banditoloco

I go to a Catholic school, so on fridays during lent, there's no meat in the cafeteria. There's just fish (which of course is not really meat just because it isn't). Well I don't like fish, and of course I always forget to bring my own lunch so I can eat something good. Then later in the day when I ask my friends if they want to go grab a burger or eat at some tasty place where they serve mainly meat, they can't go, and I am highly disappointed because I had been looking forward to eating some tasty food at a good restaurant. As you can imagine, it gets very annoying having friends who are mostly Catholic! They spoil all my good ideas. But what's even more annoying is thinking about the reason why I can't eat meat during lunch or go out to a good restaurant with my friends. It says nowhere in the bible not to eat meat on fridays during lent (not that that would be a good reason anyways). The bible doesn't even mention the word lent, if I recall correctly. No, the stupid reason that I can't have a nice tasty burger at lunch is because some dumb pope a long time ago said not to eat meat during lent because the fishing industry wasn't doing so well and it would give them a little boost (of course he didn't tell the people this was the reason why, and people just complacently keep up the tradition nowadays). It's ridiculous to keep up a tradition that was made hundreds of years ago for such a stupid reason! Fishing isn't even a big industry here in the midwest (imagine that). I think instead of not eating meat on fridays, Catholics in the midwest should only be allowed to eat beef! Supporting local industry would be much more in the spirit of the original ban on meat.

(perhaps a mod would like to move this to GRD).

scigirl

Heh, pretty funny.

Why cant you all go to a restaurant, and you order the burger and they order a salad? Back when I was catholic, I would still eat with my friends! Of course, I love seafood, so the "only fish" thing was never a problem. I am annoyed though that you can usually only get clam chowder on a friday. What if I want it on a thursday? Too bad, I'm stuck with vegetable barley or chicken noodle.

scigirl

Born Free

Didn't the pope revoke that particular rule??? I'm almost sure he did quite a while ago. I sympathise with you Banditoloco for many years we had to suffer smoked haddock every Friday which due to my mother's cooking capabilities shrivelled to nothing, I preferred the burnt fish fingers myself at least you got more than one of them!!!

Evolved

The Pope did revoke that ruling but old habits die hard and most Catholics continue to follow the rule.

At the public school where I cook we still have to have a meatless Friday for the Catholics. I could never, and still can't figure out why Catholic kids can't bring their own lunches on Friday, it shouldn't be up to a public school to follow a Christian ruling. I think it crosses the line of Church and State.

Friday night our FFA(Future Farmers of America) had a fund raising banquet and the Advisor made a menu of Prime Rib and Chicken a few weeks ago. On Monday some Catholics starting calling him and chewing him out for serving meat and not fish. The Advisor isn't Catholic and he said he didn't even give it a second thought. Our Janitor is Catholic and he was pissed at the Catholics who were complaining because he said that they have been able to eat meat for years and they should quit the bitching. The head cook actually stated to him and the FFA advisor that they shouldn't have to serve fish on Fridays because of Seperation of Church and State! I couldn't believe it. Then the Janitor said that he couldn't see the big deal about kids and prayer, and I thought here we go, but he said that kids can pray in school, drop to their knees and pray in a corner-it just cannot be forced on them by a teacher or adminstrator and it can't include all the kids. Wow.

Anyway, I was getting way off here but eating meat seems to depend on the Catholic. Some say it's OK to eat meat on Fridays, they can't on the Friday after Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Others say that if they eat meat on Friday they have to have fish the Thursday before or the Saturday after. Others say no meat on Fridays until Lent is over.(That's typically the older generation) I think it depends on the Father too, the one here would like them to avoid meat during Lent all together, but most think that's too much. We're the Cattle Capitol of ND you know.

scigirl

Wow - the Janitor can figure it out - too bad the President can't. Is he considering running for any office???

scigirl

Loki

Meh. It's fish. It gives pain-in-the-ass Catholics a reason to whine and complain and mourn because they're suffering so much in Lent by replacing their usual cowflesh with fishflesh. And then they feel pious for their suffering. (I have little sympathy cause i'm about 3/4 vegetarian, and know that there's lots of tasty non-meat food out there).

Interestingly enough: Here at U of M, the dining halls try to accomodate religious days that affect food. So there's usually fish on Fridays in lent, and lots of kosher food during Passover. To the point that I have to scrounge for something that I want to eat (Nothing against matzaball soup of manichewitz crackers, but not my first choice in food).

banditoloco

I always ask them the same thing. Beats me. Then when they say no, I tell them the same thing I said earlier, that they should eat only meat. That never works either. That pope a long long time ago could have at least said that only chicken is allowed during lent, cause boy do I like chicken. I could probably live without red meat, but I love chicken! Goose is really good too, but I don't get a chance to eat that very much.


I'd vote for him, based on what little information I have about him so far.

Now that several people have mentioned it, I think that rule did get revoked. I think it's now "encouraged" though or something. I could be wrong though, but it's obviously condoned. That rule was probably revoked or revised during Vatican II.

Do you mean that your cafeteria serves no meat, or that there is meat, but you make sure to have a fish alternative? Not having any meat is ridiculous, and definitely violates separation of church and state. Meat could well be an important part of some other student's diet.

Evolved

We usually do not serve any meat on Fridays during Lent. We serve mac & cheese, cheese pizza or veggie soup with tuna sandwiches and ham sandwiches. I did notice on the calendar that the head cook plans to have chicken nuggets on the 11th, I wonder how that will go. I'm curious to see if she revises her menu or keeps it as is.

I hear the non-Catholic students mumbling that it isn't fair that they have to have meatless Fridays just because of the Catholic students and usually give a good ribbing to the Catholic students.

It was stated, by Catholic parents, that having meat at the school during Lent is too big of a temptation for the kids. I still say that they should be packing their lunches that day.

I'm not sure how to bring it up just yet since the Head Cook has mentioned it to a few, not the right few but maybe it will get spread around, about the Seperation of Church and State. I have only been at this position for a week and a half and I'm not ready to create any big waves....yet. I did manage to tell the Head Cook, who is only a little bit older than me, that I'm an Atheist. She kinda knew already since her Mom and my Mom are really good friends and her Mom told her a long time ago. She said it's no ones business what one believes in or doesn't believe in. But I have found that folks who've known me for a long time have an easy time of accepting my disbelief and don't make an issue of it.

We'll see what happens at the school. I have heard that one Teacher there has said quite often that non-Christians can get the hell out of her country ASAP! I can hardly wait to discuss that with her. Especially now that I'm an Official card carrying Member of the ACLU.

never been there

Point out that one species of ocean fish after another is becoming endangered due to overfishing (well, actually, due to trawling and drift netting). Fish was just what well-off RCs ate on Fridays. The peasants ate beans. Hmmmmm....nice curried chick peas! I'd rather have that than anything a school cafeteria does with meat.

Now imagine this: since the Muslim calendar slides from year to year, sooner or later one of the Eids will undoubtedly land on a Friday. It's all but obligatory to eat meat on a Muslim festival - the wealthy are required to provide meat to the poor so they can participate. That should make for an interesting menu discussion!

Illithid

I run a fast-food restaurant. On Fridays during Lent I play "Spot the Catholic" according to their order: lots of fish and grilled cheese sandwiches. Many of my employees, even some Mexicans, were suprised the first day of Lent to see the people with the ashes daubed on their foreheads.

Didn't see any sackcloth garments though. Sissies.

Interestingly, after Lent this year we are taking fish off the menu. It just doesn't sell well enough to bother with, I guess. So much for the "every Friday" crowd.