Stephen Colbert really gave up sweets for lent

[gigi]

@Critical1

I was listening to “love line” and some girl gave up her vibrator for lent…

Kind of like the ridiculous premise of that 40 Days and 40 Nights ickfest. :rolleyes:

@zamboniracer

He said he taught Sunday school and that there was “very little overlap” between the audience there and the audience for The Colbert Report.

That surprises me.

[Maus_Magill]

@mrklutz

When you say you alternate, does that mean you give up booze in the morning and coffee in the evening?

Your idea intrigues me, and I’d like to subscribe to your newsletter.

[kaylasdad99]

@garygnu

Good for Colbert, but does anybody give up anything else besides sweets for lent?

I gave up monotheism one year, never got around to believing in it again when Easter came around, so the whole “deciding what to give up for lent” thing no longer troubles me…

[Chronos]

Sundays are always an exception to the Lenten rules. It’s actually forbidden by the Church to fast on Sundays, as the day commemorating Jesus’ resurrection is supposed to be a day of joy. Every Sunday is a sort of mini-Easter. So Colbert has, in fact, had several opportunities to try his ice cream.

That surprises me [that there’s little overlap in the audiences]

It doesn’t surprise me at all. Even a wildly successful primetime free-airwaves TV show (much less a niche late-night cable show) will only be watched by a small fraction of the population, and The Colbert Report probably doesn’t rate too well in the 12-and-under demographic that would comprise the majority of a Sunday school class.

[Autolycus]

@Chronos

Sundays are always an exception to the Lenten rules. It’s actually forbidden by the Church to fast on Sundays, as the day commemorating Jesus’ resurrection is supposed to be a day of joy. Every Sunday is a sort of mini-Easter. So Colbert has, in fact, had several opportunities to try his ice cream.

Wha-wha-whaaaaat? Been Catholic all my life and never heard that one. I believe you really, but may I humbly ask for a cite?

[Voyager]

I’m not Catholic, but someone I worked with said he gave up honking his horn for Lent. Knowing him, it was quite a sacrifice.

And Holbrooke singing 'On the Road Again" was even better.

[Raguleader]

@gigi

Kind of like the ridiculous premise of that 40 Days and 40 Nights ickfest. :rolleyes:

Heh, I rather liked 40 Days and 40 Nights. It was funny, and had hot chicks making out with eachother, though there was of course the bit towards the end that rightfully upsets a number of people who have seen it.

[Chronos]

First cite I can find:

Ash Wednesday, which may fall anywhere between February 4 and March 10, occurs forty-six days before Easter, but Lent is nevertheless considered to be forty days long, due to the fact that Sundays in this season are not counted among the days of Lent. The traditional reason for this is that fasting was considered inappropriate on Sunday, the day commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus.

I also found a few more cites which are more authoritative, but less direct on the subject.

[JohnT]

@garygnu

Good for Colbert, but does anybody give up anything else besides sweets for lent?

I, uh, gave some thought to the idea of giving up message boards.

Oops. :smack:

[garygnu]

I’m glad to see some diverse choices, every Catholic I know personally gives up candy every year, often with the excuse of “I couldn’t think of anything else…”

[beergeek279]

@Voyager

I’m not Catholic, but someone I worked with said he gave up honking his horn for Lent.

Ahh, this sounds so much dirtier than anything else in the thread…good job

[Mesquite-oh]

Giving up sweets would be too easy for me. I gave up bacon…delicious, savory, smokey, bacon… I need to say a few Hail Marys before I am tempted to go down to the kitchen. My wife bought some last week- the thick sliced kind. In response, I bought a six and a 3 liter of Dr. Pepper (what she gave up).

[pulykamell]

@Chronos

First cite I can find:I also found a few more cites which are more authoritative, but less direct on the subject.

I don’t read that the same way you do. I’m not a practicing Catholic, but “not fasting” != “dispensation to eat ice cream” or whatever you’ve chosen to give up during Lent. (We actually were not encouraged to give up things during Lent when I was growing up, but rather to focus on doing good deeds or improving oneself in some manner). I don’t consider not eating meat on Friday as fasting either.

[pulykamell]

We’ll I’ll be darned. After further review, it does seem that traditionally, rules don’t apply on Sundays. I wish somebody had told me this when I was a practicing Catholic. I don’t think a single person in my parish or family was aware of this rule. It certainly wasn’t promoted by any of the priests.

[gigi]

@Chronos

It doesn’t surprise me at all. Even a wildly successful primetime free-airwaves TV show (much less a niche late-night cable show) will only be watched by a small fraction of the population, and The Colbert Report probably doesn’t rate too well in the 12-and-under demographic that would comprise the majority of a Sunday school class.

:smack: I was thinking of the Catholic population at church, not the kids. Of course you’re right.

@Raguleader

Heh, I rather liked 40 Days and 40 Nights. It was funny, and had hot chicks making out with eachother, though there was of course the bit towards the end that rightfully upsets a number of people who have seen it.

Yes, that last would be the worst part. But what bugged me is the idea of giving up for Lent something that’s sinful anytime.

[Raguleader]

@gigi

Yes, that last would be the worst part. But what bugged me is the idea of giving up for Lent something that’s sinful anytime.

Well, recall that the priest was pretty aghast at the idea too.

That said, it’s not ALWAYS sinful. If it’s with your lawful wedded spouse for the purposes of making more Catholics, it’s OK, or so I understand.

[dalej42]

There is usually an IMHO thread around Ash Wednesday about what people are giving up for Lent.

I don’t eat many sweets so I never give up a food item. This year I gave up watching Star Trek for Lent. Easter will be a Trek-a-thon for me!

[Shirley_Ujest]

I gave up monotheism too! ( It sounds smurter this way rather than, I gave up religion.)

[singular1]

@Raguleader

Well, recall that the priest was pretty aghast at the idea too.

OK, you guys are making me crazy. I never saw the movie, don’t intend to see it (unless I catch it by accident channel surfing), but I have to know what happens at the end! Fight a little ignorance, please?

[gigi]

@singular1

OK, you guys are making me crazy. I never saw the movie, don’t intend to see it (unless I catch it by accident channel surfing), but I have to know what happens at the end! Fight a little ignorance, please?

He is on day 39 of his bet of celibacy and his ex-girlfriend finds out about it. He has his friends tie him up so he doesn’t go get laid and I believe he falls asleep. The ex comes in and rapes him. He loses the bet, but of course in the end gets the new girl.