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Posted on 02/12/2008 11:35:43 AM PST by forkinsocket
Dutch Catholics have re-branded the Lent fast as the "Christian Ramadan" in an attempt to appeal to young people who are more likely to know about Islam than Christianity.
The Catholic charity Vastenaktie, which collects for the Third World across the Netherlands during the Lent period, is concerned that the Christian festival has become less important for the Dutch over the last generation.
"The image of the Catholic Lent must be polished. The fact that we use a Muslim term is related to the fact that Ramadan is a better-known concept among young people than Lent," said Vastenaktie Director, Martin Van der Kuil.
Three decades ago the Catholic Church was as strict as many Muslims are about Ramadan with a total ban on meat and alcohol during the 40-day Lenten period between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
Most Dutch Catholics now focus on charitable work after the Vatican loosened fasting strictures for all but the first and last days of Lent back in 1967.
Four million Dutch describe themselves as Roman Catholics and 400,000 people attend Mass every week but only a few tens of thousands still mark Lent by fasting, said Mr Van der Kuil
Vastenaktie organisers hope that by linking the festival to Ramadan they can remind Christians who may be less observant than Muslims of the "spirituality and sobriety" of Lent.
"The agreements are more striking than the differences. Both for Muslims and Catholic faithful the values of frugality and spirituality play a central role in this tradition," said Mr Van der Kuil.
Adherents of Islam tend to be small, brown, Third World people. The Left can't get its collective mind around the concept that small, brown, Third World people can sometimes be judgmental, theocratic oppressors. It just can't be right...so it must somehow be the fault of the big, mean, white, New World Christians who provoked them. ;)
Pope Benedict ... please do something about this man. And quickly.
have fun with your sword, i’ll be about half a mile behind you with a good rifle. :)
another step toward dhmmitude.
There is no light at the end of this tunnel. We are on the downward spiral!
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I don’t think so. Christians don’t go into a mad killing frenzy at the end of their fasting. They don’t celebrate by blowing up Christians and Jews.
Don’t worry. There is a King that will be riding on His white horse with a sword of His own very soon!!!
Western civilization is over. Stock up on ammunition.
“The fact that we use a Muslim term is related to the fact that Ramadan is a better-known concept among young people than Lent,”
Another example of the marvelous job the Latin Church has done of catechesis over the past 40 years or so.
Foolish thinking.
My gut reaction is not for polite company. The mind spins.
My head and heart hurts when foolish stuff like this is promoted. Lord have mercy on us all.
I am sure the 400,000 faithful are pretty ticked off right now.
The King of Kings is coming “soon and very soon”.
Into the village of Perfect one day came limping this bedraggled and scruffy dog upon three legs. So sad the dog did seem to be that the hamlet’s sole Holy man was taken hold as though by a flash from above in his pity and shame for the creature’s suffering and loss of pride which imaged that of the people who milled about the square as the poor dog hobbled his way amid them.
The people, thought the Holy one, they see not the dog, as they see not their own slowed and stilted gait as the village’s name had come to mean less each day. This dog, the hapless cripple could not even evoke a single act of kindness from one.
The Holy one began to see the true meaning of the flash that cast before his eyes; here was redemption he exclaimed - for the village and this dog sent to teach us true and restore our faith.
“O’ People of Perfect,” he shouted, “Behold before you the dog with but three legs, can you not see him there? It is but for the loss of one leg that he is not proudly trotting among you, attend me now as we bestow on him his regained pride and strong, sure stride.”
And with those words the priest declared that from that moment on the dog would thrust his bent but still strong tail toward the ground and use it thus to take the place of the lost but not forgotten leg.
One by one, the villagers walked by and grabbed their eyes in disbelief as the tail turned down toward the ground and pushed so hard a shudder coursed through the stringy, bedraggled creature before them.
“Walk, the Holy one commanded!”
Stiffening at first, the left front leg showed sinews so long abused that they quivered for a bit, the right leg flexed and toes outstretched and now the left hind leg began to push; a sigh escaped among the awestruck crowd now grown so large to fill the square - “Walk,” they cried. “Walk like a king,” they implored.
The milling horde moved closer now in exaggerated mime, every fiber of their being directed at the miracle before them as though their own strong step would pass unto the dog still standing there on stiffened, unstarted strut; the tail now made into a leg curled somewhat and appeared to move toward the earth that bound it still.
The mass about the dog had grown quiet now, all attention upon the new leg, hundreds of wills working as one to loose those bonds and the dog’s ears lifted, I swear it smiled.
Then with but the least bit of yelp and scratch of nails, the hindmost leg bent forward first, slid back and begun to lift, the dog was standing on his tail.
Alas, the dog plopped to the ground, the crowd clamored and quarrled and shoved each other about, the priest was brushed aside in a grumbled “Fraud...” as the crowd became as before, a sullen group of untouched grumps walking only to keep from going home.
And no one looked behind to see the silly mutt lying gleefully on his back as he licked the hand of the Holy man who but shook his head sadly as the dog waved gloriously at the backs of the disappearing crowd with his tail flapping like a gale-blown flag.
For even this sorry, scruffy excuse for a dog knew that if calling a tail a leg makes not it so, why cannot the wisest know.
that’d be fun, but it lacks that personal touch and satisfaction. :)
How is in that kids are more familiar with Ramadan than Lent?
What does this say about Christianity and taking the gospel out to the world?
Might be they deserve what they get
They both are similar and reflect the need to abstain from eating to insure good health
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