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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think my atheist dh silly to give something up for Lent

43 replies

honeyhive · 20/02/2009 22:50

Dh has announced plans to give up sugar in his drinks for Lent.
Am I being unreasonable to think he is being a bit silly as he is an atheist?

OP posts:
BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 20/02/2009 22:51

YES you are .

brimfull · 20/02/2009 22:52

when lent is finished he won't belive he ever drank tea with sugar in it

MummyDoIt · 20/02/2009 22:55

If he's a true atheist, Lent has no meaning for him. He should give up sugar in his drinks for the sake of his health, his weight, his teeth. Anything but a religion he doesn't believe in. YANBU.

solidgoldbullet4myvalentine · 20/02/2009 22:56

It's a bit odd. Does he want to get healthy or lose weight or something, and is using this as a reason? I have no problem with celebrating the various turnings of the seasons, but as an atheist I stick to the ones that are actually fun to do.

foxinsocks · 20/02/2009 22:57

lolol ggirl

that is SO true, I think you should say it more often. I can't believe I ever drank tea with sugar in now. How did you know?

myfunnynametaken · 20/02/2009 23:41

everyone should give something up for lent. willpower is like a muscle and needs to be used regularly. If you make a small sacrifice voluntarily, you may be better equiped later on in life if you have no choice but to give something up.

Ponders · 20/02/2009 23:46

agree it would do us all good to give up something we enjoy, mfnt, but not for Lent - Lent is a Christian event

ravenAK · 20/02/2009 23:48

It seems perfectly appropriate to me - Christian festivals didn't spontaneously bob up like mushrooms y'know, they mostly hi-jacked something quite a bit earlier.

So: Lent = early spring, new growth, good time to do some spring-cleaning, de-cluttering & general 'sorting out' - obvious time to give up sugar!

It's exactly the same as Xmas - big winter party, use up any food supplies that won't last the winter & besides everyone needs cheering up...

solidgoldbullet4myvalentine · 21/02/2009 00:58

I don't get this thing about how giving up stuff and making yourself miserable for utterly pointless reasons is 'good' for you. I think it's a bit of a propaganda tool (encourage you to upset yourself for ridiculous reasons and it becomes easier to encourage you to do other stupid things that benefit the people giving the encouragement). Stopping the drink/fags/deep-fried cheeseburgers for health reasons is reasonable, deciding to economise a little in order to give to a charity is reasonable, but deciding to hunt about for soemthing to sacrifice in order to placate someone else's imaginary friend is a bit mental.

TrillianAstra · 21/02/2009 01:05

Lots of poeple give up stuff for Lent and they are not dong it for religious reasons (even if they are religious) they are doing it because they want to give it up (eg give up biscuits because you want to lose weight) and Lent gives a good timescale for this.

If you were really doing it for God you would give up something where you get no extra benefits (no wiehgt loss, for example).

steviesgirl · 21/02/2009 01:08

YANBU. Lent is a period in the Christian calendar and therefore an atheist should not follow the beliefs. It would be like a Christian celebrating Passover. How can you take part in something you have no belief in? It's wrong and makes no sense.

TrillianAstra · 21/02/2009 01:09

I expect he celebrates Christmas...

IMo 'giving up for Lent' is cultural shorthand for 'giving up because it seemed like a good idea to give it up for a defined period of time'

ZacharyQuack · 21/02/2009 01:15

Why does it matter? Giving up sugar is a good thing, it doesn't really matter what motivates it.

steviesgirl · 21/02/2009 01:16

As a Christian it annoys me that people who don't believe "give up for Lent". This is the trouble with society now, everything has lost its true meaning.

Lent obviously now is another word for "quit for a while and see how it go's" just as Christmas means "Food, booze and presents".

TinkerBellesMumandFiFi2 · 21/02/2009 01:34

Lent is a tradition based on an event in the Bible, it's not religious exactly.

LOL at Christians celebrating Passover, I can't even find the words for that, but it gave me a smile.

steviesgirl · 21/02/2009 04:21

Lent IS religious if it's an event in the Bible! Hello!

steviesgirl · 21/02/2009 04:27

A little reminder for those who may have forgotten the MEANING of Lent.

Feel free to look

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent

SuperBunny · 21/02/2009 04:28

He can do what he likes, can't he?

I'm not Christian but I go to church on Christmas eve because:

a) I like the story
b) It is part of my culture & tradition
c) I think it is good for me (& DS) to be aware of and understand other faiths

As long as I am not offending anyone, I don't see the harm.

steviesgirl · 21/02/2009 04:34

SuperBunny if you don't believe in God why go to Church at all? Even at Christmas? I don't see the point.

SuperBunny · 21/02/2009 04:51

I didn't say I don't believe in God. Whether I do or not isn't important to me. I go on Christmas eve, as I already said, because:

a) I like the story
b) It is part of my culture & tradition
c) I think it is good for me (& DS) to be aware of and understand other faiths. (I have also visited a Mosque and a Synagogue. I am neither Muslim nor Jewish)

and

as long as I am not offending anyone, I don't see the harm.

Also, I am invited and am welcome.

Not being Christian doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the general message. It is something I like to do, it gives me some perspective and it is comforting.

steviesgirl · 21/02/2009 05:04

Sorry if I jumped to conclusions about your beliefs, typical me! If it's comforting to you and you enjoy it who am I to argue? I'm glad you enjoy it and it brings you comfort.

Longtalljosie · 21/02/2009 09:22

Am assuming your DH celebrates Christmas? Well then, why not Lent? Same diff, really. I can understand why some people who are Christian may not like the idea of seeing their festivals etc misappropriated, but like it or not it's part of the culture.

Tea's nicer without sugar, anyway...

Madmentalbint · 21/02/2009 09:33

I'm not sure if I'm religious or not - I just can't commit one way or the other

but I often give up things for lent.
My son said he'll give up vegetables!

YABU

Simplysally · 21/02/2009 09:52

Does this mean that atheists and agnostics are going to refrain from eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday as that is the precursor to Lent?

I don't see the harm in non-Christians giving up things for Lent but I can see how it could offend some Christians having specific parts of their faith "hi-jacked" or seemingly mocked. It's not as though Lent could be explained as a prior pagan festival in much the same way as Christmas often is.

Nabster · 21/02/2009 09:54

My DH is giving up paragliding for Lent.

He has never done it in his life!

I haven't decided what to give up yet. I need to work out the most fattening think I eat or drink and pass on that.