Why does it wind me up so much when people who aren't religious give 'stuff' up for lent?

[justgaveup]

I don't know why this annoys me so much but it really does.

The amount of people I know who don't go to church, haven't had their kids christened,didn't get married in a church...aren't remotely religious and then say 'what are you giving up for lent?'

The women are usually giving up biscuits/chocolate/crisps...obviously to help them with their diets, for vanity reasons and not to get them closer to God.

I used to say 'i'm trying to do something good or say my prayers everyday rather than giving something up'...as a way of reminding them what it's about.

Over the last few years, I've lost my faith and now don't really believe in anything. You'd think I wouldn't care anymore about what people are or arent' doing for Lent yet it still drives me MAD!!!

I think I find it childish and offensive.

ok...deep breaths...rant over...as you were...

Perhaps it's a good thing that non-religious people still recognise Lent as a period of reflection/change/abstinence/contemplation etc. I speak as someone non-religious (raised Catholic, currently a non-believer) who was thinking only yesterday whether I should use Lent as a time to change some of the things about myself that I don't like.

And if you were posting in AIBU then I would definitely say YABU for saying it is "childish and offensive". Other people's actions (when rather mild and not hurting anyone else like this) shouldn't upset you as much as they do, especially as you say yourself you don't even have faith at the moment!

Why is it offensive? Do you get wound up when atheists (like me) put up a Xmas tree or buy Easter eggs? . This is a country with Christian traditions, and even if many of us no longer practice the religion (or believe in God, for that matter), many of us still observe the traditions of our family and culture.

yes, it kind of annoys me too, and I am not religious.
when I saw the thread title I thought "yes, and it';s always chocolate they;re giving up"
so we;re onthe same wavelength OP!

Well, many Christian traditions and festivals are lifted from the pagan cultures they originated in, including Easter.
And this is a 'hungry' time of year, afaik. Last summers preserves are running out and the spring crops/lambs aren't in yet, so fasting would be a part of the natural calendar.
Christmas trees, easter eggs have nothing to do with what Jesus did or said.
I think giving up a treat in the run up to the annual chocolate festival is admirable!

At the risk of generalising, I think it's often people who have stopped believing in something themselves who are so protective of the ideas and don't want other people to "treat it lightly".

It makes me think of the atheists who get very angry that I (as a Christian) do not believe every word in the Bible is historically accurate. Some of them seem to feel terribly affronted that I dare to have a faith which is more flexible than the one which they gave up on.

If you think people are conning themselves that they're being spiritual when they're not, then you have some point. But I don't think that most people who give up chocolate for Lent are doing it for any other reason than the Christmas tree, Easter eggs, New Year resolutions etc - they are part of our cultural heritage, rather than religious observances.

It doens't worry me in the slightest if people go on a diet and talk about Lent in the same breath. Whatever motivates them to help themselves change is just fine.

hmm...good point about xmas trees and easter eggs...they don't wind me up at all!

I do realise that I need to get a grip...just puzzles me why i find it soooo annoying!

Maybe it's because it means something deeper to you than it does to, say, me, and you feel like people like me (bloody heathens! ) are cheapening it? @justgaveup

p.s. I'm not giving up chocolate. That would be silly. I'm giving up booze. I think it's a good excuse to step away from the wine bottle for 40 days...

This isn't about the thread I started on Lent is it? I sort of agree in as much as I think there is a rather depressing culture based around the beauty and diet industries which has a tendency to adopt quasi-religious ideas and language (do WeightWatchers still talk about "sins"?) and this sort of falls into that category.

But I agree very much with AMumInScotland and wastingmyeducation.

no, not seen any other threads about this...just my personal one.

Thanks all, you've given me a real insight into it, relating it all to xmas has made me calm down on the issue! lol

(my name justgaveup relates to something else, not lent related - just a coincidence that!)

well i'm an athiest and I am giving up chocolate for Lent. I can totally understand how you feel, I think it is similar to how I feel when people get married in church because the photos will look prettier etc and yet are not religious people. In my defence my daughter who does believe in God decided she would give up chocolate for Lent and wanted us to do it together. So really I am doing it out of love for my daughter rather than a spiritual reason.

The festivals of Easter, Christmas, Lent, Halloween etc. were not christian in origin but have evolved over time to reflect prevailing societal norms and pressures. In recent centuries this has meant that they have continued under the mantle of religion. However, time marches on and the religous mantle is no longer necessary for the majority. People like traditions and festivals and so they continue to evolve.