Meat, Mortal sins, and Lenten Fridays
- Thread starter 1Thess521
- Start date
Southsider071
Well-known member
This is something that has changed over the years. It used to be against the rules for RC's to eat meat on any Friday of the year. They call it "fasting" to stuff your face with a one pound fried cod sandwich and fries.
I wonder if they limited it to Lent because the Catholic rank and file was putting on too much weight by the weekly fasting.
I wonder if they limited it to Lent because the Catholic rank and file was putting on too much weight by the weekly fasting.
Atemi
Well-known member
Hahahaha.
I remember all that nonsense. We all knew it was a huge fraud.
Lobster platter? OK!
A humble baloney sandwich? Mortal sin!
LOL.
Not even most Catholics believe God was behind this. Dead religion is so obvious.
Stella1000
Well-known member
The obligation differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction according to the environment. Many countries no longer require it on Fridays apart from Good Friday where it is observed in tandem with fasting. So no seafood buffets or gorging on shellfish implied. The practice found it's way into some cultures, encouraged by the seafood industry. That's got nothing to do with Christian practice.
So no. Eating meat on Fridays is not intrinsically sinful.
So no. Eating meat on Fridays is not intrinsically sinful.
Atemi
Well-known member
How much seafood on such a Good Friday constitutes a mortal sin?
That would be very important to know before you head to the restaurant to avoid meat.
Stella1000
Well-known member
Abstaining from meat is one aspect. Fasting requires minimal food eschewing any sort of excess. The meal by nature will be very simple and small.
In the olden days it was a sin.
Southsider071
Well-known member
I've always seen fasting as not eating at all, not "minimal" food, but zero intake.
Eating fried fish in any quantities really isn't consistent with the dictionary definition of the concept.
Atemi
Well-known member
Why do you think a juicy lobster tail instead of a baloney sandwich displays some measure of holiness or repentance before God?
If by "minimal food" you mean 1 full meal plus 2 smaller meals, that is funny!
Fast & Abstinence
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence...
Incredible fast, huh?
Stella1000
Well-known member
If you are fit and not in any health danger from complete fast from all food, that's very profitable in the biblical sense. We can still observe fasting by abstaining from unnecessary food without risk to health. That makes sense doesn't it?
There seems to be an obsession with fish going on. We can supplement meat proteins in a number of other ways. Eggs, legumes, nuts, cereals, dairy. There's no mandate to eat fish.
Stella1000
Well-known member
It doesn't. I've never had a lobster tail but after Lent I might seek one out to understand.
If by "minimal food" you mean 1 full meal plus 2 smaller meals, that is funny!
Fast & Abstinence
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence...www.usccb.org
Incredible fast, huh?
In what way do you practice fasting as Jesus did? NonCC's have lots of criticism of Catholic practice, but never tell how it should be done?
I will be honest there are various types of fasting in scripture. But the RC one of no meat is a joke.
Maybe for most RCs abstinence from intercourse, maybe more of a fast.
Atemi
Well-known member
You are correct....thus proving the abstinence from meat is just a lame display that means nothing.
You said "minimal" food. You were not honest with us. Why would you do that?
You can invent any lame practice you want. But when you make claims about them that are fraudulent, expect Christians to oppose the lies.
It's a violation of Catholic teaching, but if sin is the transgression of God's laws, then, no, as there is no such law prohibiting us from eating meat.
1Thess521
Well-known member
If one knowingly and deliberately fails in this obligation then one has committed mortal sin.
Jimmy Akin Lead apologeticist at Catholic Answers
The RCC love to add burdens to the people.
Catholicism is like the Greek myth of Sisyphus, condemned to roll a stone up Mt. Olympus, only to have it slip and roll back to the bottom every time he gets near the top.
Work, work, work, and one sin erases all that hard work.
I'm so glad Jesus did the work on my behalf.
I am so blessed that Jesus removed me from the bad tree and revealed to me I did not have to be perfect that He loved me as I was. He makes the changes in me. He changed my mind and heart. Anything I do is a result of His work in me. I love the fact I no longer need to earn my salvation.
No need to be perfect like the RC perfect Mary. I now have a relationship with Jesus, not Mary not the pope and not the bad tree. Praise the Lord for His love.
Southsider071
Well-known member
I think that's what the Roman Catholic people like to hear, and the Magisterium just gives it to them.
A number of years age, on an RC message board that has long since been disconnected, I would see Catholics actually complaining about the Church reducing the number of holy days of obligation that Catholics are commanded to attend mass or else.
The relaxation of the rules didn't stop any Catholic from attending a non-mandatory mass if they chose, but a number were peevish that people weren't being forced to attend.
And this just wasn't one particularly hard-nosed RC, this was a number who had this attitude.