rules or guidelines because they are man-made. Some pretty good man-made rules include laws against murder, rape, slavery, and repealing prohibition. Some good societal guidelines are ones that shun things like racism, sexism, and homophobia.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:08 AM ^
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February 18th, 2015 at 12:36 AM ^
I keep going back and forth, but I think that's it.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:38 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 6:48 AM ^
February 18th, 2015 at 8:16 AM ^
of the other voices in my head. Maybe two.
February 18th, 2015 at 8:38 AM ^
Nothing. I am not Catholic but I play a vital role to my Catholic friends in telling them what they should give up.
February 18th, 2015 at 9:39 AM ^
tl/dr - A Jewish guy tells his Catholic friend what to give up every year.
There was a story on NPR last year about two college roommates, one Jewish and the other Catholic. Neither had ever really known a member of their respective faiths until that time. Well they became close friends and kept in touch after school.
Somehow they came up with the idea that choosing what you give up for Lent isn't a decision you should make for yourself. So the Jewish guy will come up with specific and pretty random things for his friend to avoid. One year it was oregano (Catholic guy is Italian and pretty much had to change his entire diet to avoid it), another year was cheese, etc.
February 18th, 2015 at 8:42 AM ^
sweets and candy. Much like the grinch's heart, my ass has grown 3 sizes this winter, leaving me with only about 3 pairs of pants that fit.
February 18th, 2015 at 9:13 AM ^
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February 18th, 2015 at 9:13 AM ^
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February 18th, 2015 at 9:54 AM ^
Sex with supermodels; there will be no sex with supermodels for me during Lent.
February 18th, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^
At least you can while away the time with those regular models.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
My little cousin, who was attending catholic school, when asked what she was giving up for lent proudly announced in front of the whole class that she was "giving up picking her nose for lent."
The nun was a little surprised, but appreciated the intent.
February 18th, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
Just kidding.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:19 PM ^
So, nothing. If I had to choose something it would be "the funk".
February 18th, 2015 at 12:22 PM ^
Gluttony- I'm not eating junk and I'm eating smaller portions at dinner.
Sloth- I can be lazy at times. I will work out more and stop watching as much TV. This has proven to be very hard with a newborn in the house and a full time job.
February 18th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
Snow Shoveling
February 18th, 2015 at 1:51 PM ^
or to be precise, added sugar. No more soda, leftover Halloween candy (yep, still have lots of that around), or girl scout cookies. This is going to suck.
February 18th, 2015 at 6:17 PM ^
Same thing I always give up. My new years resolutions.
February 18th, 2015 at 6:47 PM ^
I'm giving up MGoBlog for all but one visit a day. Also ESPN and Facebook. That should free up my time quite a bit.
I have a huge list of Lenten resolutions, no more candy, pop, ice cream (except on Sunday), limit meals, do 50 pushups and situps a day, video games, and a couple other things I don't feel like putting down. I'm not super religious, but I've always taken Lent seriously.