# Non-Catholics: What are you giving up for Lent? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 2, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038 "2009-03-02T18:25:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/21 "2009-03-02T22:42:43Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I, therefore, am abstaining from three bean salad. My abstention may last well beyond Easter. > > You? Ahhhh…we can all breathe a little bit easier. ---
**Author:** ![JaneSaintClair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JaneSaintClair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneSaintClair)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/22 "2009-03-03T00:13:59Z")
I’m giving up Jesus for Lent. It’s not hard at all… ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/23 "2009-03-03T00:44:12Z")
I’m giving up my wisdom teeth. Well, I haven’t yet, but I will this Friday. This, also, will extend long past Lent. Maybe even for the rest of my life 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/24 "2009-03-03T01:43:22Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I’m giving up Lent for Lent. Seriously, _why_ would I observe a custom that isn’t part of a religion I belong to? Then you’re not Lutheran or Anglican, either. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/25 "2009-03-03T01:49:32Z")
Moderation. I like 3-bean salad. I’ll have yours! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/26 "2009-03-03T02:27:40Z")
I’m giving up celibacy, and suggesting my partner do the same. I sincerely hope we have the discipline and iron will to follow through with this. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/27 "2009-03-03T02:28:31Z")
I’m just giving up; I can’t deal with it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/28 "2009-03-03T02:30:47Z")
Actually, I’m not giving up anything. What I am doing, as I do every year at this time, is devoting Lent to deeper introspection about myself, where I am in life and how I treat other people. This will be a time of re-assessment of me by me, as a man, father, husband and Christian. Okay, so, enough of the happy slappy – Here’s an English teacher’s Lenten joke: A young couple gets married; he’s Unitarian, she’s Catholic, they’re so madly in lust with each other they can’t keep their hands off each other. They get married on New Year’s Day and head for Cancun for a week of non-stop coitus. On returning home, they can’t stay away from each other – she visits his office, where he locks the door and does her on the desk; he surprises her in the kitchen, causing her to scorch the meat; they fall into each other’s arms at the slightest provocation and have exhausting, weekend-long lovemaking sessions. One day he comes home from work, takes her in his arms and begins to fondle her, unbuttoning her blouse and tugging at her slacks. She pushes him away. “We can’t!” she pouts, “not until after Easter.” Confused and stunned he asks, “Why not!?” “Because,” she replies, “It’s Lent.” There is a strained silence, then he asks in a quavering voice, “To whom?” I love that joke. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/29 "2009-03-03T02:51:06Z")
I’ll give up my soul. I’ll even throw in some phlogiston too. > [@Sunrazor](#): > > A young couple gets married; he’s Unitarian, she’s Catholic, they’re so madly in lust with each other they can’t keep their hands off each other. They get married on New Year’s Day and head for Cancun for a week of non-stop coitus. On returning home, they can’t stay away from each other – she visits his office, where he locks the door and does her on the desk; he surprises her in the kitchen, causing her to scorch the meat; they fall into each other’s arms at the slightest provocation and have exhausting, weekend-long lovemaking sessions. > > One day he comes home from work, takes her in his arms and begins to fondle her, unbuttoning her blouse and tugging at her slacks. She pushes him away. “We can’t!” she pouts, “not until after Easter.” > Confused and stunned he asks, “Why not!?” > “Because,” she replies, “It’s Lent.” > There is a strained silence, then he asks in a quavering voice, “To whom?” 😃 Good one. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/30 "2009-03-03T04:15:46Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > …As an affirmed atheist, I feel it’s my duty to sacrifice something important to me, but the sacrifice should be comensurate with my piety… Fellow atheist checking in. I’ve given up energy drinks. It’s a test of willpower plus the fact that I drink too many of them and it’s not exactly healthy. Going cold turkey did give me some weird mid-day mood swings, but that seems to have stopped now. ---
**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/31 "2009-03-05T01:54:54Z")
It looks like I’m giving up walking. I just got out of the hospital, and cant get off the couch indefinitely. I almost collapsed trying to get a shower today. ---
**Author:** ![Myrrajh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/87869e/32.png) [@Myrrajh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrrajh)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/32 "2009-03-05T19:32:58Z")
Former Catholic here, but a believer in mastering your cravings. All the years I was a Catholic I never observed Lent, but here I am. If I can just say no to my regular 3-4 chocolate bars a week I’ll not only forgo those delicious calories, but also prove to myself that I actually do have discipline. So yeah, it’s been a week. No desperate moments yet. Oh yeah, and I gave up calculus. 🙂 Will have to try that again in the spring semester since it’s a required course for my degree. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/33 "2009-03-05T19:38:44Z")
Red meat, sweets and fast food Some non-Catholic Christians keep Lent, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/34 "2009-03-05T19:40:55Z")
I’m trying the non-alcohol approach, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/35 "2009-03-05T19:44:23Z")
Sweetbread. But you’ll have to pry the diet ginger ale out of my cold dead hands. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038/36 "2009-03-05T19:44:28Z")
I’m not Christian, and I’ll go so far as to give up lentils. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-catholics-what-are-you-giving-up-for-lent/488038.md?page=1)