“He that would have a short Lent, let him borrow money to be repaid at Easter.”
--Ben Franklin
Damn right bitches…
The 18th Century Rock Star who was Ben Franklin, as always, had his electrified kite flying right when he flew that little nugget of home spun ecumenical philosophity into the thunderstorm of religiosity.
Anyhoo…Today is Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, or as many know this day…Mardi Gras.
Today marks, especially for ye of the Catholic faith, the prequel to the solemn 46 day period of penitence and self-denial leading up to the celebration of the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, which this year falls on April 8th.
Ha…Seriously? Solemn? Penitence? Self-Denial? Pffffft…
Just as hard as many a Catholic Priest has gone down on an unsuspecting underage schoolboy, the Catholic Church has simplified and wimpified Lent to the MMth degree.
Back when I was a wee lad and being raised Catholic, Lent meant giving up something which I liked.
It meant sacrifice and self denial in order to figuratively mirror the sacrifice that Christ made as he wandered the desert for forty days prior to beginning his ministry here on Earth.
Today?
The Catholic Church eschews sacrifice during Lent.
Blitzkrieg Benny would rather you did something nice for the poor, the destitute, and those type of folks whom I, and others make fun of everyday, in order to honor Lent and the J-Man’s 40 day trek through an un-Godly desert.
Fuck Vobiscum, that!!
Hell’s Fire…The change in the attitude toward Lent may have been my breaking point between my soul and the Catholic Church. Okay, maybe not…
My breaking point with the Catholic Church was when I turned 18 and said to myself…
“Mom and Dad can’t do a damn thing to me now other than shake their head at me if I don’t go to Church.”
And so it was, I was no longer going to church…a church like many other churches of like and similar denominations, that attempts to dictate one’s belief system.
Me?
I know the Bible. I know the Bible as well, if not better, than most evangelists, “prophets”, and born-again nut job self-promoters, like the hideous and doomed to Hell, Joyce Meyer.
And my friends…That is where I seek my solace at times. Even if I didn’t believe in God or Jesus Christ, I would still read the Bible because it is a philosophical roadmap to the destination of being a good person.
But remember…It is a roadmap that while, “from the voice of God and Jesus Christ” is one that has been edited by man. Or in the case of the Catholic Church…by men.
I find it funny that while the words of Christ and his Apostles have remained constant forever, church dogma sways, it shifts…it redirects.
It started changing the words of Christ some years ago at Nicene, and has always evolved or more accurately, devolved, to meet its own needs.
The Church kept the books of Thomas the Contender and Mary Magdalene out of the Bible. Pope Gregory made Mary Magdalene out to be a whore. The Church sought money in exchange for Penance.
That arrogant and hierarchical attitude exists still today in many Churches, and yet…
While not a Catholic for years, nor a member of any organized church, I will observe Lent by giving up something I love.
This year, as I have in the past, give up bread, pasta, and most other carbohydrate type foods.
That alone, won’t win me a place in Heaven, but it will make me feel that I, have done something that is typically beyond me.
And dig it…
I, unlike Catholics who are allowed Sundays off during their sacrifice that they are no longer required to give, will do it on Sundays as well.
Pussies.
Cheers,
Matt-Man
email: neshobadude@yahoo.com
Twitter: @mattmaniws
--Ben Franklin
Damn right bitches…
The 18th Century Rock Star who was Ben Franklin, as always, had his electrified kite flying right when he flew that little nugget of home spun ecumenical philosophity into the thunderstorm of religiosity.
Anyhoo…Today is Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, or as many know this day…Mardi Gras.
Today marks, especially for ye of the Catholic faith, the prequel to the solemn 46 day period of penitence and self-denial leading up to the celebration of the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday, which this year falls on April 8th.
Ha…Seriously? Solemn? Penitence? Self-Denial? Pffffft…
Just as hard as many a Catholic Priest has gone down on an unsuspecting underage schoolboy, the Catholic Church has simplified and wimpified Lent to the MMth degree.
Back when I was a wee lad and being raised Catholic, Lent meant giving up something which I liked.
It meant sacrifice and self denial in order to figuratively mirror the sacrifice that Christ made as he wandered the desert for forty days prior to beginning his ministry here on Earth.
Today?
The Catholic Church eschews sacrifice during Lent.
Blitzkrieg Benny would rather you did something nice for the poor, the destitute, and those type of folks whom I, and others make fun of everyday, in order to honor Lent and the J-Man’s 40 day trek through an un-Godly desert.
Fuck Vobiscum, that!!
Hell’s Fire…The change in the attitude toward Lent may have been my breaking point between my soul and the Catholic Church. Okay, maybe not…
My breaking point with the Catholic Church was when I turned 18 and said to myself…
“Mom and Dad can’t do a damn thing to me now other than shake their head at me if I don’t go to Church.”
And so it was, I was no longer going to church…a church like many other churches of like and similar denominations, that attempts to dictate one’s belief system.
Me?
I know the Bible. I know the Bible as well, if not better, than most evangelists, “prophets”, and born-again nut job self-promoters, like the hideous and doomed to Hell, Joyce Meyer.
And my friends…That is where I seek my solace at times. Even if I didn’t believe in God or Jesus Christ, I would still read the Bible because it is a philosophical roadmap to the destination of being a good person.
But remember…It is a roadmap that while, “from the voice of God and Jesus Christ” is one that has been edited by man. Or in the case of the Catholic Church…by men.
I find it funny that while the words of Christ and his Apostles have remained constant forever, church dogma sways, it shifts…it redirects.
It started changing the words of Christ some years ago at Nicene, and has always evolved or more accurately, devolved, to meet its own needs.
The Church kept the books of Thomas the Contender and Mary Magdalene out of the Bible. Pope Gregory made Mary Magdalene out to be a whore. The Church sought money in exchange for Penance.
That arrogant and hierarchical attitude exists still today in many Churches, and yet…
While not a Catholic for years, nor a member of any organized church, I will observe Lent by giving up something I love.
This year, as I have in the past, give up bread, pasta, and most other carbohydrate type foods.
That alone, won’t win me a place in Heaven, but it will make me feel that I, have done something that is typically beyond me.
And dig it…
I, unlike Catholics who are allowed Sundays off during their sacrifice that they are no longer required to give, will do it on Sundays as well.
Pussies.
Cheers,
Matt-Man
email: neshobadude@yahoo.com
Twitter: @mattmaniws
8 comments:
The last few years I have participated in Lent even though I'm not and never have been Catholic. I still haven't decided what, if anything, I'm going to do this year.
Well, other than drive to Bagwine and eat a HUGE pizza and plate of spaghetti right in front of you. Just to test you.
Jay
Jayman: You go right ahead. It would be great to see you, and other than the fiasco of trying to give up smokes last year, my dedication during Lent is beyond reproach. Cheers Jayman!!
Matt-Man
You two can meet in St. Louis after this is all over. There's a pizza place here that has a ten pound pizza contest. If two people can finish it, it's free. Otherwise $50.
Mike: That sounds great. I think we would be up to the task, and when finished, we could celebrate atop the Gatweway Arch. Cheers Mike!!
Matt-Man
As a Catholic Drop Out I don't do lent.
But I'd love to see you two eat that pizza in St. Louis. Mike and I will cheer you on. I'll bring out the pom-pom's so to speak. :-)
Peg: Ohhhhhhh Baby!! Successful or not in the eating of the pizza venture, seeing you and your pom poms cheers us on is worth the trip alone. Cheers Peg!!
Matt-Man
Good luck, Matt. Let me know if you need recipes. X
Lisa: Thanks Hot Stuff...I've done the no bread and pasta stint before, so I should be well stocked recipe wise, but I'll let ya know. Cheers Lisa!!
Matt-Man
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