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Waitress Confused By Inconsistent Vegetarian-The Onion Dome

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Michael G

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This one is an absolute riot!

http://www.theoniondome.com/2004/05/14/

Waitress Confused By Inconsistent Vegetarian
May 14, 2004
Takhoma Park, Maryland, USA Waitress Sara Zorman, 37, of Bob’s Diner here in sleepy Takhoma Park, finds herself confused by one of her regular patrons.

“This guy Tim has been coming here since February,” explains Zorman. “When he first started coming, he always got something vegetarian — the Veggie Plate Special, the Bean Burrito with no cheese or sour cream, something like that. He’d come here maybe once or twice a week, and it was always ‘no cheese, no sour cream, no dairy, no meat.’ Then, all of a sudden, he’s getting the double bacon cheeseburger, the French dip sandwich, the Reuben, and washing it down with a milkshake. Then bang! it’s back to iced tea and no cheese and no meat for one day, and the next day it’s beef stroganoff with extra sour cream. I can’t figure this guy out. Is he a vegetarian who falls off the wagon? Is he a meat eater with occasional twinges of veggie conscience? I don’t get it.”

“Can you describe him to me?” asked our intrepid Onion Dome reporter.

“Well he’s a pretty ordinary looking guy, except for the really long beard,” answered Zorman. “That and the little button of some sort of religious picture on his jacket. Like maybe Jesus with a gold halo, in red robes. Does that matter?”

“I think what you have here is an Orthodox Christian,” opined Dr. Yeraslav Penguin, St. Gregory of Nyssa PRofessor of Liturgical Histrionics at St. Toucan’s Orthodox Seminary and Roadside Icon Shoppe.

“A what?” wondered Zorman.

“Tell me, does he make any kind of prayer before he eats?” asked Dr. Penguin.

“Yeah he bows his head and mumbles some words — seems to take forever,” affirmed Zorman.

A knowing glance and nod passed between our intrepid Onion Dome reporter and Dr. Penguin.

“He also makes some kind of wavy motion with his hand on his head and his chest,” continued Zorman.

A pair of broad grins joined the glance and nod.

Just then, in walked a pretty ordinary-looking guy with a really long beard, who took a seat at the lunch counter.

“Is that him?” pantomimed Dr. Penguin silently.

“Are you Orthodox?” asked our intrepid editor, strolling up to the man.

“Huh? Who are you? What are you talking about?” asked the man.

“Let me start again. My name is Alex Riggle and I’m the editor of the Onion Dome, an online magazine of Orthodox Christian satire.”

“Ummmm — I think I’d like a taco today,” said the man, grabbing his jacket and sprinting for the door.

“That wasn’t him,” said Zorman.

“Oops — sorry about that,” said our intrepid editor.

“He doesn’t come here every day,” offered Zorman. “He may not be in today at all.”

“Is that him?” asked our intrepid editor as another bearded man entered the restaurant.

“Nope,” said Zorman.

“That one?”

“Nope.”

“That one?”

“Nope.”

“What’s going on here — it’s like there’s a beard-grower’s convention!” complained Dr. Penguin.

“Indeed there is!” said a man with an exceptionally long beard. “We’re just taking a lunch break and then it’s back to the display booths and competitions. My name is Wayne. I’m the president of the American Beard-Growers Club.” The bearded man offered our intrepid editor his hand for shaking.

“Pleased to meet you,” said our intrepid editor, shaking the profferred hand.

“That’s a nice one you’ve got there,” said Wayne, examining our intrepid editor’s beard. “You should join the club!”

“Do you have many Orthodox Christians in your club?” wondered our intrepid editor.

“Oh yes,” said Wayne. “In fact, this year our special guest speaker is a Russian Orthodox priest from Australia, of all places!”

“Oh, no! Don’t tell me!” gasped our intrepid editor.

“IS OUTRAGE!” said a familiar voice. “I cannot get away from this intrepid editor no matter what I am doing or where I am going!”

“Hello, Father Vasiliy. A blessing,” said our intrepid editor, offering his cupped hands.

Fr. Vasiliy Vasileivich, official Church Overseas of Russian Orthodox Christians (COROC) spokesman, parish priest of Sts. Boris and Gleb and Vladimir and Olga Russian Orthodox Church in Sydney, NSW, Australia, and five-time national Australian beard-growing champion, pronounced a blessing on our intrepid editor and took a menu.

“If you are not to mind, I am going to sit down and eat lunch. I have speech to give in one hour,” said Fr. Vasiliy.

“By all means,” said our intrepid editor.

Dr. Penguin glanced at his digital watch. “Wednesday,” said Dr. Penguin. “I predict the fellow in the black robes is going to order something vegetarian,” he added.

“We’ll see,” said Zorman.

After we ate a delicious vegetarian lunch, and all the conventioneers left the restaurant, Zorman came back with the check and asked, “How did you know that old guy was going to eat something vegetarian?”

“It’s Wednesday,” explained Dr. Penguin unhelpfully.

“Is he always this informative?” Zorman asked our intrepid editor.

“Sometimes even less so,” said our intrepid editor.

“You must be a seminary professor,” Zorman told Dr. Penguin.

“That’s amazing!” said Dr. Penguin.

“No it’s quite simple. You gave me an answer to a question I didn’t ask in response to a different question which you have left unanswered. You’re either a politician or a seminary professor.”

“So how did you know I wasn’t a politician?” asked Dr. Penguin.

“You left a tip,” answered Zorman.

“Perhaps I should think about going into....” began Dr. Penguin.

“Don’t even think it, Dr. P,” said our intrepid editor. “Don’t even think it.”

Reutorooters and Untied Press Interrational provided invaluable something or other for this article.

This report was filed by our intrepid Onion Dome editor Alex Riggle.
Post your comments on this article on The Onion Dome Feedback Blog

Copyright © 2002-2004 Alex Riggle. All rights reserved.
 

Orthodox Andrew

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MariaRegina

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Plan 9 said:
Please forgive me, but I found it funny, and not at all disparaging of Orthodox believers. I was a waitress for many years. :blush:

Sorry if I confused or embarrassed you. Yes, indeed, I found this article to be quite humorous. I too served as a waitress for a few months. Couldn't take the fumes of flaming steaks and the food odors.

Lovingly your friend in Christ,
Elizabeth
 
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Victrixa

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Quote:
Originally Posted by: Victrixa




Hello!

Hmmmmm, I don't quite understand the 'joke' here.... ahhh... do the Orthodox have a special diet to follow???

-Caroline



We do. We follow the Orthodox calendar.

http://www.calendar.goarch.org/

Why do Orthodox Christians have a special diet to follow? What's the reason for that - or even - the necessity? Do all Orthodox Christians have to follow that diet? Is it a sin not to follow it? Isn't that legalism? (I have a hard time with this) Haven't we been set free by Christ from this type of thing?

I hope I don't offend anyone by my questions. If I do, please forgive me as this is not my intention at all. I am just a bit confused over this issue... :scratch:

Love in Christ,

Caroline
 
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Nickolai

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Those Pious Orthodox Christians who choose to fast do so on Wedensday and Friday to remember the Betrayal (Wedensday) and Passion (Friday) of Christ. There are other prescribed fasts throughout the year. Lent for instance. Orthodox usually fast from all animal products during a strict fast. We go back to a Garden of Eden diet I guess you could say. And Orthodoxy is NOT legalistic. But the prescribbed fasts gives us an order to follow to help develop obediance.

Theres more to it but I don't have the time right now to post more. I may be able to later. Hope it helped.
 
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Cradle

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There is a number of reasons for fasting. Obedience to the Church is one of them. Learning to control our passions - starting from the simple ones - is another. You can also mention drawing our attention to our spiritual needs, by downplaying the material ones. Saving time from complicated food preparation to devote to prayer. I'm sure others can add to the list :) .

Overall, fasting is an integral part of Orthodox spirituality, praised by the Early Fathers and tested by time. I'm sure it is a familiar concept in roman catholicism too, although from what I hear and understand brutally downplayed in recent years. We just still take it seriously :) .

It is a sin not to fast in the same sense that it is a sin not to pray, i.e. it is essential if you want to follow the simple ascetic way of life the Church proposes. Rather, the beautifully balanced way of life the Church proposes.

Finally, like in everything else in Church life, there is the flexibility to adjust the precision of the Church teachings to individual circumstances, with the guidance of one's spiritual father. The typical example in the case of fasting is ill people who normally have the blessing to break the fast for health reasons (also depending on the nature of the illness).
 
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MariaRegina

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Victrixa said:
Why do Orthodox Christians have a special diet to follow? What's the reason for that - or even - the necessity? Do all Orthodox Christians have to follow that diet? Is it a sin not to follow it? Isn't that legalism? (I have a hard time with this) Haven't we been set free by Christ from this type of thing?

I hope I don't offend anyone by my questions. If I do, please forgive me as this is not my intention at all. I am just a bit confused over this issue... :scratch:

Love in Christ,

Caroline

Dear Caroline:

I had a hard time understanding this coming from the Latin Catholic Church. But once I experienced the fast, I realized that if a person is truly repentance and wants to avoid sin, he must fast. However, fasting without a deep prayer life is impossible. Attempting to fast without attending the Holy Services of the Orthodox Church is also impossible because the Holy Services prepare our hearts and minds to fast and encourage in us the fast.

So, if one truly prays everyday, she will come to the realization that some demons can only be cast out by prayer and repentance. The closer one comes to Christ, the more the devil wants to tempt them away from Christ. This seems to be a spiritual rule.

The beginning monastics must really struggle against the demons. Unless one has a strong prayer life, one cannot survive. Prayer and fasting purify the senses and help keep one focused on Christ.

Those who truly love Christ will want to fast and look forward to the Great Fast of Lent. The cycles of fasting and feasting truly revitalize one's life in Christ.

Howver, one can only experience this with the help of a good Spiritual Father.

Check out the books at St. Vladimir's Seminary Press on Great Lent and Christmas Lent. They helped me understand the need for fasting in my life.

Re: LEGALISM

The Orthodox aren't required to fast under penalty of sin. So it's not a legalistic thing. We fast because we love Christ and want to imitate Him who fasted 40 days in the desert. We fast because we want to avoid sin and fasting helps us to say "no" to sin. We fast in repentance for our sins. We fast because prayer and fasting go together on our road to theosis - union with Christ the Giver of Life, and Lover of Mankind.

Yours in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ,
Elizabeth
 
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xenia

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So many people have been scared away from participating in precious Christian disciplines for fear of being called legalistic. So much Christian growth has been hindered by the fear of being legalistic.

-Xenia
 
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