Baptist view on gluttony and the "7 deadly sins" in general

[Lik3]

What is the Baptist view on Gluttony? In other words are most Baptists Conservatives or Evangelical Christians who read the Bible literally? Is gluttony really one of the seven deadly sins or the idea of a seven deadly sin based on teaching from other churches? I have an issue with gluttony and I want to repent of it, but I don't know how.

 

[98cwitr]

http://www.gotquestions.org/gluttony-sin.html

Decent info, but Proverbs 23:2 is taken out of context.

 

[Tina W]

Yup, it's a sin. Not only does it harm your body to over eat, but it wastes food too more than throwing food away. Food that could be going to someone who really needs it, is instead being eaten and stored as fat on someone who doesn't need it then the fat turns around and causes health problems for the person who ate it. So it's a double sin, the sin of gluttony and it wastes food. People seem to think wasting food is just throwing it away but no, having it stored on someone's body as excess fat wastes food too. You'd be better off just throwing it away if you are full, then it's not gluttony and only wasteful. If kids are full, don't force them to eat it, if you are full don't force it down because of a fear of wasting it. It's still going to waste if you eat it, as excess fat on your body. I had to change my eating habits as well as how I looked at food mentally from the inside out. Food is not good or bad it's how you handle it that determines it's affect on you. A lot of food is very addictive, especially fast food, and carbs. But yup, a lot of people don't like to view overeating as gluttony or a sin. It's okay to indulge every once in a while like holidays or whatever, but not every day all day all the time. I've been watching a show on TLC called My 600 Pound Life and Oh my Lord Jesus! Gluttony is definitely a sin!

 

[mikedsjr]

What is the Baptist view on Gluttony? In other words are most Baptists Conservatives or Evangelical Christians who read the Bible literally? Is gluttony really one of the seven deadly sins or the idea of a seven deadly sin based on teaching from other churches? I have an issue with gluttony and I want to repent of it, but I don't know how.

You can't be a Baptist and not like to eat. That reminds me. Two weeks til Church Chili Cookoff for a trophy.

We live in two kingdoms. I have no problem using this physical world kingdom to deal with sin. For instance, I'm listening to "The 5 Choices, the Path to Extraordinary Productivity" by Kory Kogan.

 

[98cwitr]

Ah the duality of man...aint it grand

 

[miamited]

Hi lik3,

I don't know about it being one of the '7 deadly sins'. That's just something that I think comes from Dantes Inferno. It's a book of fiction written by a man who apparently had some ideas that certain sins were worse than others and thought about it for awhile and came up with his greatest sins list. However, eating way beyond what the body needs for sustenance is called gluttony in the Scriptures and is something that God's word tells us that we shouldn't do.

As mentioned above, there are several consequences of such behavior. The most obvious is body weight. What the body builds up to store all of the excess food that we eat then becomes unhealthy to us and is manifest in several types of diseases and problems for the body.

God created our bodies to function perfectly and eternally, but, as is usual, man finds a way to mess it all up. He becomes a slave to his fleshly desires. This is what happens with pretty much all sin. Sex, food and greed provide for our body and mind certain feelings that give us a sense of accomplishment and a certain euphoric attitude. We get a certain 'feel good' spirit. When we begin to 'feed' (no pun intended) that 'feel good' spirit so as to be near constantly striving for it, we become slaves to our flesh. We simply choose not to use whatever tool makes us 'feel good' as God intended, but for our own purposes. We strive for that which makes us feel good about or to, ourselves. It is a form of self centeredness.

Sadly, we so very often don't feel like a slave to whatever behavior we are indulging in to glorify ourselves until long after we have begun it, and then it becomes something that we can't free ourselves from. Then we begin to make excuses for why our behavior is ok or not my fault.

God gave us food, sex and money for specific purposes and asks us to be responsible and accountable to Him for how we use them.


God bless you,
In Christ, Ted

 

[miamited]

Hi Tina,

Thanks for the link to Ashley's story. This, of course, is a documentary concerning the extremes of gluttony. I chuckle that her mother says that her daughter has a weight problem and mom's pretty big, too. There's also a point in which her mother tells her that she didn't force the food into her daughter's mouth. I'm sure she didn't stand over her with a gun, but the real issue is 'reinforcing' such behavior. I remember how all the kids in Africa were starving and I should clean my plate. Every party and every happy get together was enjoyed with all kinds of food and many people saying, "Oh, did you try my cake"? Or cookies or swedish meatballs, etc. But Ashley hits the nail on the head when she tells us that she ate to find the 'good feeling' within herself. Most people don't realize that eating brings up several feelings that seem good to us. The taste of a certain food. The texture can also be enjoyable to us.

I notice that I can go all day without eating much, but when I sit down in front of the TV I start foraging for food to eat while I sit mindlessly watching stupid sitcoms and dramas. I don't know what drives the desire, but I honestly can't watch TV for very long without getting some chips or ice cream or warm up some leftovers to sit and gorge on. I'm fortunate that I do go most of the day without eating a lot and so my body is able to handle, I believe, the excess eating. I'm 60 and 5'6" and weigh 190 lbs. That's probably about 20 pounds over what my ideal body weight should be, but it is a manageable amount of excess weight.

People who find themselves 50-75 lbs. overweight, or more, have a much more difficult time. I can diet for a couple of weeks and bring my weight back down to what I'm comfortable with. People with larger weight problems have to take much more drastic and longer and more determined efforts and one's will is sorely tested. The show 'Biggest Loser' exemplifies this. It deals with extremely overweight people and they spend several months, with the participant giving up their job and their daily life at home, to exercise for hours upon hours daily. Their life becomes one of practically living in a gym or doing some kind of really strenuous workout. Most people can't or won't make such a sacrifice. I can't leave my job for several months to work solely on my weight.

God bless you,
In Christ, Ted

 

[Swan7]

I absolutely agree that overeating is a sin and a lot of us tend to forget that, and like the above stated brain, food sends feel good signals to the brain. Thus, eating more than we ought to. Sugar is so bad for that as it is addictive so I tend to try my best to stay away from food that have added sugar in it. Grains are bad if one is trying to lose weight because it turns into glucose in the body.

At home as a rule of thumb, I decided that whenever I watch TV I don't sit down, but exercise.

 

[miamited]

Hi swan,

Thanks for the like. Whenever I consider 'how' we should live our daily lives, I often think back to the times of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph. I imagine that their food intake consisted pretty much of just breakfast, lunch and dinner. Between those times of eating they worked or kept themselves busy doing things. They likely didn't obsess about what people thought of them and partying and having lots of 'friends' doesn't seem to have been a goal that we find any evidence that they sought.

Today, on the other hand, we don't feel 'self worth' if we don't have lots of friends and aren't invited to their parties and get togethers. Living a life of just taking care of ourselves and our families is seen as boring. Keeping to ourselves is seen as stuck up introversion. I certainly don't mean to infer that we don't need or shouldn't have any friends, but life today has become, for many, many people, a popularity contest. We get excited that we've been invited to some gathering because we associate the invitation with being popular and liked. When such things don't happen in our lives, then we become forlorn or depressed and find ways to soothe our hurt.

In the days of the Patriarchs there wasn't any refrigeration or microwave ovens. Food wasn't so readily available 24 hours a day as it is today. There wasn't any pre-packaged, zap for 30 seconds food in the tent or home and there certainly weren't any 24 hour drive thrus at which one could exchange a few dollars for hot and ready food to eat right now! The food 'industry' as we know it today, didn't exist. Most meals likely took hours to make as food would hang over an open firewood flame to be cooked. Breads had to be kneaded and baked in the home.

I think back to the account of Esau bringing in meat and making stew for his father and I imagine that it took quite a bit of time for him to do that. Even his father seems amazed when Jacob brings in the stew that his mother had made, apparently earlier, so quickly. So, a part of this issue stems from the ready availability of quick cook or ready to eat food. But ultimately, what and when we feed ourselves is solely our individual responsibility.

The other part, as previously mentioned, seems to me to be where we find our self worth. In God or in others.

God bless you.
In Christ, Ted

 

[Goodbook]

There isn't a 'baptist view on gluttony' as such.
But I can tell you what the bible says, if I search scripture, maybe later.

If you want to repent of gluttony, well first step confess as you have, let God know you now know it's wrong..then show fruits of your repentence.

This might be, you offer your excess food to a foodbank, help out at a soup kitchen, community meal, go on a 40 hour famine and raise money for people starving in other countries, you can even do a 3 day fast (drink water, or juices no solid food). Make a decision and ask God to help you control your appetite. Don't walk in the ways of temptation and learn to say no. I have decided to be temperate in my food intake. have smaller portions. Eat three healthy balanced meals a day and no snacks or junk foods.