to wonder why Lent fasting has become so diluted?

[Wonderingwhyyy]

I was talking to a Christian who told me she fasts the traditional way in Lent. No food or water from sunrise to sunset. She was the first I had met who actually abstains from food and drink for a significant period of time.

Other Christians I know choose to give up one food e.g. chocolate, wine, tea, coffee. One Christian told me she gave up Facebook for Lent.

The Christian who said she fasted the traditional way told me she gained many benefits such as spiritual closeness to God, self discipline, greater self control.

It did make sense. Giving up Facebook doesn't seem likely to bring many benefits although may it did for that one person.

I wonder why it became diluted and whether Christianity has lost its followers by allowing most things it did not used to.

and setting bears on children!! (not that I have never been tempted!!)
I am inclined to the second of your hypotheses :)

Springtime fasting in temperate zones is largely an existing agrarian custom that has been adopted by the church. Stores of preserved/salted/dried/pickled meat and fruit have been largely exhausted. Eggs must be used for hatching the next generation of poultry. Grazing animals are in kid/lamb/calf and therefore in their dry period.

So, no meat, eggs, milk, or sweet things.

I’m a Catholic and we never fasted on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday.

I have loads of these that were my mums.
I didn’t know they were called that though, so I had to Google too 😆

I'm pretty sure the majority of people who give something up 'for lent' are no more Christian than those of us atheists who merrily celebrate Christmas. Like making new years resolutions, no religious connotations attached, it's just a focused chance to give something up.
(I don't do it, I think its silly and pointless)

Catholic Fasting … isn’t starving … you can still have a small meal.

I am not sure what this has to do with fasting?

Although I am not religious myself, I have a number of friends and relatives who are, and I've never come across a Christian who fasted for Lent in the way you describe. Most give up one luxury food for Lent; the really strict may give up luxury foods and sweets in general, and some give up meat. But the only people whom I know, who have complete day-long fasts over an extended period, are Muslims fasting for Ramadan. There may be some Christian groups who do, but I don't think it's ever been common.

I've never understood this attitude TBH
99% of information that people use is online in some form.
If you look up a scientific paper you are doing it online.
if you look at the BBC on your'phone you're online.
if you want met office weather reports from the last 10 years you look online.

There are very very few things these days which aren't available online.
so if you wanted to study an old religious script the chances are you would do so online, not physically travel to eg. Jordan to read the original.

So what do you mean by being so sneery about finding something online.

I wasn't allowed to get married during Lent (brought up a strict Catholic) otherwise anything went as far as I could see.

who didn't allow you to get married during lent?
I assume you were a grown up and capable of deciding what day you wanted to get married

I only know one person who does the full shebang. He’s a Catenian.

never heard of catenians before.
Sounds a bit like the rotary club?

what nothing dawn to dusk?

I gave up church once for Lent.
Used the Sunday mornings regained to work in and open a community garden.

Its an organisation for lay male catholics.....reads a bit like Rotary or the Buffs, they have golf tournaments and camping holidays.

lots of people who do fasting do proper dawn to dusk.
not too hard a this time of year especially!

christian people for Lent?

Sorry should have been clearer.

I wasn't allowed to get married in my childhood Catholic Church by a Priest, so I didn't, I got married in a local hotel instead as I wasn't that bothered.

I guess if you wanted to fast "properly" for Lent then that's how you'd do it.
Up to the individual isn't it

That would be normal here too , the exception being st patricks day .

yes but that doesn't mean irs a Christian tradition.

🤣 You're talking so much shite, you deserve an award or something. Fasting as you're insisting is traditional hasn't been part of the mainstream Christian faith since the 6th century. There's nothing in that library that would say otherwise. And I should know seeing as I did theology at Oxford (a long, long time ago, not long after fasting died out).

They don’t do 24hr fasts for 40 days in a row though…

It's up to the individual.
If you want to give up chocolate that's fine, if you want to fast one day a week that's fine; if you want to fast from sun up to sun set that is also fine.