My 101 Reasons for Leaving the Catholic Church:
 
                                    Abstaining from Meat

What it is:

Definition of Meat Abstinence: "The law of abstinence prohibits all responsible subjects from indulging in meat diet on duly appointed days. Meat diet comprises the flesh, blood, or marrow of such animals and birds as constitute flesh meat according to the appreciation of intelligent and law-abiding Christians. For this reason the use of fish, vegetables, mollusks, crabs, turtles, frogs, and such-like cold-blooded creatures is not at variance with the law of abstinence. Amphibians are relegated to the category whereunto they bear most striking resemblance... Furthermore, on many fasting days during the year the law of abstinence bars the use of such viands as bear some identity of origin with flesh meat. For this reason eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and lard are interdicted... At times, however, the quantity of prohibited material may be so small that the law suffers no substantial violation. From an objective standpoint such transgressions carry the guilt of venial sin ... Some think that an ounce of flesh meat suffices to constitute a serious breach of this law, whereas others claim that nothing short of two ounces involves infringement of this obligation."

Purpose: Abstaining is a penitential practice. The practice of abstinence contributes greatly toward the satisfaction for sin. It is a mandatory practice.

Appointed Days: The appointed days vary depending on the country in which you reside, the era in which you live, and whether the Pope has issued an "indult" (special permission to do something generally not permitted by the general law of the Church, temporarily suspending the requirement). The general law requires abstinence from meat on all Fridays (except for a Friday that coincides with Christmas), all Saturdays, at all times during the season of Lent, and on "Ember Days" (the beginning of the four seasons of the year, during which Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are days of fasting and abstinence). In the United States, the National Conference of Bishops is empowered "to determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence and to substitute in whole or in part for fast and abstinence other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety" (Canon 1253). The Catholic bishops of the United States have determined that abstinence from meat is specifically required only on Fridays during Lent (as well as on ASH WEDNESDAY, but that some PENANCE should be performed on each Friday during the year. (CCC 1434, 2043).

Penalty for Failure: "The law of abstinence embodies a serious obligation whose transgression, objectively considered, ordinarily involves a MORTAL SIN... They who would fain minimize the character of this obligation so as to relegate all transgressions, save as originate in contempt, to the category of venial sin are ANATHEMATIZED by Alexander VII. The Trullan synod inflicts deposition on clerics and excommunication on laymen who violate this law... In other words, the prohibition of the Church in this matter is absolute."

The Church traces the requirement for abstinence back to the Garden of Eden, whereby God required Adam to abstain from the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam’s disobedience caused all men to be "liable to the necessity of appeasing God’s justice. To meet this new exigency nature dictated the necessity of penance." The Church also notes the many OT requirements for such practices. In the NT, the Pharisee in the Temple declared that he fasted "twice in a week" (Luke 18:12). Paul writes that "everyone striving for the mastery must abstain from all things" (1 Cor. 11:27). Abstinence on Friday developed to honor the memory of Christ suffering and dying on that day of the week. Pope Nicholas (858-867) declared that abstinence is required on Fridays. Abstinence on Saturday was required as a result of the Council of Elvira; some see this requirement as honoring the day of Christ’s burial, others claim that it came about from the "conduct of St. Peter, who passed Saturday in prayer, abstinence and fasting, to prepare to meet Simon Magus on the following day (Acts 8:18 ff.; cf. Migne, P.L. XLIX, coll 147, 148). Though the Roman PONTIFFS have constantly refused to abrogate the law of abstaining on Saturday, special indults have been granted to the faithful in many parts of the world." Many of the other abstinence periods (such as during Lent, during Advent, during special vigils, and Rogation days [the Monday through Wednesday preceding Ascension Thursday]) developed as traditions over time.

1) ... because the Scriptures warn us to beware of those who require abstinence. Jesus declared all foods clean.

2) ...because the Scriptures warn us not to fall back into the practice of observing days, sabbaths, seasons, and years (which were a shadow of the things to come).

3) ...because Jesus warned of those who gave the "traditions of men" equal authority to Scripture in the binding of the conscience.

4) ...because abstinence is an example of a doctrine which changes over time, place, and circumstance at the whim of the leader. For example, the prohibition for use of lard or dripping in preparing fish and vegetables (previously verboten) was allowed by an indult issued 8/3/1887. One wonders how anyone could keep up with these rules!

5) ...because the practice, being one of penance and the satisfaction for sin, is a denial of the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for sin.

6) ...because of the fact that mere men (the Popes) could condemn those to hell who do not follow their precepts.

Warnings in Scripture:

"But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:13

"Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day -- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." Col. 2:16-17

"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who... Advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth." 1 Timothy 4:1-3.

"And the Pharisees and the scribes aske him ‘Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?’ And He said to them, ‘Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’" Mark 7:5-7