do christians and jews fast??

Question

my christian friend fasts for like 40 days without eatting anything from a certain time to another. i never noticed people here fasting...so do you??
btw she's in pakistan and i'm talking about people here in the US

i only got YES.....i was hoping for more details...like how many days?? do you eat anything?? (someone said that when christians fast they eat everything but meat and i was like what??? my friend doesnt do that)...btw is anyone fasting next year??

wow i can't believe alot of people here....not only does my friend keep her 40 day fast ...she also fasted this year during Ramadan
and well my sister is dead skinny and shes been fasting since the age of 10 ...... fastng in way hurts your health

correction : fasting in no way affects your health

Answer 1

Yes, Christians fast. Some do it routinely, others not so much. Others will use the Lenten season (the 40 days before Resurrection Day - not including Sundays) to fast.

Jews will especially fast on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), but also have specific fast days throughout the year.

Answer 2

Many Catholics fast and/or abstain from red meat. During Lent mostly but, certainly not for 40 days straight. We are supposed to abstain from meat on Fridays but, now since Vatican II that special awareness of the day Jesus died could also be carried out with a special deed or some other kind of offer to him other than abstinence from meat. When Lent starts and on Good Friday we fast. Many people undertake a private devotion to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays though for the intentions of the Blessed Mothers and for Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Answer 3

Heh - I'm in Australia - and every now and then I fast. Have never done 40 days though, and I believe she is a lot more motivated to do this in a country like Pakistan.

Most western Christians are probably too apathetic to even contemplate fasting seriously. Just see the letter in Revelations to the church that is luke warm, poor, etc - and you'll see the modern Western church.

Answer 4

I'm Christian - and I fast for two meals at least once a month (so long as my health permits) and use that time for deeper prayer and pondering - it's somehow easier to feel answers to my prayers when I'm fasting.

Oh, and I donate the money that I would have spent on the food to a fund that helps the needy.

All in all, I think it's a great religious experience.

Answer 5

If they are smart.


Jesus continued: ........
"And when you eat, never eat unto fulness. Flee the temptations of Satan, and listen to the voice of God's angels. For Satan and his power tempt you always to eat more and more. But live by the spirit,and resist the desires of the body. And your fasting is always pleasing in the eyes of the angels of God. So give heed to how much you have eaten when your body is sated, and always eat less by a third.

Why Fast?
Probably the most important reason is that the body uses quite a bit of energy to digest food, and when fasting this energy becomes available for other uses. In the fasting state, the body will scour for dead cells, damaged tissues, fatty deposits, tumors, abscesses, all of which are burned for fuel or expelled as waste. The elimination of these obstructions restores the immune system functionality and metabolic process to an optimum state. Fasting restores good digestion and elimination, and peristaltic action is quickened. Fasting allows a deep, physiological rest of the digestive organs, and the energy saved goes into self-healing and self-repairing. By eliminating obstructions, by cleansing, detoxification, and purifying the intestines, the blood, and the cells, we can overcome many of our physical ills or handicaps as well as getting a boost in energy. Fasting not only removes obstructions and helps the body to heal itself, it is also rejuvenating and life-extending. These resulting benefits can have lasting affects in your mental and emotional health.

Answer 6

Yes I fast and I am Christian. I fast for strength and knowledge. Because we all know that fasting does not move God, it just help you put your body under subjection. Also I don't think how many days you fast is a factor just fast for as long as you can, but while you are fasting we should be praying.

Answer 7

Yes it's common for Jews and Christians to fast for it keeps the body under control from worldly desires.

Answer 8

Western christians are lazy compared to the rest of the world. They only fast on a couple of Fridays.

Answer 9

Some do, most don't. Fasting is a traditional form of spiritual purification, devotion, and/or discipline in many religious traditions. The exact form and duration varies somewhat, and 'modern' religions are less likely to place emphasis on it.

Answer 10

I'm also wondering about the Jews! Well, the christians have Lent, but it's not so much like Ramadan! Lent, as far as I know, you just give up a few things that are bad for you!