I Love LENT!!!

[One Bad Pig]

From Richard Dawkins' Greatest Show on Earth:

"In South America, capybaras (sort of giant guinea pigs) were deemed to be honorary fish for the purposes of Catholic dietary laws on Fridays, presumably because they live in water. According to the food writer Doris Reynolds, French Catholic gourmets discovered a loophole that enabled them to eat meat on Fridays. Lower a leg of lamb into a well and then ‘fish’ it out. They must think God is awfully easily fooled. "

Not sure that Dawkins is the most reliable narrator of religious practices.

[rogue06]

Not sure that Dawkins is the most reliable narrator of religious practices.

True. But as Dio notes, he's hardly the only that cites the claim regarding capybaras, and he cites his source for the leg of lamb story.

[One Bad Pig]

True. But as Dio notes, he's hardly the only that cites the claim regarding capybaras, and he cites his source for the leg of lamb story.

It's also not nearly the worst fig leaf from church history. It was deemed acceptable for King James (of KJV fame) to engage in pederasty because Holy Writ only condemned men lying with men, not boys.

[Diogenes]

Not sure that Dawkins is the most reliable narrator of religious practices.

https://dolly.jorgensenweb.net/nordicnature/?p=1568

Beaver tail is okay too apparently.

[rogue06]

We prolly should keep in mind that this was all before Linnaeus and the modern scientific classifications. For instance, at one time they classified everything that flew aside from bugs as being birds. That's how we got bats listed as a bird in the Bible. Therefore, it could be argued that they saw anything that is aquatic or even largely aquatic as a type of fish.

That. of course, doesn't excuse the "fishing" of a leg of lamb out of a well and calling it fish.

[Diogenes]

We prolly should keep in mind that this was all before Linnaeus and the modern scientific classifications. For instance, at one time they classified everything that flew aside from bugs as being birds. That's how we got bats listed as a bird in the Bible. Therefore, it could be argued that they saw anything that is aquatic or even largely aquatic as a type of fish.

That. of course, doesn't excuse the "fishing" of a leg of lamb out of a well and calling it fish.

I merely found it humorous, I meant no extra commentary here.

[rogue06]

I merely found it humorous, I meant no extra commentary here.

I'm just noting that while most would use this as a too clever by half way of getting around the prohibition, there would likely be some who thought it was a completely, and incredible fortuitous happenstance

[Cow Poke]

It's also not nearly the worst fig leaf from church history. It was deemed acceptable for King James (of KJV fame) to engage in pederasty because Holy Writ only condemned men lying with men, not boys.

wow