# Giving anything up for Lent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648 "2005-01-25T22:02:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![EmeraldGrue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@EmeraldGrue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmeraldGrue)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/21 "2005-01-26T16:36:59Z")
IANA Catholic, but I’m giving up being evil. Less swearing, put-downs (good-natured as they are), maniacal laughter and plotting-fingers–in short, a concerted effort to be a nicer person. The Lent thing is a convenient temporal coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/22 "2005-01-26T21:20:00Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > Are there so many of those around that you often feel tempted? 🙂 None whatsoever. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/23 "2005-01-27T01:21:44Z")
> [@trupa](#): > > For example, **StGermain** ’s post really hit home for me. My prayer life has been sucky to say the least over the past year, and I’ve hardly cracked open Scripture on my own for the longest time. I think I will try to follow his(?) example and make an effort to pray and read some psalms and maybe a chapter before bed, as well. Ummm…her. And I’m glad that my words hit home. So often people (especially on this board) make light of spiritual quests, but for many people it’s a crucial part of their life. It’s wrong to trivialize that. StG ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/24 "2005-01-27T03:40:43Z")
What am I giving up for Lent? My New Year’s resolution! [sub]Apologies to Michael Lewis[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/25 "2005-01-27T04:42:21Z")
Not sure yet. Last year, I Lented a certain person, which worked well for me. This year, I might do it again, only with a different person. Last year, my brother Lented bubble tea… this year, he might Lent Pho. 😃 What dates does Lent fall between this year, again? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/26 "2005-01-27T12:18:52Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > Ummm…her. And I’m glad that my words hit home. So often people (especially on this board) make light of spiritual quests, but for many people it’s a crucial part of their life. It’s wrong to trivialize that. > > StG Not wishing to make light of anyone’s spiritual quests, but does the deity you worship really _care_ if you don’t eat chocolate for a month or so? If so, shouldn’t he or she have more important things to worry about? ---
**Author:** ![deena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e7dd6/32.png) [@deena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deena)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/27 "2005-01-27T13:03:27Z")
Candy. ---
**Author:** ![Asteroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Asteroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asteroid)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/28 "2005-01-27T13:44:25Z")
Not Catholic, but giving up my home. I’m moving to a better apartment. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/29 "2005-01-27T14:29:01Z")
Hope. I’m giving up Hope for Lent. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/30 "2005-01-27T15:09:52Z")
I’m giving up eating candy in front of people who are giving up sweets for Lent. 😉 (I kid, I kid. I’m Jewish; if people are respectful of my Passover observance, I’m OK with being more discreet about sweets.) Robin ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/31 "2005-01-27T18:17:06Z")
**Case Sensitive** - It’s not that God cares whether I eat chocolate; it’s that, as an exercise, it teaches me self-control. We live in a world of self-gratification. And as I desire things I’ve given up, or do special things, I am mindful of the sacrifice of Christ. How hard is it to not eat chocolate, or to add extra prayer, when Christ suffered and died for me? It is a common thought in the Catholic faith that it’s a good thing to deny oneself. StG ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/32 "2005-01-27T18:41:24Z")
I love Lent season, it’s the best time to find great deals on fish. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648/33 "2005-01-27T21:45:59Z")
**Case Sensitive** - I forgot a whole other side of the Lenten experience, which is repentance. When you give up something, you do it in a spirit of penance. You may say to yourself, “What does giving up chocolate have to do with making amends?”, but it’s like saying “What does paying a fine have to do with parking in a handicapped spot?” You acknowledge your sins and you do something that is difficult to discipline yourself. In a spirit of repentance and self-denial you prepare yourself for Easter. StG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giving-anything-up-for-lent/286648.md?page=1)