h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Think I've yet to meet someone who's given up something healthy for Lent. I know it's supposed to be that you give up things that tempt you, but what about something like strawberries? It's always or or something which sounds more like a diet that's not a diet.

I even once heard a girl in school say she'd put brocolli onto her list for Lent, even though she didn't actually like the stuff - said it was because it sounded good.

What a daft idea Lent is. In celebration, commemoration or emulation of Jesus' spurning of food and drink not to mention temptation by this other character the devil people who like the book about him give up something piddly like takeway curries or fags.

That's what i used to think but I think that humans today have it tougher than Jesus because according to what people wrote about him he could do some pretty neat tricks aside from walking on water raising the dead and healing the sick he could turn water into wine.

Isnt it conceiveable that this Jesus person (if he was a person) couldnt just breath in air and turn it into cakes without anyone being any the wiser. Maybe he was out in the desert photsynthesising himself to three square meals a day.

The problem with the modern form of lent is that it is not really about causing yourself inconvenience. That is why a lot of Christians now take something up for lent instead of giving it up. In the olden days (and I'm talking centuries here) lent really was about deprivation. Every Friday was Fasting (not just fish) during the normal year, and during Lent it got even worse. But nowadays we are all so woossy that we don't even do that. Not sure I fancy getting back to basics those. Much respect to Muslims who do ramadan. I would not be able to hack that!

I suppose there's definately an element of that. ythre nbumber of people who go round bragging about how well they're doing at not eating or whatever. Or the thing this year suggested by the CoE to remove lightbulbs and hand-wash our dishes to be green.

I hear of some Christians doing a proper fast for a morning or a day, but you don't really hear of many doing a "proper" fast for 40 days.