UPnorth1234

Not make the advance? I don't know what you're suggesting, but I don't think trying to shift the blame onto the recepient of an advance is the right move, regardless if it is a man or a woman.

There are certainly ways to mitigate the chance of one of those consequences happening, i.e. taking the time to see if there are mutual feelings between you and the other person instead of shooting a shot without any sort of idea if the feeling is reciprocated or not.

I suppose I can see what you're getting at, but in my opinion, that is assuming much more than just saying a simple "no", which is what the OP was advocating for. If the "rejecter" tries to attempt embarrasssment or humiliation of the "advancer", then that is certainly wrong but is not a simple rejection.

I also believe that the "advancer" needs to understand that the consequences you've outlined are a real chance and they need to be okay with those consequences before making an advance.

What kind of situations are you thinking of when saying no would be unpleasant bordering on abuse?

I would disagree. As a Christian who practices fasting, one of the purposes (probably the major one, in my opinion) of fasting is to focus oneself more on a relationship with God. I can see how there can be secular benefits to fasting, but I fail to see how athiests would reap this particular benefit.

For a variety of reasons, I'm interested in incorporating more plant-based food into my diet, including plant-based main dishes. Anyone have any favorite dishes, cookbooks, websites that are good introductions to vegetarian/vegan cooking?