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

You give up something on pancake day (Shrove Tuesday) for 40 days and 40 nights, until Easter.

At the moment, I can't think of the history behind it Would somebody refresh me?

Q

Ah! A christian thing.

Carry on

Yeah, I think Jesus headed out into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights to resist temptation or something.

But Pancake Tuesday to Easter Sunday is not 40 nights. The reason for the discrepancy is that modern Lent does not include Sundays. You're allowed indulge on Sundays. But most people think of this as cheating.

I'm doing it for the good of my character and physical body, rather than the good of my immortal soul - I don't think I have one of those! Others may have a different motivation.

"Does anyone want to join me in some self denial?"

I want to, but I won't.

Shrove Tuesday isn't actually part of Lent - it's the day you go to be shriven in preparation for Lent which starts on Ash Wednesday. The 'Forty Days' runs from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday, after which is Holy week which is also a week of preparation and fasting for Easter. Sundays are part of Lent but are not fast days, since the Sabbath should always be kept as a time of celebration.

In my family we always avoided sweet things on Sundays too, but I've never fasted on a Sunday, which I used to do on other days.

The whole point of giving things up is to practice self discipline as well as making a sacrifice, and it doesn't seem like self discipline to me if you make up for the week every Sunday.

Does giving up rare steak and liver for nine months (I've alredy done six) mean I shouldn't have to give up anything else?

The forty days in the wilderness were taken by Milton as the critical episode in man's redemption (in Paradise Regained -- one of those rare things, a sequel that lives up to the standard of its original, in this case Paradise Lost). He makes more sense to me than St Paul, who staked everything on the resurrection.

At the risk of appearing to lecture you Gnomon (perish the thought), I think you (along with many many others) are too self-deprecating when you say you are "doing it for the good of my character and physical body, rather than the good of my immortal soul - I don't think I have one of those".

The character and the soul are equivalent as far as I can see; what makes it immortal is not that the fact that it lives for ever, but the fact that it's not on the list of "whatever is begotten, born and dies" at all.

Not in any mysterious way, just that it's the software, and not subject to wearing out like the hardware.

It's all in the wetware.

Recumbentman, I was careful in my choice of the term 'immortal soul'. I believe I have a soul and that my character, mind and soul are all the same thing. I just don't think it is immortal because I think it will cease to exist when my body dies. I accept that it could be possible by a sufficiently advanced civilisation to transfer the soul into some sort of machine which 'memorised' me, but it's not possible at the moment.

i still have not had a kebab

.... and despite being tempted by the games next to me AND my online friends I have not played a computer game.

Think we're doing well guys. Another weekend out the way - can we last another week?

Hath
x

will......not......think......of..........succulent.........spitroasting.........doner meat.........must........be.......strong!


my friends are all laughing at me and deliberatly eating kebabin my presence.rds!

I refused all the desserts at a party yesterday because they all contained chocolate, and ate baked potatoes instead. Afterwards, I discovered there had been a delicious meringue which I hadn't seen.

awwww! I feel for ya bro'

I'm glad lent doesn't start till Ash Wednesday, cuz I forgot to start on Shrove Tuesday, so yay! I won't be eating on Sundays though, having 'only' once a week doesn't seem as much of an achievement as giving it up for the whole of lent.

Still got a bag of Roses and a chocolate heart in my room that I haven't touched!

Onwards!

Q

I'm giving up shopping to prove to myself that I can, it's the cry of many an addict "oh it's not serious, I can give it up anytime!" Just good to see if I can.

Managing so far, come close a few times, but Munchkin is keeping an eye on me, and I know he would 'tell on me' if I lapsed!

Don't mean to get heavy in such a fun thread, but I've got to say, Gnomon, it's contradictory to say of yer soul "I just don't think it is immortal because I think it will cease to exist when my body dies."

Software doesn't cease to exist when the hardware crashes. The thing you're avoiding, the ghost scenario with disembodied souls floating around, doesn't arise. The Gadarene swine event reads a bit strange to us now; another example is the episode in Tobit where the bride's psychosis is banished -- to Lower Egypt.

"Immortal" doesn't mean "living (somewhere)". "Eternal" doesn't mean "long-lasting". Your soul is eternal just as every moment registered in consciousness is eternal. As Kurt Vonnegut says (something like) "all stories are written in the air with a finger".

I put myself through a test on friday to see if I could do it.
During lunch, I bought a big bucket of Cadbury's Heroes and told everyone in my team that they were welcome to grab a few. For myself, I bought a banana.

Mongo impressed!

Ooh, that *is* impressive!

As for me, this week will be much easier than last. I'm off from work for a week, so I won't be tempted by snacks everywhere I turn. Goodies are *everywhere* when one works in an elementary school....

Keep up the good work, everyone!

Cheers
Raindawn