{"id":32889,"date":"2022-09-10T16:27:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/giving-up-lent-for-lent\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:27:08","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:27:08","slug":"giving-up-lent-for-lent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/giving-up-lent-for-lent\/","title":{"rendered":"Giving up Lent for Lent"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Bob Smietana<\/em><\/p>\n

During the season of Lent, some Americans give up chocolate or another favorite food. Others dump guilty pleasures like social media or binge-watching television.<\/p>\n

But most give up Lent.<\/p>\n

Three-quarters of Americans (76 percent) say they don\u2019t typically observe Lent, according to a new survey from Nashville-based Lifeway Research.<\/p>\n

Unlike other Christian traditions like celebrating Easter or Christmas, Lent seems to lack crossover appeal, says Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. It remains a religious event, he says, rather than one that appeals to a broader public.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s in part, he suspects, because Lent focuses on giving things up in order to gain spiritual benefits in preparation for Easter. There\u2019s no social benefit like giving gifts or getting together with family. It\u2019s a religious tradition that remains focused on personal devotion, says McConnell.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLent is not about having your best life now,\u201d McConnell says. \u201cThose who observe it believe they are giving up things they want in order to focus on what God wants. There\u2019s little popular appeal in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lent is not just for Catholics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday (March 1) and ends during Holy Week, is traditionally seen as a time of preparation for Easter. Part of that preparation often includes fasting as a form of spiritual discipline\u2014a practice that dates back to the early church. Lent traditionally lasts for 40 days (excluding Sundays), a time frame established after the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.<\/p>\n

Catholics (61 percent) remain most likely to observe Lent, according to Lifeway\u2019s survey. Protestants (20 percent) and those with evangelical beliefs (28 percent) are less likely.<\/p>\n

Forty-three percent of those who attend church at least once a month observe Lent. That includes 82 percent of Catholics who regularly attend service as well as 30 percent of Protestants.<\/p>\n

McConnell says the popularity of Lent among those with evangelical beliefs is surprising. Lent is often associated with Catholics and Mainline Protestants from more liturgical denominations. But it holds appeal for evangelicals as well, he says.<\/p>\n

Americans give up food, bad habits for Lent <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lifeway asked Americans who observe Lent about the details of how they observe this Christian tradition.<\/p>\n

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Fasting from a favorite food or beverage (57 percent) and going to church (57 percent) are the most common ways to observe Lent.  Additional prayer (39 percent), giving to others (38 percent) or fasting from a bad habit (35 percent) are also popular. Fasting from a favorite activity is less common (23 percent).<\/p>\n

Fasting from a favorite food or beverage is more common out West (62 percent) than in the Northeast (42 percent). Young Americans, those 18 to 24, who observe Lent are more likely to choose this option (86 percent) than those over 65 (43 percent). Catholics (64 percent) are more likely give up a food or drink than Protestants (43 percent).<\/p>\n

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See also  Most Open to Spiritual Conversations, Few Christians Speaking<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Midwesterners observing Lent are more like to pray more (52 percent) than those in the Northeast (29 percent) or South (35 percent). Those who attend services at least once a month are more likely to pray more (55 percent) than those who don\u2019t (18 percent).<\/p>\n

Hispanic Americans (34 percent) are more likely to give up a favorite habit than white Americans (17 percent). They are also more likely to give up a bad habit (50 percent) than white Americans (30 percent) or those from other ethnicities (11 percent).<\/p>\n

Catholics (46 percent) are more likely to give to others while observing Lent than Protestants (32 percent). Those who go to church at least once a month (49 percent) are more likely to give to others than those who don\u2019t attend church as often (22 percent).<\/p>\n

Those with evangelical beliefs (71 percent) are more likely to go to church during Lent than those without evangelical beliefs (54 percent). Those who attend church at least once a month go to church more during Lent (76 percent) than those who don\u2019t (32 percent).<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot more to Lent than giving things up,\u201d says McConnell. \u201cAmericans who observe Lent also take other steps\u2014like praying, giving, and going to church more\u2014to practice their faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bob Smietana<\/h2>\n

@bobsmietana<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Bob is the former senior writer for Lifeway Research. In September 2018, he joined Religion News Service, where he currently serves as a national writer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n