If people are able to avoid meat for 40 days, why can't they avoid it for 365 days?
2006-12-24 21:34:31 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Food & Drink ➔ Vegetarian & Vegan
They could, but the reason they don't eat meat is to deny themselves something to mark a significant time. If they didn't eat meat year-round, then during Lent, not eating meat would hold no significance.
2006-12-25 01:57:04 · answer #1 · answered by Kay-ro 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my experience (I'm Protestant, specifically a member of the Reformed Church in America) it's up to each individual as to whether or not they decide to eat meat during the 40 days of Lent. It doesn't have to be meat that they give up either. The idea is to give up something to mark Lent as a special time of spiritual learning. For some people that period of sacrifice includes the 40 days of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter (not including Sundays), for some it's those days as well as Sundays, and for some it may be just Fridays that they don't eat meat.
As to why they can't avoid it for 365 days: part of what makes giving up something during Lent bearable is the knowledge that it's only temporary. I gave up chocolate for Lent one year, and though I made it through Lent without chocolate, I like chocolate too much to be able to give it up for good. My brother gave up meat for Lent, and he craved it the whole time.
2006-12-28 12:12:40 · answer #2 · answered by Yiddy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
who avoids meat for 40 days???!!!
I grew up catholic and I think it was 3-4 wee ks or some rubbish like that. Where do you get 40 days?? You must be Irish only they still go to that extreme.
God bless - we eat hamburgers after a couple of weeks - IF even that.
2006-12-25 05:41:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's not that they can't. everybody can but not everybody wants.
P.S. I'm coptic orthodox so, it's not only the Lent, we have fasts for almost 2/3s of the year!!!!!!!!!
55 days for Lent, 44 before Christmas, 15 for Saint Mary, 3 for Ninevah plus wednesdays and fridays and a fast for service (called fast of the apostles which varies from one year to the other and can be almost as long as Lent)!!!!!!
2006-12-28 15:55:38 · answer #4 · answered by ??? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Catholics are only supposed to refrain from eating meat on fridays during Lent. However, they are allowed to eat fish...that is where all the "Friday Fish Fries" came from!
2006-12-27 19:14:47 · answer #5 · answered by peanut 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All my catholic friends only abstain from meat on Friday's... and then they replace it with Fish... which... is obviously still meat.
2006-12-25 17:41:02 · answer #6 · answered by sassy_cheesesicle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Merry christmas?
2006-12-25 07:34:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i thought it was on fridays that they eat no meat. but whatever, its a good question. i guess it depends on the peoples values.
2006-12-25 12:01:01 · answer #8 · answered by chikka 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because they still want meat but give somthing up as most religous people do.
2006-12-28 17:06:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can avoid it, they choose not to.
2006-12-25 18:58:55 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋