Chicago Archdiocese says no to veggie burgers during Lent

[still_one]

"As Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season, the Chicago Archdiocese has said that soy or fake protein-based “meat” are not alternatives for Catholics.
Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays but eating a veggie burger isn’t a viable alternative. However, plant-based meats don’t contain animal flesh, reported the Chicago Tribune."

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/chicago-archdiocese-says-no-to-veggie-burgers-during-lent/

[Thomas Hurt]

1. WTF

[still_one]

2. exactly

[FiveGoodMen]

8. Because suffering is the point

(to remind you what a piece of shit you are)

((so that you'll do ANYTHING they say in order for god to overlook … what a piece of shit you are))

[still_one]

22. lol

[Thomas Hurt]

32. then you just fast, not do any of this half-assed no meat thing...

then there is always self flagellation.

[mmbrevo]

61. Its awful,

But they really do teach you that.

[LisaM]

3. But they can eat expensive fish and seafood?

I sort of get what they're saying, but I don't think I agree. (I'm Catholic, and I abstain from meat during all of Lent). I think this is a very archaic interpretation, since most poor people can probably afford some meat products more than the expensive vegetarian alternatives.

[Freddie]

4. Must have gotten a kickback from Mrs. Paul's

Glad I’m not Catholic.

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Or conglomerate owned Gortons.

.

Yikes, Mrs. Pauls is ConAgra

.

[maxrandb]

5. I would love to see their faces when they die

and God says; "yeah, that's not exactly what I meant".

[Newest Reality]

6. Hmm...

"That which you think you are eating is what you think it is, for if you have meat not in your mouth, but in your heart, then that is just as meaty in the bun of sinning." The Book of Omnivorous 23:33

At least, that is how the Church of Veganis puts it. Maybe it's the same?

[cornball 24]

11. OMG!! Laughing so hard I'm crying! Thanks for making my day!!

[Newest Reality]

13. Oh...

I am glad that it gave you a laugh. Laughing is still the best medicine.

You're Welcome.

Be Well!

[mbusby]

34. Welp...

And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, "O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the Lord did grin. And the people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large chunks...

-- Monty Python and the Holy Grail

[KT2000]

49. LOL - I must share this!

[C_U_L8R]

7. That makes no sense at all

[FiveGoodMen]

10. They don't want anyone finding a loophole in their absolute power over us

[Newest Reality]

15. It is about making a sacrifice.

If you are making a sacrifice, (I am not going to into the reasons for it or value of it) like giving up meat for Lent, then that isn't a sacrifice in that sense if you eat a meat substitute. I think it is easy to see how that would be cheating, in that case.

They are not being vegetarians, per se. I think fasting like that goes way too far back for modern folks to get it unless they are Catholics, etc.

I was a Catholic as a youth, but I am not promoting it or defending the faith.

[C_U_L8R]

23. Beans are not meat

Again, it makes no sense and it's not about sacrifice in the slightest. It's just absurd. May as well ban pancakes for being a similar shape too.

[Newest Reality]

30. Ok.

I said, it is not about the meat in that sense and is more spiritually nuanced. You are taking it too literally, so of course it is going to sound absurd to you since you are tying to fit it into a bias.

The point is, if you give up meat, you give up meat and if you are going to substitute the meat with a very similar meat substitute, then you are not giving up meat in this context. It is simple. It is the concept, not pragmatism.

And yes, it is about sacrifice because, in this context, it is about offering something precious to a deity. You could offer beans or pancakes, too, but this is not about that. Other religions have different kinds of offerings.

If you want to understand it, the history of Lent is interesting because there is a lot more to it and there have been changes over time, actually fasting is more significant than just meat:

These Lenten fasting rules also evolved. Eventually, a smaller repast was allowed during the day to keep up one's strength from manual labor. Eating fish was allowed, and later eating meat was also allowed through the week except on Ash Wednesday and Friday. Dispensations were given for eating dairy products if a pious work was performed, and eventually this rule was relaxed totally. (However, the abstinence from even dairy products led to the practice of blessing Easter eggs and eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.)

https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/history-of-lent.html

[C_U_L8R]

35. What bias? A vegetable patty is not meat. That's the plain reality of it.

If you believe it's meat, fine, go ahead, give em up all you want. But don't pretend to say it's about sacrifice. Truly it's silly to tell other people they can't have their vegetables just because they're in a certain shape or have ketchup on them.

[Newest Reality]

39. If I were to say...

If I were to say that giving up meat is about your enjoyment, craving or desire for it, would that make sense? In other words, you are forgoing the pleasure of it, (as I did mention). It could be beans or pancakes if that helps.

Now, if we agreed on that understand that and you then satisfied that enjoyment, craving or desire for said substance with a substitute, are you then making a sacrifice, or just giving lip-service to the underlying intention for doing so?

What are your ethics on that one?

[C_U_L8R]

43. I reshape my veggie burger into a fish stick

Done.

[Newest Reality]

50. It is personal...

That's up to you, but rather literal.

I think a person of faith these days, might do it for the essence of it, not just as an edict of the church. In other teachings, it is really about desire and craving and their relationship to suffering, so it has a pragmatism to it and reshaping things really wouldn't matter at all.

Now, the FSM is rather lenient and easy going, but I do try to observe Talk Like a Pirate Day, etc.

Thanks. A pseudo-fish stick it is, then. You just put it in your mouth.

[C_U_L8R]

54. Nom nom nomaste :-)

[Newest Reality]

56. Tashi Delek!

Enjoy!

[Mossfern]

37. It's like

Jewish people giving up leavened food for Passover.
Lately there have been all sorts of non-leavened go-arounds sold by the big market "kosher" industry.
The "Kosher for Passover" products are worse than veggie burgers because they cost so much more and are blessed by "Rabbis."

I understand, but don't agree with the Church's view on this...it's a slippery slope.

[LisaM]

27. Yes, it is about making a sacrifce, and if they were talking Impossible Burgers, I'd see the point.

I give up meat for Lent, and I do eat veggie burgers at times, but I don't like them as much as cheeseburgers, and I have to eat something.

[emmaverybo]

9. Fish sticks or bust.

[trof]

12. party poopers

[Zambero]

14. Recalling George Carlin

..on a related subject. Recalling his Catholic upbringing, he noted that eating meat on a Friday or designated holy day was categorized as being a mortal sin. That level of naughty means that if you die before owning up to the priest in Confession that you will surely burn in hell for eternity. Then came the day when mandatory meatless Fridays were designated a thing of past, as designated by the Holy Father (Don't recall which one. John XXIII perhaps?). Anyway, Carlin was speculating on whether there might be some forgiveness for past offenders. As he put it, "Do you ever wonder if there's anyone down there still doing time on meat rap?".

[Kingofalldems]

24. "I had a baloney sandwich."

"Hey is is retroactive?"

[irisblue]

16. Here, 2 patties for $6, it's a bit pricey

[frazzled]

17. As my mother used to say

(during Passover, when bread and other products are forbidden): "God doesn't care what you put in your stomach. He cares what kind of person you are." (This was the mid-1960s, so God was a "he." ) She announced this out of consternation once at a Passover seder, flailing a piece of Wonder Bread. Quite the stand!

So to my Catholic friends: eat a veggie burger if your conscience finds it permissible; just be certain to be a good person. It's more important.

[Goodheart]

18. It's really not about the meat, but about making a sacrifice

So, I can understand the Archdiocese's position, even though I consider all religion pretty dumb.

[fishwax]

20. I'm not sure salmon or shrimp or a filet o fish is a bigger sacrifice than

a veggie burger, though.

Okay, filet o fish definitely. But the others would depend on which veggie burger.

[Goodheart]

25. Of course they're not. Like I said, religion is dumb.

[fishwax]

19. the archdiocese didn't really say no

A spokesman said that one risks missing the spirit of anstaining from meat if they're eating a veggie burger to cheat the system. That's all.

The original Chicago Tribune article is clearer about it: https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-beyond-impossible-burger-fake-meat-lent-20200225-ldbyyq74lzadzgmiqhcdaqmuo4-story.html

[jberryhill]

26. RawStory strikes again

Figures.

You can eat them if you don't like them. Because, God.

[rzemanfl]

28. Succinct. n/t

[still_one]

62. Yes, but it got more hits than Manson was the lead drummer of the monkeys

[jberryhill]

64. Heh

If it sounds like it might be true,
Then go ahead and post it to DU.

Truth is much more subjective than it is widely believed to be.

[still_one]

67. +++. I do appreciate your words of wisdom. Seriously

[LisaM]

29. Ah, thank you, that clears it up!

Thanks for the larger context.

[nini]

31. Let's have Lobster instead

that's a tough sacrifice!

[jberryhill]

36. If you are a member of an indigenous tribe, can you eat marine mammals on Fridays in Lent?

[Mendocino]

33. A sacrifice...

ok, I'll have a dozen paczkis instead.

[HarlanPepper]

38. These are literally made from plants.

[OnDoutside]

40. I had two juicy pork sausages for breakfast, before I remembered it was Ash Wednesday, so that

doesn't count in my book .... I had Fish and Chips for dinner though !

[Hermit-The-Prog]

46. You're making me hungry.

[OnDoutside]

51. Rashers, two fried eggs, black and white pudding, a mound of toast and a mug of tea.

Sorry

[Hermit-The-Prog]

53. You have no heart. You shall be plagued by buckets of unsalted, room temperature oatmeal.

[Mariana]

65. "I had Fish and Chips for dinner though !"

That is such a sacrifice!

[OnDoutside]

69. It was...well maybe not for me ! I got it in the neck from my 13 year old

for hours, until I gave in and got him a battered sausage at the chipper !

[al bupp]

41. I'm guessing seitan would be right out, as well

sorry, pun intended.

[ret5hd]

42. In the same way a cracker transubstantiates into the meat...

of christ...the veggie burger transubstantiates into the meat of a cow!!!

WOW!!! It all makes sense now! It's goddamned miracle!!!

[tishaLA]

47. "Transubstantiation: The REAL Impossible Burger"

[ret5hd]

66. Oh man...you know we're the going to hell.

Wait...no were not!!! Never mind.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

48. So it's still ok to gnaw on those little chunks of Jesus?

[leftstreet]

52. ...

[MyNameGoesHere]

44. In compliance with religion in general

I'm heading my ass over to Portillo's getting a big ass Italian Beef combo, Fries in a garbage bag, and a gallon of Chocolate cake milk shake. Then I'll go hike and order a Choppers quad burger and some cheese God damn fries. That's my lent kickoff meal.

[tishaLA]

45. This is like during Passover

Sephardic Jews get to eat rice, corn, etc., while Ashkenazi Jews get bubkis, all because rabbis many hundreds of years ago decided that rice and corn would remind Ashkenazis of wheat and other items forbidden during Passover. It's religious doctrine by metaphor.

Anyhow, it's stupid.

[DinahMoeHum]

55. Fish: Meat Without Feet

[Celerity]

57. lololol, and people wonder why I am an atheist

[alarimer]

58. I gave up Church for Lent years ago. N/t

[edhopper]

59. Do priests have to give up

buggering boys?

[Ferrets are Cool]

60. Just one more of the 18,257 reasons I am an athiest.

[Tanuki]

63. Yet the same Archdiocese (and many others) said it was ok to eat corned beef the last time

St. Patrick's Day fell on a Lenten Friday!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago.cbslocal.com/2017/03/09/local-catholic-leaders-issue-dispensation-on-eating-meat-for-st-patricks-day/amp/

[Dagstead Bumwood]

68. Meh, beats having them try to tell you

how to run your sex life.

[Mc Mike]

70. Whatta dope.

Try weighing in on some actual, important issues, Archbishop Dum Dum.