For reason I'm not entirely sure of other than I just wanted to see if I could do it, I've decided to give up meat, sweets, and alcohol. The no alcohol part is gonna be tough. I have also decided to fast on fridays as Catholics did before Vatican II. Hopefully hilarity ensues, and somebody start the pool.

*head explodes* Good luck, brother.

Oh man, one of the tunes I just sent you could hurt.

Me and the girl have decided to give up redmeat.

I offered beer, she offered cussing...those being impossible and our worthlessness and lack of trying an affront to God, we went with red meat.

Yeah, but you are a half-ass Catholic at best. With dude's like Tanner---its for real. If they fuck up, people have to leave heaven and go to Pergatory and shit. Plus, them rat bones (It being Louisiana and all).

i didn't realize it was ash wednesday today until i saw the forehead crosses on my way to lunch. after devouring a medium rare burger at lunch, i decided to give up meat for lent. last year i gave up pizza and almost went crazy.

oldbullee... the real fun will be had when you have your first drink after being dry for 40 days. hello, low tolerance!

As a lapsed Catholic, I refuse to give up anything or ever go to confession again. My logic is if I'm going to give up something, I'm going to give it up for good and not due to lent or a New Year's resolution.

I'm cooking steak tonight on Ash Wednesday. I should probably cut back on the coffee soon, but I won't. If I should start anything good for myself it should be jogging and more aerobic excercise, I've kind of eliminated it besides walking to and from work every day. I know longer have any athletic stamina nor endurance like I did a few years ago when I was coaching wrestling.

Half assed gives me WAY too much credit. We ain't even gettin married in the Church.

If I would have pointed out the truth, you would have cried some bullshit about your "Sainted Roman Catholic Mother" Boohoo. I hope you choke on your baked chicken.

The only thing I ever did for lent was to try attend Mass every day. I never had the inclination to deprive myself of anything. Now that I'm lapsed, I generally take on all the sacrifices others give up. I figure if Jesus can carry that big cross, the least I can do is eat red meat and drink whiskey for 40 days.

Good luck on giving all that up, mate.

Tonite'll be a big ass Tuna Filet.

Is "lapsed Catholic" and official term? Excuse my ignorance, I ain't real familiar with them Papists, and I've never heard this before until it popped up twice in this thread.

I saw a t-shirt once that said "Recovering Catholic." I chuckled.

Yeah, I was wondering that too. And is it a sliding scale like:

Papist
Practicing
Christmas and Easter
Lapsed
Excommunicated
Protestant

You forgot "Cafeteria Catholic".

And Dana, I had a friend once who referred to himself as a Reform Catholic. When asked for clarification he said, "I used to be Catholic, but now I'm an atheist". When asked what he was giving up for Lent, he would say, "Not much since I gave up Catholicism for Lent X years ago."

As for me lapsed Catholic means I only go during Christmas and sometimes Easter depending on if I go home for that holiday. I would be excommunicated if the Church actually investigated me or someone made a big deal about me, but that won't happen. I probably would relish the official notification of my excommunication, but my family wouldn't appreciate it.
I don't have plans to be married in a church nor do I think I will ever join a protestant church. I'd probably raise my kid Catholic due to the fact my girlfriend has no real religious affiliation and I never thought our religious education classes were as serious as the Lutherans where I grew up.

i'm not giving up shit.
i put my time in when i had to go to church every time some saint somebody of somewhere blew his/her goddamm nose.
i wouldn't even take my kids to the unitarian church. the ex did that.
my sundays mornings are dedicated to me drinking orange juice in bed and reading the times.
in fact that's why i had kids. so they could get me said juice and run out for the times.
that part's not working out so great but, yes, i am done.

Thank God I'm an atheist.

wow, giving up alcohol for 40 days? i can barely do a week. kudos to you.

I'm going to give up deprivation and moderation. I would give up responsibility, but I don't think that will fly in the Real World. But it doesn't matter; I'm the heathen kid of two lapsed/non-practicing Catholics. They were VERY against raising me in the church and even refused to have me christened, much to the disagreement of my grandparents.

...plus I'm going to speak only Latin and burn at least one heretic.

religious freaks.

Only if a duck.