So, once again, I am giving up buying/acquiring new video games for Lent. “Play your backlog!”, is what I’m telling myself. Last year I *ALMOST* made it but Bioshock Infinite came out the week before Easter and I absolutely positively had to pick up my copy. Sigh. (I would have been better off daydreaming about how great it would have been…)
Anyhow, South Park came out today for Mardi Gras (laissez les bon temps rouler!) and tomorrow kicks off 40 days and 40 nights of chastity.
So… what are you giving up for Lent?
(Oh, yeah, I usually play another “I remember that!” song for these… hrm. Here’s this one.)
I’m planning to give up spending time on online fansites, as it’s a massive waste of my time.
Out of curiosity, why do you give things up for Lent despite being an atheist?Report
Just because you’re an atheist doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you want.Report
Wait… I thought that was *exactly* what it meant? DID I GET LIED TO AGAIN?!?!Report
You got sold a bill of goods.Report
@kazzy Well it depends on which sect of Atheism you belong to.Report
@greginak
I see absolutely no other way to settle this than exploding the shit out of each other.Report
@katherinemw
Speaking as a semi-practicing agnostic, sometimes it’s good to impose an artificial discipline on the self.Report
And just happen to do it during the Christian season designated for remembrance of Christ’s Passion and crucifixion?
Why now? Why not Ramadan, or any other time?Report
I’m more likely to have people around me who are not only familiar with the concept but who are going through something similar (giving up meat, alcohol, television, etc) for the 40 days and 40 nights and we can give each other crap and encouragement.
If I do this for Ramadan, I’ll be alone.Report
Thanks, both of you, for answering. I was interested as I’ve never known non-Christians who kept Lent before.Report
Nothing! I’m Jewish. We give up leavened products for a week during Passover. Much easier.Report
Bite your tongue heeb*! You’ll have my breads when you pry them from my cold dead (possibly diabetic) hands.
*This is meant humorously but could easily be construed as offensive in which case I apologize profusely in advance.Report
About forty years ago I gave up religion for lent and since then have given up nothing for lent.
We went to the parades in New Orleans last Sunday and had a blast.Report
awesome.Report
As you know, honeybear, I am finishing grad school for Lent (and the week or two following).
The list of things I am giving up to do so is ever-growing.Report
Is it possible to throw a party on a blog? ‘Cause we’ll need to throw a graduation party.Report
We could do a League-cast where we just toast Maribou!Report
awwwwwwwwww.
at the moment i am so strung out that even seriously contemplating any kind of graduation party (even one on the intertoobs!) sends me into introvert-panic-mode. but nonseriously contemplating it gives me all kinds of warm fuzzies.
and i think a lot of my introvert panic buttons will DISAPPEAR once my internship is over. (50 hours a week of extrovert is about 15 too many for me.) so I’m not saying DON’T have a party ;).Report
Lent.Report
For the last two years, I gave up alcohol for Lent. I’m not sure if I’ll do so this year. If I don’t, I’m not sure what I’ll give up, if anything.Report
http://www.HitCoffee.comReport
Hit CoffeeReport
Ouch.Report
Dude, you’re up there with booze, chocolate, and red meat. I see it as a compliment;).Report
Oh boy, is it Lent tomorrow? I had entirely forgotten. Well, now I am vindicated in having made too much french toast for kiddo’s breakfast and getting to eat the excess.
As atheist as I am, I do find Lent a valuable exercise. I’ll have to come up with a thing to give up. Facebook seems a likely candidate, though I’ll probably welch out somewhat so as not to miss all invitations the whole time. The amount I don’t like the idea of giving up alcohol suggests that’s also a good idea.Report
I try to give up laziness and loafing around by imposing a daily craft of some sort. Last year, I had to write a page of something, anything, every day. This year I’m adding the options of taking a conceptual photograph or a video for youtube.
And I will also try the “no meat on Fridays” rule, too.Report
This is a very interesting and rewarding way to observe Lent.Report
I’m reading Dante’s Purgatorio with Dreher, an interesting thing for a nice Jewish girl to be doing. I’ve been fascinated by his writings on the subject. Besides, ever since first reading Philip K. Dick’s The Transmigration of Timothy Archer eons ago, I’ve wanted to read The Divine Comedy. Now’s as good a time as any.Report
So you are giving up low blood pressure for lent?Report
I laughed at this far more than I should have.Report
About half of Dreher’s post raise my blood pressure. I once got him so pissed off in comments that he referred to me as “anonymous internet poster.”
But, while I certainly don’t subscribe to Dreher’s version of traditionalist Christianity, I’ve found his writings on Dante enlightening.Report
I just don’t remember the Purgatorio as having as strong characters as the other two books. What’s your impression?Report
I’ve only read one Canto so far, so I’ll have to get back to you. (Dreher’s discussing one canto per day for the next 33 days.) I’m reading Inferno in tandem with Purgatorio, so that should offer a good contrast.Report
No desserts, anything with added sugar or sweeteners, processed food, or any food that contains processed food.Report
Portlanders.Report
I’m just going to assume that this isn’t a slam against we PDXers, but rather that you have decided to make the supreme sacrifice of giving up Portlanders for Lent.Report
I can’t quit you, Tod. You have too many interesting things to say. That would be like quitting processed foods, which would be insane.Report
I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed.Report
For Lent, I’m going to spend as much time possible with Diane before she leaves.Report
Are you giving up everything but USDA organic or Oregon organic or Portland organic?Report
Basically, I will only eat either whole foods, or foods made of nothing but whole foods. So, for example, I can’t have mustard on a piece of ham unless I actually make the mustard from scratch.
I will allow myself to have things with natural sugars in them (e.g.: an orange) but not something that adds sugar to something that doesn’t already have it (e.g.:sugar in coffee). Which also means that I can have bullet bourbon on the rocks, but I can’t can an old fashioned.
I kind of wanted it to be complicated (especially when eating out) so that it forced me to be very aware and in the moment about my food selection.Report
I think it’s an excellent idea, actually. The Buddhist in me (he’s very small, but he has a big belly) thinks we should all do things like this to be more present in everything we do. Modern life is too often about being un-present, about not so much forgetting as never encoding in the first place, about not thinking but merely coasting through action. Speed over consciousness.
But I was really just making a Portlandia joke ;).Report
@tod-kelly
You can’t find a mustard made with only whole foods?
This is generally how I eat, though I’m not dogmatic about it. I am aided by the fact that the dining room at work has a similar philosophy of food. My general rule is that i should have an idea of whatever the ingredients look like in their natural state. So if a pasta box tells me it contains durum wheat, water, and salt in it, I’ll go for it. I recognize there are all sorts of workarounds when it comes to labeling but, again, there is only so much time in the day. But with the exception of whole grains (e.g., rice, beans) and kitchen staples (e.g., oils, herbs), I’d say about 80% of our grocery shopping comes from the edges of the store — what is perishable. Lots of produce and proteins and some dairy mixed in.
Though we’re not above getting the occasional Big Mac.Report
Do you live on a farm, or are you just planning to fast for forty days?Report
For Lent? Nothing — I’m Jewish.
Nonetheless, this is the year I give up cleaning up broken glass.Report
Switching to this method?:
Report
Very illuminating thread. Me, I’m adding some extra spiritual reading and prayers.Report
I’m giving up chastity for Lent. That’s the line I’m trying on the husband anyhow.Report
That fits my general approach, which is to give up sacrifice for lent.Report
Maybe I’ll give up internet commenting for Lent. (I could try for the internet itself for entertainment – including news/politics – but that would end in ridiculous failure. But so will the other thing, so…)Report
I was just about to give up making smart-ass comments on blogs, and then I decided against it.
Lucky you!Report
Apparently I gave up counting calories. So far, so good.Report