Eating no meat on Fridays

[StrawberryJam]

Having preserved fish on Fridays makes the story even less plausible and actually helps debunk the old story even more.

I was combatting the erroneous statement you made about fish having to be refrigerated.
I also forgot that it can be dried, but I do have recollection of seeing it prepared that way by asians.
Can you explain why preserved fish would make (what story?) even less plausible and help debunk anything?

You would still end up with a ton of non christians buying the fish. So, I am not sure you debunked anything.

 

[ProVobis]

So I’d eat the fish, but usually try to remember to do other penance.

When you work for a boss who orders the best meats for lunch for everyone in the company on Fridays, believe me, eating fish is a penance.

 

[StrawberryJam]

When you work for a boss who orders the best meats for lunch for everyone in the company on Fridays, believe me, eating fish is a penance.

You have my sympathy there. That truly would be a challenge. Sounds like a nice boss though. He sounds as if he is not cutting back in this economy. Which does worry me too. I hope he is not going to go bankrupt over this practice! If for no other reason, the jobs that would be lost.
Anyway, you got me to laugh. I really can’t imagine your pain. But, kudos to you for sticking with your faith. That’s integrity, and I admire integrity.

 

[Linda_Marie]

As far as I am aware there is no basis for “No meat on Friday”; from what I recall it all started when the Pope proclaimed it to boost sales in the fishing industry, he had been bishop of Naples (a city heavily dependant upon the trade!) He was ‘protecting his electorate’. People ate fish thinking they were pious practitioners. And the economy of Naples did well.Nothing to do with taking or not taking life, a fish is a sentient being. A fish is meat - ask a vegan. Although I suppose justification for “No meat on Friday” can be found in Scripture, a lot can be justified from Text if only we look hard enough.

I actually found a basis for this rumour, although to my surprise, it was Anglican in origin. I was watching a UKTV show on eating patterns through the centuries and their effect on health. A man and woman team investigated and found old recipies for the various dishes throughout the ages. They would have a medical exam before commencing, then for a week, would eat the prescribed diet, followed by another medical exam at the end of the week. The program was not religious at all.

When they did a week of Elizabethan England, they casually remarked that Queen Elizabeth I had made it law that the English had to eat fish on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

eatmedaily.com/2009/09/queen-elizabeths-food-proclamations/

Meat-free Fridays and sugary treats
Her Majesty was also very instrumental in meat-free Fridays. According to To The Queen’s Taste, “In 1563, by an act of Parliament, Elizabeth proclaimed that her countrymen had to eat fish on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Infraction of her command was punishable by three months’ imprisonment or a three-pound fine.” Though the law was rooted in religion, it was really implemented in order to boost the English shipbuilding industry and lower the cost of meat. She was a sneaky magistrate.

The Catholic discipline did not require the faithful to eat fish, only to abstain from meat, thus purely vegetarian meals are an option.

Again, this is a discipline, not dogma. Disciplines are intended to be of spiritual help, to bring us closer to God, to be good for the soul. They may be changed to reflect the times.

A discipline helps us to strengthen our wills against the demands of the flesh. We’ve all heard that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Abstaining and fasting strengthen our wills against temptation when the flesh is very demanding of satisfaction. Compare it to training to be a weight lifter, for instance. It would be foolish to refrain from training and just go into a competition. One would be unable to lift the weight that others, who had trained, would find easy. If we fail to train our will, our strength of will will be weak and we won’t be prepared to withstand temptations to sin, especially those of the flesh.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Was it the “History” channel? I think many catholics have found great fault with the “History” channel in past.

 

[Linda_Marie]

No, it was not the History Channel. It was UKTV, a channel from our satellite TV provider. Besides which, I provided a link to back it up.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

There is abstinence mentioned in Christian writings from the 3rd Century - one small meal, nothing to do with meat. And to limit ourselves to fish can bring on a 5-star menu, and abstinence goes out the window. But not our pious observance. Caviar anyone?

 

[StrawberryJam]

There is abstinence mentioned in Christian writings from the 3rd Century - one small meal, nothing to do with meat. And to limit ourselves to fish can bring on a 5-star menu, and abstinence goes out the window. But not our pious observance. Caviar anyone?

Fish is out of reach for the poor. Unless eating mostly breading with some really bad cod in it counts, is a luxury for many people.

I don’t believe the catholic church would consider it a sin if the person was so poor and all they had in the fridge was salami, that if they ate it because it was all they had that they sinned. At least I hope not.

 

[Adeodatus]

There is abstinence mentioned in Christian writings from the 3rd Century - one small meal, nothing to do with meat. And to limit ourselves to fish can bring on a 5-star menu, and abstinence goes out the window. But not our pious observance. Caviar anyone?

The Church must have done you great harm, to scoff at her disciplines so.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

The Church must have done you great harm, to scoff at her disciplines so.

What makes you think I scoff at her disciples when it is some of the practices I question?

 

[Adeodatus]

What makes you think I scoff at her disciples when it is some of the practices I question?

It’s obvious that caviar is probably not penitential for most people… was that a serious challenge?

Well, caviar would be penitential for me. I’d rather eat vegetables. But in general, for me eating fish instead of meat is a penance… I’m a Texan. I’d rather have a bacon cheeseburger than some poisson ala fru-fru any day.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

Fish is out of reach for the poor. Unless eating mostly breading with some really bad cod in it counts, is a luxury for many people.

I don’t believe the catholic church would consider it a sin if the person was so poor and all they had in the fridge was salami, that if they ate it because it was all they had that they sinned. At least I hope not.

Sin calls into question ‘intention’. The Carthusians fast on bread and water Wednesdays and Fridays, unless it is a Feast Day.
If we have to go out and buy ‘something special’ I think intention misplaced.
In my time with them I was permitted a little more to accommodate the work I had to undertake - frugality with common sense.
If one likes fish and hates meat I wonder maybe it’s more penitential to forgo the fish.
I like bread with coffee.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Sin calls into question ‘intention’. The Carthusians fast on bread and water Wednesdays and Fridays, unless it is a Feast Day.
If we have to go out and buy ‘something special’ I think intention misplaced.
In my time with them I was permitted a little more to accommodate the work I had to undertake - frugality with common sense.
I wonder if one likes fish and hates meat is it more penitential to forgo the fish?

I love fish, so it would be no penance to me whatsoever. I hear you there Kevin.

 

[StrawberryJam]

It’s obvious that caviar is probably not penitential for most people… was that a serious challenge?

Well, caviar would be penitential for me. I’d rather eat vegetables. But in general, for me eating fish instead of meat is a penance… I’m a Texan. I’d rather have a bacon cheeseburger than some poisson ala fru-fru any day.

You better go down to meet your catholic friends in the Bayou. Have some crab, and have the gumbo, jumbalya. Tell me it is bad then.

There is a poster here from that area and I get hungry just thinking about my times there when I was young. And yes, I’ve been to your state plently of times.

I’m from Chicago, and while we don’t eat meat bigger than the size of our heads in most cases, we love it.

But, there are a lot of us that love our fish too. You may or may not be aware of that.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

I love fish, so it would be no penance to me whatsoever. I hear you there Kevin.

With the Franciscans the Novice Master said the Postulants were allowed to each keep one vice as he thought it kept them balanced. I was overjoyed until he told me he would choose it.
I guess, if not chosen wisely, penances can be a form of self-indulgence.

 

[StrawberryJam]

With the Franciscans the Novice Master said the Postulants were allowed to each keep one vice as he thought it kept them balanced. I was overjoyed until he told me he would choose it.
I guess, if not chosen wisely, penances can be a form of self-indulgence.

He chose a vice to grow in holiness to keep balanced?

Sounds unbalanced to me in light of what I have read about the purpose and mission of Christ.

Jeepers Kevin.

Are you still a believer?

I don’t mean in the way of yes, I was baptised way. I mean, in a way where you are really at peace?

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

He chose a vice to grow in holiness to keep balanced?

Sounds unbalanced to me in light of what I have read about the purpose and mission of Christ.

Jeepers Kevin.

Are you still a believer?

I don’t mean in the way of yes, I was baptised way. I mean, in a way where you are really at peace?

He was a guy who thought it healthy for children to pull wings off flies. His reason, “Get it out of the system early.”

 

[StrawberryJam]

He was a guy who thought it healthy for children to pull wings off flies. His reason, “Get it out of the system early.”

Jeffery Dahmer and many other brutal maniac killers started out that way.

Abusing animals for amusement, and encouraging it in others is truly disturbing and coming from a man of God that must have been a major conflict with logic and reason there.

I hope he was stopped?

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

Jeffery Dahmer and many other brutal maniac killers started out that way.

Abusing animals for amusement, and encouraging it in others is truly disturbing and coming from a man of God that must have been a major conflict with logic and reason there.

I hope he was stopped?

When I said I hadn’t seen Cane Toads (poisonous) to the amusement of those present, when I was seated, a bucket load was thrown and dumped on me.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely (maybe it’s the fear of loss of power?)

 

[StrawberryJam]

When I said I hadn’t seen Cane Toads (poisonous) to the amusement of those present, when I was seated, a bucket load was thrown and dumped on me.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely (maybe it’s the fear of loss of power?)

Kevin, it is out of my area of knowledge what that would be, but I do see you have a good handle on the most probable possibilities.

I am really sad you had to endure so much of that kind of thing, and having the internal conflict of this being done to you by an authority figure representing your God.

But, I do see that you have inner strength that is stronger than that weak man, that horrid man. You still believe in spite of his brutality and in spite of his abuse.

You are a very strong man Kevin. I admire you.