# Pitting my Catholic co-worker **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 25, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140 "2004-02-25T18:00:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/21 "2004-02-25T22:44:31Z")
> [@Merfy](#): > > And to think that this very passage comes from the Gospel that is being read today… > > “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.” Lessee. Matthew, during the Sermon on the Mount, so somewhere in chapters 5 to 7. Am I right? ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/22 "2004-02-25T22:55:08Z")
Something i’ve always wondered about, as i’m not big on _organized_ religion… so, for Lent, you’re supposed to give up something for the duration of Lent, typically something you enjoy, but it can be anything, right? what would happen if you gave up Lent for Lent? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/23 "2004-02-25T23:09:51Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Lessee. Matthew, during the Sermon on the Mount, so somewhere in chapters 5 to 7. Am I right? It’s Matthew 6:5-6: “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/24 "2004-02-25T23:11:10Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > Yeah, but it’s _Ash_ Wednesday, one of our holiest days which kicks off the Lenten season, so we are supposed to abstain from meat today as well. Actually, IIRC, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only two remaining days on which Catholics are supposed to actually fast, rather than just abstain from meat. Unlessen yer under 14 and over 60, IIRC. Hey, I finally made the cut. Still have to abstain from meat today, but don’t have to fast. Whoopee! ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/25 "2004-02-25T23:15:24Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Something i’ve always wondered about, as i’m not big on _organized_ religion… > > so, for Lent, you’re supposed to give up something for the duration of Lent, typically something you enjoy, but it can be anything, right? > > what would happen if you gave up Lent for Lent? 😉 🙂 Heh! Don’t think that would fly. Lately the emphasis is on **doing something additional** rather than giving up something, tho both are appropriate. I told my wife this morning I’m going to try to pay more attention to her for lent. She said, yeah, wher’ve I heard that before. 😉 [sub]We just celebrated our 40th anniversary 12/28/2003. [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/26 "2004-02-25T23:27:57Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > what would happen if you gave up Lent for Lent? 😉 I do that every frickin’ year. That was even before I gave up the Catholicism altogether. I love it when people ask me what I’m giving up. They never find it as entertainingly ironic as I do. ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/27 "2004-02-25T23:29:53Z")
One explanation as to why meat was prohibited, but not fish was that, as meat became more available (because there were enough people in cities to support a butcher and so animals could be slaughtered at any time without worrying that it would go bad before it was eaten) the fish industry in Europe experienced a downturn. To protect that industry, the Church (only christian one is existence at this time) degreed “meatless” days–and they used to be very common, any Saint’s day or other holy day was meatless, so figure at least once or twice a month throughout the year–thus providing a market for the fish industry. Or maybe it’s because Jesus was a fisherman and it’s supposed to make you feel close to Him. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/28 "2004-02-25T23:38:25Z")
> [@yellowval](#): > > On that subject, could someone please explain to me what part of the fish you eat if you’re not eating meat? That’s what I would like to know too. I haven’t eaten **meat** (the flesh of an animal) in many a year. I get sick of people asking me if I can eat fish. Fish is the flesh of an animal. “Animal meat.” Well, this is not the place to get into that, but I find it beyond silly that this woman is bitching about eating fish instead of beef or something one day a week. How absurd. Before I was a vegetarian, I spent many a day eating non-meat dishes (which also meant non-fish dishes) and it never occurred to me that I was suffering or sacrificing. And many a day the only animal flesh I consumed was a tuna sandwich. Woo hoo! Tuna! Even though I’m a veggie now, I still remember how good tuna tastes. (Not that it’s worth going back to being a meat-eater to have it, but I do have fond memories of tuna.) I daresay that a lot of people go through days without thinking that they are “giving up” anything. They feast on things like tunafish sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, cheese pizza, spaghetti marinara, baked fish, and so forth. Sounds perfectly fine to me. Where’s the huge sacrifice here? So, this woman beyond silly. Besides, doesn’t she know how unChristian she’s behaving? To bitch about such a small thing, to be so begrudging of this so-called sacrifice—why does she even do it at all? Any blessing she may have recieved will, I suspect, be negated by all the negative attention she’s bringing to herself. Not to mention all the complaining and bitching—what is the point, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/29 "2004-02-25T23:43:21Z")
Could be worse, **yellowval**. She could be going around pestering everyone to see that Mel Gibson movie. What was the name of that? It’s probably in this email I got from my boss. > [@](#): > > As most of you know, Mel Gibson’s movie THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST > opens on Wed., Feb. 25. I’m sure you’re planning to see it. > I want to encourage you to make sure to see it by SATURDAY, FEBRUARY > 28. > > When you go to a movie opening weekend, it’s as if you’re casting a > vote for that movie. And the ballot box closes on Saturday night. > If you wait a week or two to avoid lines, you are throwing away your > vote. Hollywood will already have decided whether that movie is a > hit or a flop by the time they count the Saturday night grosses. And > later business will not change the first impression. > > Many of you, of course, know this already. But please, if you want > to see THE PASSION open huge (as it has every chance of doing), if > you want to see it rock Hollywood back on its heels in surprise… > Then please FORWARD THIS E-MAIL on to everyone you know whom you > think wants this movie to do well… Especially forward it to the > folks who might not realize the importance of going to the theatre > ON OR BEFORE SATURDAY, FEB. 28th. > > …And then won’t it be fun to read the box office numbers in the > news on Monday, March 1st?.. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/30 "2004-02-26T00:00:57Z")
Well, I remembered it was Ash Wednesday, but I also have a slice of pepperoni pizza for lunch (technically that was before I remembered, but I did remember halfway through the slice). While I enjoy Lent, I tend to forget about the meat/fasting days. Not intentionally, but it’s just not a high priority item for me (especially since I’m not currently practicing). When I was practicing, I worked to find the joy in the sacrifice, whether in the act of giving something up for forty days or in the giving up of meat on Fridays. But seriously, if the giving up of meat is that much of a burden or problem for her during _Lent_, just remind her that: > [@](#): > > The National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States made abstinence from meat mandatory on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent and recommended that it be observed on all Fridays of the year but has allowed individual Catholics to substitute another penance on Fridays if they could not abstain from meat. (from [here](http://www.scborromeo.org/glad/c12.htm#q2)) ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/31 "2004-02-26T00:02:54Z")
> [@Kallessa](#): > > One explanation as to why meat was prohibited, but not fish was that, as meat became more available (because there were enough people in cities to support a butcher and so animals could be slaughtered at any time without worrying that it would go bad before it was eaten) the fish industry in Europe experienced a downturn. To protect that industry, the Church (only christian one is existence at this time) degreed “meatless” days–and they used to be very common, any Saint’s day or other holy day was meatless, so figure at least once or twice a month throughout the year–thus providing a market for the fish industry. I recall reading somewhere that during the Middle Ages, some churchmen decided that rabbit was fish. Or unborn animals. Also, IIRC during the time when these “meatless” rules were implemented, your average person didn’t get that much meat anyway. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/32 "2004-02-26T04:10:36Z")
She’s complaining about having to give up meat for Lent? Tell her to grow some balls (or ovaries) and become Jewish and keep Kosher. _Then_ she’ll know how hard it really is to give something up. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/33 "2004-02-26T04:40:57Z")
I was reading a story set during WWI or WWII, I can’t remember which. At any rate, the author made mention of the government’s campaign asking every citizen to observe a meatless, wheatless, and sweetless day each week. These were not all the same day, but say Monday would be meatless, Wednesday would be wheatless, and Friday would be sweetless. I thought that it would be an interesting idea, and I try to do something of the sort myself, though usually I only have two days of each kind in each month. But it’s interesting to attempt to go a day without meat (and I don’t cheat and call fish a meatless dish), and another day without wheat, and another day without sugar. I DO somewhat cheat and use honey on sweetless days, as that was allowed in the old war rules. I think it’s an interesting way to experiment with foods that I ordinarily wouldn’t try. However, if someone offers me a steak dinner on a day that I had planned to be meatless, I don’t turn it down! As for Annoying Coworker…can you get pizzas delivered to your workplace? Have a meatlover’s pizza delivered, and share it with everyone. On Friday, of course. I second the Slim Jim baits. And, of course, there’s nothing quite like a really loaded cold cut sub sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Tinkertoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@Tinkertoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinkertoy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/34 "2004-02-26T04:58:35Z")
> [@yosemitebabe](#): > > To bitch about such a small thing, to be so begrudging of this so-called sacrifice—why does she even do it at all? To have something to bitch about, to get attention and to feel holier-than-thou-art. Some people can’t be happy unless they some reason to whine. ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/35 "2004-02-26T05:01:49Z")
Yea, I bought a taylor ham and cheese on a bagel for lunch. Then some non-Catholic dude told me it was AW. I thought about what would be a bigger sin for a moment; throwing away a perfectly good sandwich while people in the world starve, or eating 2 slices of meat. In the end, I gave the sandwich to someone else. And this lady, she in no way represents the rest of us Catholics. Try to get her excommunicated. Or do the Slim Jim thing. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/36 "2004-02-26T05:28:08Z")
All these folks talking about “Aw” this, and “AW” that, my first reaction isn’t “Ash Wednesday;” it’s “Gee I could really go for a burger and a big ol’ mug of root beer right about now.” No need to consider myself a “recovering Catholic” any more; I’m recovered. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/37 "2004-02-26T13:20:26Z")
What a frikkin’ WHINER. Jebus. Not being someone who has much money, I regularly go WEEKS without eating meant. Weeks. A few weeks ago, I finally had a good chunk of change. So I bought, and froze, 6lbs of hamburger, 2 steaks, and some hot dogs. I’ve eaten more meat in the past month than I have in the past 6. But if I ate meat every day, that’d already be gone. So, I had two hot dogs and some tacos yesterday. Hamburger helper a week ago. Steak a week before that. I eat meat only about once a week. Hate fish, btw. Gross. So, what the hell is wrong with this woman? Is she a strict carnivore? Does she not realize that there’s this novel stuff called pasta and rice? Makes a lot of good food, it does. Buy her a vegetarian cookbook, and write “stop bitching” on the inside cover. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/38 "2004-02-26T13:44:54Z")
From Tom Lerher: “The girl I pay the rent for, The girl my money’s spent for, The girl I gave up Lent for…” 🙂 Given the relative prices of the “luxurious” beef and the “humble” seafood nowadays, it has occasionally struck me that if one wants to be true to the spirit of the thing one should forgo beef AND seafood, and eat Kraft macaroni and cheese on fast days… ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/39 "2004-02-26T14:41:55Z")
> [@Jeff Olsen](#): > > Could be worse, **yellowval**. She could be going around pestering everyone to see that Mel Gibson movie. What was the name of that? It’s probably in this email I got from my boss. Your _boss_ sent you that? Holy shit. I think that’s deserving of its own pit thread. Unless you work at a church, that’s totally inappropriate. Update: I had homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner last night, by choice, and lived to see the morning. In fact, I enjoyed it, and didn’t think twice about not eating meat. I’m not a big meat eater anyway. When my husband isn’t home for supper, I often don’t make meat just for myself. The next time she whines, I think I’m going to run a copy of that Bible verse and lay it on her desk, with the passage underlined. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140/40 "2004-02-26T14:44:36Z")
> [@Silver Serpentine](#): > > Buy her a vegetarian cookbook, and write “stop bitching” on the inside cover. Oh see, but here’s the thing. This 24-year-old still lives with her parents, so she eats what mommy fixes for supper. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-my-catholic-co-worker/231140.md?page=3)