Touche!

Paradox, indeed!

Missed your last comment while I was responding. I would have thought this site was about comments not contests

Sorry guys. I was only trying to point out the society we live in today. What I meant was just how people are cught up in the mass consumption that is rampent out there. Saving the earth could be helped by adhering to some of the tenets that came down through the ages. But this could be a whole other discussion.

We could keep "jabbing " back and forth and acquire MANY points for that t-shirt...r u up 4 it?

Thank goodness. I was for a moment worried about the paradox of the guy who gives up flogging for lent, only to fail. What would that pope do?

Note: The pope was NOT the original appointer of sacrifice.

Very good! This time constraint isn't really too difficult, I think because the pope(original appointer of lent) would not have wanted to flog just everyone;)

No worries--I just find the time concentration rather arbitrary. I'm really trying to do such things in small steps on a daily basis.

Sorry to sound so harsh, and it is based from religious belief, but it is only a 40-day time period(not to include Sundays) to try to cleanse your inner being, try to make your will stronger, prove something to yourself...religion set aside.

Thanks for correcting that--I wasn't aware. I had always thought of it as a Christian ritual.

Lent demands you to take the opportunity to prove you can do without, wether you follow a religion or not. It is a good "exercise" for anyone who indulges

Agreed--we're living in a time of excess and would all benefit by curbing our appetites somewhat. :-)

Man, that was quick. I understand what you are saying. We all have to give up some things al during the year and make decisions involving every day life. I do not think that it has to be only at a certain time of the year.

I personally give up all kinds of things when issues like the environment are concerned. (Being an atheist, however, my motivations are somewhat different.)

What? In this day and age give something up. I respect people who can follow their doctrines.