Fun Dumb Beliefs?

The Seeker

The Seeker

Member: Rank 6
chainsaw_metal1 said:
I don't know if this really fits in "Dumb Beliefs" or just outdated dogma, but I'm curious about others' thoughts on this one. For centuries, the Catholic Church forbade the eating of meat on Fridays. For the last few decades, that has changed to only being done during Lent. As someone who was raised Protestant by a mom with an extreme bias against the Catholic Church, I've always thought the idea pretty silly. I mean, to each their own, but especially after I became an Atheist, I feel like the forcing of one to adhere to something as arbitrary as eating something or not eating something on a particular day seems, well, dumb. In a lot of Xtian denominations, there are certain rules you have to, or are supposed to follow - Methodists aren't supposed to get drunk or gamble, the meat thing with Catholics (along with a shit load of other rules they have), Mormons are supposed to go door-to-door on my day off and annoy the fuck out of me, etc. I've had Catholic friends who get indignant about it, and tell me it's a sign of faith to follow those rules, rather than being "forced" to follow them.

So, is it dumb, outdated, silly, or am I letting my rational thinking get in the way?
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It's dumb, outdated, and silly, AND you're letting your rational thinking get in the way.

The Coptic Orthodox church fasts for 50 days (to prove they're better than Jesus) and the fasting is eating vegan. I have a number of relatives that do it. Two of my aunts are fasting almost every time we see them (occasionally they come in from out of town) because the Coptic church fasts several times throughout the year. That's why the people in that church are absolute carnivores the times of the year when they're not fasting. Even when I was a Christian I didn't fast. It's all so stupid.
 
chainsaw_metal1

chainsaw_metal1

Member: Rank 8
The Seeker said:
It's dumb, outdated, and silly, AND you're letting your rational thinking get in the way.
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THAT is the correct answer!
The Seeker said:
The Coptic Orthodox church fasts for 50 days (to prove they're better than Jesus) and the fasting is eating vegan. I have a number of relatives that do it. Two of my aunts are fasting almost every time we see them (occasionally they come in from out of town) because the Coptic church fasts several times throughout the year. That's why the people in that church are absolute carnivores the times of the year when they're not fasting. Even when I was a Christian I didn't fast. It's all so stupid.
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I guess I just have hit a point where I refuse to be a part of any organization - religion, club, etc. - that would enforce certain restrictions on any part of my life. The idea of fasting just seems really stupid outside of any medical need. I do understand the mentality, that idea of giving up something to seem more devout, and in one way, I can admire that kind of commitment, and yet, my big, rational brain just goes "This is fucking stupid". As I said, mom had areal bias against the Catholic Church, and so during Lent, every Friday, she made sure there was meat for supper. I'm certain some would look at that as a petty action, but I look at it as my own stance against what religion can and often does stand for.
 
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