Food and Christianity?

Question

Hello, my name is Colleen, and I am a college student in Kansas City, KS. I am doing a project about the role of food in Christianity for my religion class. I was wondering if you all could answer a few of my questions.

1- Do you believe that food plays an important role in your religion?

2- Is fasting practiced in your denomination? What is the significance?

3- Do you have any restraints of food? If so, where do these originate from?

4- Do you have congregational activities that involve food? (example: pancake dinners)

5- What is your name, city, and denomination?
Thank you for answering my questions.

first name only, just for reference purposes.

Answer 1

1. I would say food is often the means to an end, or it can lead to more friendly relations or can be used to help serve others. For example, if a family is adjusting to having a new baby in the house, or someone is severely ill, the Relief Society will often ask volunteers to bring in meals (the women's group) for a short period of time. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
2. We have Fast Sunday once a month. We are supposed to abstain from food and drink except as health constraints may limit it (for example, if someone is pregnant or else young children) for 24 hours and then donate the money we would have spent on 2 meals as a Fast Offering to help those who have severe financial needs, as part of a welfare system that makes sure no one goes hungry or homeless. Fasting helps you draw closer to God. It can also be used to concentrate faith towards the needs of someone who is ill, or undergoing an operation, or making a hard decision, etc.
3. Word of Wisdom Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants explains that we should abstain from strong tea and hot drinks (coffee, or related drinks), alcohol, tobacco, and the like. We should be emphasizing herbs, the fruit of the field (vegetables also), grains (as opposed to flour), and eat meat sparingly. Most of us could probably work on that. My sister-in-law won't eat bacon because of something she read about parasites, but I will eat it, if well-cooked, since I love bacon and tomato sandwiches. The Word of Wisdom was revealed to Joseph Smith because his wife Emma, kept complaining about how the men who visited their home would keep spitting tobacco juice on the floor, which apparently was a nuisance to clean up since it stains, and it couldn't have smelled very good either. Obviously we also stay away from illegal drugs as well. It took a while for the Word of Wisdom to become more than just a "word" and more of a commandment.
4. We Mormons are always having get-togethers with food. The singles wards (for those who aren't married and go) are always having a potluck dinner after Fast Sunday, say 6 pm Sunday. At least it is a common practice. There might be Daddy-Daughter dinners, or dinners with the Relief Society (the women age 18 and up) or for Christmas, etc. We used to have a running joke that it wasn't really a Mormon activity unless you had a green Jell-O salad, especially with grated carrots. Personally I like green Jell-O salad with walnuts, whipped cream, marshmallows and crushed pineapple. Punch and cookies used to be the stand-by for other events, but they've been moving toward healthier finger foods lately at dances. I think the Boy Scouts have a breakfast or dinner activities on occasions, and the young men and young women might have an etiquette dinner every year to practice for more formal occasions. Now I have also seen Mormon quinceaneras with girls who turn 15 and 16 from Latino ancestry, and those are fun, too, in the Spanish wards. Sometimes we just have cooking and recipe sharing activities as well. We have also been told by several prophets and leaders for about the last 30 years to work on food storage in case of emergency, so most families try to do that as well.
5. First name: Crystie (we aren't supposed to give out our whole name here on ask.yahoo), City: Sandy, Utah, Denomination: member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS, or Mormon.

Answer 2

1. Yes. See Nos. 2 and 3.
2. Yes it is, once a month. It is similar to certain churches' Lent, where we give something up to help others financially, and ourselves spiritually.
3. We limit our intake of meat and foods with caffeine, and take no alcohol or tobacco into our bodies. Joseph Smith, our first leader in modern times, came up with this.
4. We have potluck dinners every once in a while. They are more along the lines of tradition.
5. W.S.Clark; Provo, UT; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormon or LDS).

P.S. With all due respect, this probably belongs elsewhere, since questions like this tend to have no one best answer.

Answer 3

1. Yes, the bread and beer rite at the end of each ritual is nice and pleasing to the Gods.

2. No.

3. I hate mayonaisse, but that's just because I hate it.

4. Sometimes I will cook large dinners appropriate to the sabbat for my family as part of our sabbat celebration (i.e. Mabon harvest feast, Ostara dinner, etc.).

5. You don't need my name. I live in Madison, WI. My "denomination" is Kemetic, my religion is Wicca.

Answer 4

depends what kind of Christians they are.