artybloke said:
I know what, why not make people feel even more guilty than they already feel?
If a person truly has a choice, and I (or someone else) points that out that they are not making the best choice - this is not a bad thing.
Discipline is not always a 'comfortable', 'guilt-free' process.
artybloke said:
You are aware that obese people often do have Jesus in their lives?
Of course, but just like with many other 'issues' we don't bring our struggles to Jesus and seek His help.
artybloke said:
Not everybody has the strength of will that you seem to have.
If they have Jesus, they have the same strength that I have - no less.
artybloke said:
Stop being so superior: you're almost as bad as an ex-smoker...
In what way? By saying that you're not necessarily destined to be a smoker (or obese) all of your life. I never said that weight loss was easy, but I see no harm in saying that with Jesus, you can change your ways and lead a healthy lifestyle.
artybloke said:
People who are morbidly obese often have a whole raft of problems, and need to be treated with a deal more compassion that you're revealing here.
Certainly we should RESPECT all people regardless of their circumstances, but I see no lack of compassion by offering people HOPE. Hope that through Jesus Christ, all things are possible.
It is not 'compassionate', in my opinion to suggest the opposite: You are overweight, and you're destined to stay that way because you have no choices, and even if you turn to Jesus...He can't help you. <--that's not compassion. That's a lie.
artybloke said:
Morbid obesity probably is a sign of something missing. Love perhaps?
Morbid obesity is a sign of many things. People who are obese have the greatest love of all - the love of Jesus Christ. Even if your implication that the 'lack of love' toward overweight people led to the obesity of others, my efforts would be no match for the love of Jesus Christ.
Sir/Madam, I have dedicated my career to helping people with weight problems... It would be wrong for me to have 'overcome' it and then turn to others and say, 'you're on your own.'
When God does a good work in our lives, we are not to keep it to ourselves, we are to show others how good our God is. I've actually had my weight off for about 6 years now, and only one time have I told my weight loss testimony - at the request of a national publication. Most of the times my story is told (in other magazines) I never mention Jesus, but I only concentrate on my diet and nutrition.
Truth be told, I had tried to lose weight God knows how many times. It was only when I turned to HIM, that my life changed.
Again, you can say, I lack compassion, or that my will is stronger than others.
You are very, very wrong.
ETA
My testimony is what it is. I had a severe weight issue because I turned to food when I should have been turning to Jesus for my comfort. I also was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder that I blamed my weight on, too. I felt I was destined to stay that way. But when I had FAITH that Jesus was more powerful than my limited concept of my 'destiny', and I had FAITH that He would help me to overcome the problem in my life, I was ABLE to overcome it (not overnight, and not without work on my part, too, but He gave me the strength and the will to do it.)
Many times in church people give testimonys of how with the help of the Lord, they overcame drugs, alcohol, sex addiction, etc. These same people reach out to others and say, "You have a choice." This is not superiority, lack of compassion, or any of the other judgements you've cast. This is the Truth - you have a CHOICE.
ebia said:
Pick something, anything, that you are still struggling with.
What's your excuse? (rhetorical question)
Good analogy. While I
think you were trying to be sarcastic, I happen to agree that weight/gluttony is on par with all of the other struggles we (I) face. When we 'miss the mark'...this is a sin.