Thursday, March 05, 2009

Abstaining from surfing the Web for Lent...


ROME - Roman Catholic bishops in Italy are urging the faithful to go on a high-tech fast for Lent, switching off modern appliances from cars to MP3 players and abstaining from surfing the Web or text messaging until Easter.

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Dioceses and Catholic groups in Modena, southern Bari and other cities have called for a ban on text messaging every Friday in Lent, which began last week with Ash Wednesday.

"It's a small way to remember the importance of concrete [concrete?] and not virtual relationships," the Modena diocese said in a statement.

"It's an instrument to remind us that our actions and lifestyles have consequences in distant countries."

The diocese said the "no SMS day" seeks to draw attention especially to years of conflict in Congo fueled in part by the struggle for control of coltan mines. The mineral is an essential material in cell phones. Read more...

theteach

11 comments:

Queen-Size funny bone said...

Oh that is too funny.

Gattina said...

I can only say the whole catholic church belongs in a mad house !

Sylvia K said...

Guess it's a very good thing that I don't live in Italy. I'd surely be staring the devil in the face in no time at all!

Sylvia K said...

Oh, and I agree with Gattina, too!

♥ Kathy said...

Well. That's just crazy. And it's an impossible mission for me lol I send and receive over 100 texts a day. And my pc keeps me entertained, educated and happy. Not to mention that my "virtual relationships" are very special to me. I wouldn't give them up if they paid me.

Daryl said...

I actually know someone who gives up the internet for Lent every year ... coffee would be easier even with the headaches!

Mo and The Purries said...

Thank the goddess I am not Catholic.

Kaylia Metcalfe said...

Is it just me or has lent gotten rather silly.

I get the whole self sacrifice thing, I really do… but this? This is … just… odd.

What’s next? “For lent I gave up TV” or “music” or “pigtails” or “women wearing pants” or “cleaning the bathroom’

Oh wait.. I like that last one.

Vinny "Bond" Marini said...

I give up listening to organizations telling me what to do for Lent...yup that's it...

Carletta said...

My son and daughter and their families live away from me and they are some of the most important 'concrete' relationships in my life and my cell phone, and email keep me closer to them.

Anonymous said...

OY! web fast? I would go nuts for 40 days...