why is gluttony totally ignored so often, as if there is no problem with it?

Question

I've been noticing alot here lately that alot of Christians are quick to denounce sins that they feel are worthy of doing so, while starchly defending their apparent right to gorge themselves however they please. I have noticed this mostly within southern Baptists, although other denominations or whatever could be guilty as well. My question is not whether it's as bad as drinking, but more along the lines of why is this a totally accepted vice? I know it's southern culture, but if the bible says "put a knife to your throat if you are a glutton", how can people just skip right over that? The usual defense is "it's not in the bible"... well, I'm sorry, but it is, there are several verses such as the one I just quoted that says otherwise.

I originally started wondering this after I went to a "fellowship" after church a few weeks back... there were several buckets of KFC, lots of other greasy foods, about 20 different desserts, then when everybody was completely full, they build "the world's largest ice cream sundae" in a container that looked like a horse watering trough by using 15 gallons of ice cream. Also at this same church, there are people who cannot make it between Sunday School to normal church without heading out to the parking lot for a smoke. Apparently these are things that are perfectly acceptable, yet it is really disturbing if you think about it, especially when those same people are preaching about how bad any form of drinking is...

Answer 1

I have never given it much thought, but your question made me stop and think about it and you are right. It is perhaps the most overlooked of all sins. Thank you for reminding me. God bless

Answer 2

Now, as a Muslim, our laws are a bit different. But, there is a saying from one of our grand imams, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad who was asked how do I know which town to stay for the night if I am travelling.

The Imam said look and see if the people are skinny or chubby. If you have food to give, stop at the place where people are skinny, and if you need food go to the town where hopefully people are chubby. Then he went on, but if you see a place where some people are skinny and others are chubby, leave that place immediately as that is a town of unfair people where the powerful have eaten up the rights of the weak.

That said, it is clear that during times of plenty it is allowed to eat your fill, as long as you are not taking away the rights of others. The Lord has put in place mechanisms such as fat to allow people to store food, so during times of scarcity they may survive. However, gluttony per se, when others are going hungry is indeed a crime as you are eating up the rights of others who may be going hungry because of your excessive eating.

There is another saying from the Prophet of Islam which says that all people are given a specific food quota that day they are born by the Lord. They may eat all of it quickly and die sooner or just eat enough to keep themselves going and live longer.

I hope this makes sense.

Answer 3

Joel Osteen is a perfect example of gluttony.

He spent $95 Million to refurb an arena.

He's not fat, but he wears Armani.

I could name more, but gluttony is more than just food - Dick Cheney is a glutton for taking money from the backs of dead US soldiers. Any drug addict is a glutton. The list goes on....

When sin becomes an outdated concept, the Devil knows he has another soul in his pocket. Jesus will keep preaching to that soul, but the Devil doesn't want to give him up.

Answer 4

As charming as it is that your rendering of the word of God orders people with a poor self-image to commit suicide, there are worse things in the world than over-eating. Like killing in the name of God.
Maybe you should shove your scriptures, lest thou find an offense in thine eye and be required to pluck it out.
Gluttony is a manifestation of greed. Anything that is a real sin has some logic behind it- some reason that it is bad for a person's spirit or bad for the community. Of these, the worst by far is hate.
And now-in the kindest way that I can- I would like to ask that you do not come here and encourage people to slit their own throats because you think it is what God told you to do.

Answer 5

Those Southern Baptists pick and choose what's a sin and what is okay. Anyone who puts mayonnaise in perfectly healthy food and calls it a salad is nothing more than a glutinous pig who deserves an eternity of hell. The same goes for the glutinous SUV's they drive to church.

Answer 6

People skip over sins that they commit regularly. Ive asked similar questions myself. I asked before why homosexual marriage is condemned so loudly when remarriage in the Bible is condemned as adultery and adulterers were also to be put to death in the OT. I think people accept what is "socially acceptable" as not sinful and what is not as some grave sin worse than ones they commit regularly.

Answer 7

Anything that destroys "God's temple" which the bible says that your body is, is a sin.

Somehow, Christians see this as ok. Why I don't know because being a glutton is as bad as being a drunk both abuse the food and drink.

Answer 8

Well, you bring up a valid point, however, I would say we need to define gluttony as it applies to us today. The traditional definition is "habitually eating to excess." But while there are certainly people who do that, many of today's problems are not so much eating to excess but eating the WRONG things...even in moderate amounts. We have access to so many high calorie foods that you don't have to eat a lot to still eat too much for your body's needs.

Answer 9

They skip it because of the WMU meetings. They have excellent food! I agree. Sin is sin. Southern Baptists are notorious for ignoring what they don't want to see; just like normal people. God help us. "Be sure you sins will find you out".

Answer 10

I am totally sick of "christians" that do not act like Christ.
Jesus would not stuff himself with mounds of food and fill his lungs with tar. If your gonna say "Im a christian!" than I feel that the actions should prove it. they are no different than a winer on the street corner. food can be a bad habit just like drinkin' and smokin' and horrin' around.
Duh.........................................this is why I perfer not to attend churches cause i can't stand hipocrits....
even though I long for knowing Jesus.