Is The Lent Period Necessary?

[MattforJesus]

So I have read that ..

''The rules for fasting and abstinence in the United States are: Every person 14 years or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent. Every person between theage of 18 and 59 (beginning of 60th year) must fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. ''

I practice not to eat meat on Good Friday weekend, and on Ask Wednesday. However, I cannot understand the purpose of the Lent period nor its importance. Is it from man or from God? How is it necessary for Christians?

Please help.

It is from man, and not from God.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Although I believe this is speaking of the new age movement, the Roman Catholic Church still has no right to tell the priest they cannot marry, especially since they view Peter as the first Pope, and he was married, and should not tell them to abstain from meats whatever day they choose.

For this says it will happen at the latter times, but the Roman Catholic Church has been around for years.

The new age movement is the future for this sinful world, when the nations come together, and is the beginning of the end for the wicked when they rebel against God when they become the unified religious system, and all religions interpreted by them according to the occult, and nature worship, and follow the New Age Christ, which then the unified religious system, Mystery Babylon, the mother of all the false religions, is done away with for they have no need for her anymore, for they believe the New Age Christ will cause them to evolve to be greater, and spiritual.

They will forbid a man and a woman to marry for population reduction, and to abstain from meats, no cruelty to animals.

 

[salvation_child]

It is from man, and not from God.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Although I believe this is speaking of the new age movement, the Roman Catholic Church still has no right to tell the priest they cannot marry, especially since they view Peter as the first Pope, and he was married, and should not tell them to abstain from meats whatever day they choose.

For this says it will happen at the latter times, but the Roman Catholic Church has been around for years.

The new age movement is the future for this sinful world, when the nations come together, and is the beginning of the end for the wicked when they rebel against God when they become the unified religious system, and all religions interpreted by them according to the occult, and nature worship, and follow the New Age Christ, which then the unified religious system, Mystery Babylon, the mother of all the false religions, is done away with for they have no need for her anymore, for they believe the New Age Christ will cause them to evolve to be greater, and spiritual.

They will forbid a man and a woman to marry for population reduction, and to abstain from meats, no cruelty to animals.

Really? Catholics are forbidden to consume meat? There is nothing in the Bible that indicates that we should not eat meat so why would they practice this?

 

[tumeric]

every day is a day of the LORD / if fasting and abstinence brings a person closer to G-D in their way of thinking why would it be wrong / in the bible there are verses in both the NT AND OT about fasting / lets not trash any of the many churches that proclaim JESUS THE CHRIST for what appears to us foreign peace of the LORD be with you

 

[Deade]

every day is a day of the LORD / if fasting and abstinence brings a person closer to G-D in their way of thinking why would it be wrong / in the bible there are verses in both the NT AND OT about fasting / lets not trash any of the many churches that proclaim JESUS THE CHRIST for what appears to us foreign peace of the LORD be with you

There is one day of proclaimed fasting in the Bible: the Day of Atonement. They are told to afflict themselves [generally understood as fasting] and proclaim a holiday (Lev. 23:26-32).

That said, a fast should be a private affair between a believer and God. Anything else is just bragging (Matt. 6:16-18).

 

[Didymous]

Just to be clear, I don't blame any catholic for the atrocities that church committed against my people and many other groups of people. I hope that all will realize, however, that this church has done more damage to native American unsaved people than any other entity except the U. S. government-which put catholic churches on many reservations.

 

[Melach]

brethren. you know i am not here to hate on catholic people. i love them dearly. but whenever i read of things where absent from meat is mentioned i think of this verse:

1 Timothy 4:1-3 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

sorry to say but it sounds like text-book catholicism. they chose to do exactly what st.paul forbids. im sure they knew of that verse too

 

[Lanolin]

Salvation child just wondering where you got those strange rules from in your OP.
Certainly there are no rules like that in my country.

The only law seems to be everyone can have a public holiday on good Friday and easter sunday, and even monday, or if you do choose to work, you get paid extra or you get time in lieu.

Although in practice it seems it didnt really work cos I recall having to work easter sunday at the library even when nobody would go in because all the shops are shut anyway. We were like why do we need to work this day when nobody is even going out. But it was some silly seven day thing the top brass handed down to us. Of course THEY didnt work and never need to on sunday, but they wanted it to be open all the time.

If theres one thing I truly dislike, its hypocrisy. Religious hypocrisy is even worse.

 

[tumeric]

Just to be clear, I don't blame any catholic for the atrocities that church committed against my people and many other groups of people. I hope that all will realize, however, that this church has done more damage to native American unsaved people than any other entity except the U. S. government-which put catholic churches on many reservations.

 

[tumeric]

many forget that not only was there a CATHOLIC REFORMATION but also a PROTESTANT REFORMATION that not only killed their particular enemies but also JEWS AND OTHERS who were not believers as they thought would be CHRISTIAN / we humans are all GUILTY of judging others for not believing as we do in philosophies of religion culture color image politics financial status ETC / it is written "" we will be judged as we judge ""'

 

[MadHermit]

The responses on this thread eloquently attest the shallow spirituality and intolerance of the Fundmentaqlist posters.
First, blaming Lenten disciplines on Catholics ignores the various Protestant denominations who find in Lent a helpful incentive to live a more disciplined life
Second, the Lenten focus on renewed confession of sin and repentance lifts believers from bondage to a religion based on a pious self-image to seasonal humble self-scrutiny is ways conducive to spiritual growth.
Third, many believers unfamiliar with Lenten disciplines, like myself in my less enlightened evangelical past, lament the neglect of a sustained focus on confession, repentance, and revitalization of one's inner life that was so sporadic and comparatively tiresome and ineffective in the churches of our youth.

If Lent helps belieivers remember to renew their application of solid biblical principles, why would anyone Christian be bothered by its disciplined structure that helps transform lives to fall in love with Christ all over again?

 

[RickyZ]

The responses on this thread eloquently attest the shallow spirituality and intolerance of the Fundmentaqlist posters.
First, blaming Lenten disciplines on Catholics ignores the various Protestant denominations who find in Lent a helpful incentive to live a more disciplined life
Second, the Lenten focus on renewed confession of sin and repentance lifts believers from bondage to a religion based on a pious self-image to seasonal humble self-scrutiny is ways conducive to spiritual growth.
Third, many believers unfamiliar with Lenten disciplines, like myself in my less enlightened evangelical past, lament the neglect of a sustained focus on confession, repentance, and revitalization of one's inner life that was so sporadic and comparatively tiresome and ineffective in the churches of our youth.

If Lent helps belieivers remember to renew their application of solid biblical principles, why would anyone Christian be bothered by its disciplined structure that helps transform lives to fall in love with Christ all over again?

I've often wondered how many Christian activities are mandated to individuals (such as fasting), yet without an organized push behind it from the church it would never happen due to laziness. I.E., The church mandates fasting because on their own, people just won't do it.