Do you think it's ridiculous that the Catholic Church some years ago deemed it was OK to eat meat on Friday?

Question

I mean, what about all those otherwise good Christians that went to Hell or Purgatory, whatever, for it. Do they retroactively go to Heaven as of, what, 1971? Where's the compensation for those 37 years of unbearable torture? If they're in Heaven now, they do not seem to be on an equal footing with those that got there instantly. I'm jus trying to find a logical thread in all of this. I guess in hindsight I'm being pretty naive. Well, we r what we r.

Answer 1

No kidding!
ON some practices they are stubborn as mules - divorce, birth control, abortions.
No meat eating until the Friday ended up on St. Patties day - and then they don't want to piss off the Irish - knowing what a devote lot they are, so they'll allow a bit of corned beef to pass over your teeth on that Friday.
Meanwhile God forbid a priest marries and has a family - then he'll need a piece of the pot to provide for his family - - but we can for sure play musical priest w/ that lot of pedophiles. And forget allowing women to spread the word of God.
Oh, did I have an opinion on this matter?

Answer 2

It is / was ridiculous that they banned eating meat on Fridays in the first place.

Nobody goes to Hell because of what they do. They go to Hell because they do not accept Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior. Purgatory does not exist.

God does not leave us in our religious unreality so you don't have to remain naive. Read a Bible like The Daily Walk Bible from cover-to-cover.

After I read it the first time in 1992 I was so amazed that the things that people think are there AREN'T THERE, while the things that actually are there are ignored or rejected. Now I read a Bible from cover-to-cover every year and each year I learn more and more. Besides being Born Again, reading the Bible is the best thing I've ever done.

Answer 3

It was never a sin to eat meat on Friday unless you did it with the intention of damaging your relationship with God.

It is part of the discipline of fasting, almsgiving and prayer. It is good for you. It is minimal, if you do it, you get the benefit of fasting, praying and giving alms. If you don't, you just don't get the benefit. It is clear from the early writers that this practice is a first century practice, but it is a discipline.

Unless you eating meat to spite God, there never was a sin. You are failing to distinguish between Catholic doctrine and Catholic suggestions for discipline.

Also, canon law is not like American law. A canon is a normative suggestion. It presumes a state of grace and God's merciful intervention on our behalf. So, if you fail, nothing really bad happens because we all fail. If you fail under American law, you go to jail. Think of the canons as the normative rule under ideal conditions.

Actually, the American bishops alone did this and what they did was say that the ancient fast was less meaningful in our culture and so changed it from the fasting from meats to a fast from something important to you on the day of the Lord's execution, to give you pause to stop and remember His sacrifice, and on Wednesdays the day of the Judas' betrayal to remember the role our sin has played in His suffering and the suffering of our brothers and sisters. The fast must be met with alms and with prayer. To do any one without the others leads to an unbalanced spirituality.

Answer 4

Catholics are still required to abstain from meat on Fridays ... or to choose a similar Friday sacrifice/ penance that is more suitable for their particular circumstances.

This is done so we never forget the day that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and to allow us to join our meager sacrifice with his, for our benefit, and for God's greater glory.

The spirit of this requirement never changed, just the details. The church has the God given authority to change disciplines like this ... and it does, from time to time, as it sees fit. Church doctrines and dogma are the things that cannot change.

God is certainly capable of judging the true nature, gravity, and intent of our offenses. No one else, not even the church, can. So I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about all those other folks.

In the mean time, the best we can do is to cooperate with God's grace, apologize to the Almighty when we fall short, accept the guidance, precepts, disciplines, and sacraments of his church, and trust Jesus to be our righteous and merciful judge.

Don't worry. Be happy. Keep the faith!

Answer 5

I totally understand. I was raised Catholic and I can't tell you how many times I was in trouble for eating meat on Friday during Lent.

I also remember getting a pretty good beat down from my mother for not going to mass one Sunday because I had an organic chemistry final the next day and needed to study. She had not gone to mass either but when I asked if it was a sin when she didn't go to mass on Sunday the beating continued and I was told not to judge her.

Answer 6

Apparently you don't understand the infallibility of the HOLY SEE. I will explain.
The Pope is infallible on all spiritual matters.
A Pope declared eating meat on Fridays was a mortal sin, He could do this because as Pope he is infallible.
The Pope is infallible on all spiritual matters
A Pope declared eating meat of Fridays was not a mortal sin. He could do this because as Pope he is infallible.
The Pope is infallible on all spiritual matters
Now, does that clear it up?
Vaya con DIOS, the real one.

Answer 7

So much of Catholicism is based on tradition and has no real basis. This includes eating meat on Friday.

Answer 8

I think its sad that for thousands of years the leaders of the catholic church have victimized their people. I hope more will study their true history and leave.

Answer 9

--is Catholic--

Actually the practice STILL is to abstain from meat on ALL Fridays. The US Catholics have a dispensation so that they might substitute some other from of abstinence instead of eating meat.

1983 Code of Canon Law, currently in force, specifies the obligations of Latin Rite Catholics.

Canon 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless (nisi) they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Canon 1252 All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are bound by the law of abstinence; all adults are bound by the law of fast up to the beginning of their sixtieth year. Nevertheless, pastors and parents are to see to it that minors who are not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are educated in an authentic sense of penance.

Can. 1253 It is for the conference of bishops to determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence and to substitute in whole or in part for fast and abstinence other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

The law of abstinence requires a Catholic 14 years of age until death to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the Passion of Jesus on Good Friday. Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Also forbidden are soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians, reptiles and shellfish are permitted, as are animal derived products such as margarine and gelatin which do not have any meat taste.

On the Fridays outside of Lent the U.S. bishops conference obtained the permission of the Holy See for Catholics in the US to substitute a penitential, or even a charitable, practice of their own choosing. They must do some penitential/charitable practice on these Fridays. For most people the easiest practice to consistently fulfill will be the traditional one, to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. During Lent abstinence from meat on Fridays is obligatory in the United States as elsewhere.

Answer 10

Rules don't come from God. They come
from people representing God.
Creation comes from God.

Oddly enough, the people warning us about
the false prophets, are turning out themselves,
to be the false prophets.