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Gluttony -- a Forgotten Sin?


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Ironically, I find that I obsess about food much more when I am trying to diet than otherwise. And equally ironically, my weight is the same either way.:glare: I'm trying to have basic lifestyle choices - a lifestyle of activity, a lifestyle of enjoying the healthier foods that God has provided instead of focusing on cutting out things. It may not change the scale, but I think I'm more in balance in my soul.

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At any rate i am taking "the Lord's Table" class at http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com and its been a life changer. I highly recommend that anyone who is Christian and struggles with eating check it out!

 

:iagree:I am in the middle of this right now as well, and it is great. I am someone who never really thought of gluttony as sin. It really fascinates me how much of the Bible discusses food in some way.

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I had mention how the church centers every activity around food. The congregations are getting heavier. I even mention that pastor needed to set the example and preach in reference to the Scripture.

 

The activities all do center around food, don't they?

 

My issue lately is that every time I go to food, there's fatty, sugary food laying about. Last weekend, there was a bake sale in between services. There are cookies out after every service. The weekend before, there was the spaghetti dinner with sundaes for dessert. There is always food about and it's never healthy.

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Gluttony has been discussed in our church. However it was even in the discussion how that this was not something that could be identified by the outside. A person could be very overweight due to health or other issues, and not be a glutton. Similarly, a thin person COULD be a glutton.

 

So, I think that is one reason it isn't emphasized overmuch, because no one wants to start a "witch-hunt" identifying people as gluttons when no one really knows that except the person.

 

Loved the point about gluttony applying to things besides food...I knew that but never really thought about it!

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However it was even in the discussion how that this was not something that could be identified by the outside.

 

I agree. I've met people who are pretty large who actually eat fairly little, but there was something about their metabolism or (my theory) the types of food they were eating.

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My take is that we overeat because we are bored, or too self-focused, or complacent. Rather than have a church "preach" about repentance from the sin of gluttony, why not get the congregation OUT of the pews and INTO the community working to help people in need? When you're out serving someone else, there's no time to indulge Self.

 

:iagree:

 

Which is why I'm thrilled to have found our new church. They are more involved in the community that any church I've been a part of. Right now, we are running a food drive for homeless and low income students at the high school we rent space from. Last week, they gave out 3,000 leaflets in the community surrounding the church asking for donations. Three of my kids and I knocked on doors in our neighborhood to ask for donations. Tomorrow, we are picking up donations.

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I thought I would post these here, just out of interest. It is the ancient list of the 7 vices and their corresponding virtues. The virtue are what train us to be like Christ while the vices...not so much. Was a day when there wasn't a child in the West that didn't know these by heart. Alas.

 

At any rate, one of the things we can do if we deal with one of the vices is to train ourselves to practice its opposing virtue.

 

Kind regards to all...

 

----------------------------------

Pride - Humility

Greed, avarice, covetousness - Liberality, mercy

Lust - Chastity

Anger - Patience, meekness

Glutton - Temperance, abstinence, self-control

Envy - Love of God, love of neighbor

Sloth - Fortitude, courage

 

Beautifully, beautifully put. I think your point is headed exactly in the right direction.

 

One definition of gluttony as defined in the dictionary is, "habitual greed or excess in eating" (emphasis mine). These behaviors are definitely not Christlike, they are purely from the flesh. This is where the rubber meets the road in Christianity...We are to submit our desires to God, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform and change us as we trust and depend on Him.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

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Beautifully, beautifully put. I think your point is headed exactly in the right direction.

 

One definition of gluttony as defined in the dictionary is, "habitual greed or excess in eating" (emphasis mine). These behaviors are definitely not Christlike, they are purely from the flesh. This is where the rubber meets the road in Christianity...We are to submit our desires to God, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform and change us as we trust and depend on Him.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

 

Lucinda, <gently>the emphasis you place on "excess" may make people assume you are only talking about those who "appear" fat. If you look at church teaching...going back to Augustine, and before this is not the whole picture. Also, that is just one definition... the one we have used to exclude all other meanings of the word.

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Lucinda, <gently>the emphasis you place on "excess" may make people assume you are only talking about those who "appear" fat. If you look at church teaching...going back to Augustine, and before this is not the whole picture. Also, that is just one definition... the one we have used to exclude all other meanings of the word.

 

Not at all what I meant LisaK, not at all. (I don't understand how what I'm saying could be misunderstood..) Excess can be habitual to people of all shapes and sizes. Excess and greed connected to any kind of consumption is what I was getting at, and I don't mean occasional instances. Scripture is very clear that we are to love God above anything else and that we are to love our neighbors. Overindulgence (excess) is closely associated with idolatry and greed is putting ourselves above others.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

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