Lent

[MadBurgerMaker]

It's just we expect that kind of stuff from gay Polish pedo-apologists and other ignorant dirt farmers, s'all.

Nah, I don't mess with the farmers (e: or Polacks I guess, although that's more of a Languish thing, since I honestly can't think of any I know in real life...I don't really talk to Marty directly either though vOv).  It's only fun when they take a big shit on my beliefs right back and throw smokes at me when I'm trying to quit and all that.  It's all about who you interact with.

[alfred russel]

Catholics sin all the time - you just need to go to a confession and get an absolution.

Have you ever tried this? If so, what was the response?

[Razgovory]

Catholics sin all the time - you just need to go to a confession and get an absolution.

Have you ever tried this? If so, what was the response?

"You are forgiven, go pray a bit and think on what you did".  I imagine it's a bit different if you do something really bad, like murdered three people on the way to church and then dinged the Priest's car in the parking lot.

[dps]

Catholics sin all the time - you just need to go to a confession and get an absolution.

Have you ever tried this? If so, what was the response?

"You are forgiven, go pray a bit and think on what you did".  I imagine it's a bit different if you do something really bad, like murdered three people on the way to church and then dinged the Priest's car in the parking lot.

Generally, I think that if you confess to major felonies that the priest will tell you that to receive absolution you have to turn yourself in to the police.  They aren't allowed to turn you in, but they are certainly allowed to tell you to turn yourself in.

[OttoVonBismarck]

It's in all the Orthodox Churches (the Great Lent) so it's not a Roman thing and my understanding is that it's mentioned in the Council of Nicaea for timekeeping purposes.  There's lots of stuff before then about an Easter fast but Lent as forty days emerges afterwards.  Apparently the ancient fasting was more severe and resembled Ramadan in that you weren't allowed to eat during daylight hours, plus certain foods were entirely banned.

I don't know of any clear pagan comparison as with Easter or Christmas.  The nearest comparisons are in other organised religions.  The Muslims have Ramadan and I'm fairly sure there are some Jewish fast days.  I think the Buddhists and Hindus have fasting periods before some major festivals too.  So I think it's more likely it's a growth from Easter as the major festival combined with general religious traditions of fasting, abstinence and reflection - possibly more to do with the early Church's love of hermits and self-denial?

Of the Abrahamic religions I think Orthodox Christians have the most serious fasting by far. But like most things it's really complicated. A ultra-conservative Ortho is technically supposed to fast almost every Wednesday and Friday, however it's more of a "restricted food groups" fast and not a true total fast. However, the doctrine is that you have to avoid all the bad food groups and eat modestly of anything else. It's not supposed to be a license to eat five pounds of stuff not on the prohibited list. During major holiday seasons Orthodox also have fasts which are far more severe than anything you'd see in Islam or Catholicism.

Ramadan by the way is really almost not thought of as fasting. On average, people actually gain weight during Ramadan. This is because they go all daylight hours without eating, then around night fall get together at huge parties and literally gorge on huge amounts of food. It's actually statistically more likely that you gain weight during Ramadan.

[Razgovory]

Catholics sin all the time - you just need to go to a confession and get an absolution.

Have you ever tried this? If so, what was the response?

"You are forgiven, go pray a bit and think on what you did".  I imagine it's a bit different if you do something really bad, like murdered three people on the way to church and then dinged the Priest's car in the parking lot.

Generally, I think that if you confess to major felonies that the priest will tell you that to receive absolution you have to turn yourself in to the police.  They aren't allowed to turn you in, but they are certainly allowed to tell you to turn yourself in.

May make you pay for the damage to his car though.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Pączki is one of the few good things to ever come out of Pollackistan, there is a bakery near work that makes them regularly, fucking amazing with raspberry or blueberry filling.