Please explain the purpose of fasting?

Question

This is not a shot at fasters but I do wonder. How will going hungry solve anything? Why do you believe not eating is what God wants? Taking an active role in your concerns (whatever they are) is the best way to help this or change that. GFoing hungry, as I see it, will only cause dizziness, weakness and fatigue.

Answer 1

fasting to impress either God or others is a childish attempt to get attention. true fasting, is to deny the body of its wants and desires in order for the spirit to be strengthened.

Answer 2

Fasting must be taken as part of the whole "package" of a cultural and/or religious ethos around food: what you can or can't eat, when you can eat it, with whom you can eat it, and when you mustn't eat at all. What you consume (or not) identifies you as a believer versus a nonbeliever, a civilized person versus a barbarian, or even a human versus a nonhuman. Every major world religion has a period of fasting and/or restrictions on certain foods, the doctrinal reason for which may be about divine instruction, but if you actually ask someone who practices religious fasting their reasons are much more personal and pragmatic. A Muslim student of mine put it best: "After Ramadan I feel cleaned out and ready to start the new year, because I'm focused on the things that really matter instead of satisfying my immediate wants," he said.

Fasting has also been used at various points in history as a political tool. Gandhi went on hunger strikes on numerous occasions, as did the suffragists. So if you happen to be a woman in Britain or the U.S., you have fasting partially to thank for the fact that you can vote. I call that taking an active role in your concerns.

Answer 3

Well, if you read St. Luke between chapters 8-11
you will see where Jesus told the people asking why John's
disciples fasted, but his didn't. Jesus said, "when the bridegroom is present they need not fast, but once he leaves
then they need to fast."
Fasting is something that is only best understood if you
practice it.
The first day, will seem like you are about to pass from this
earth. Those are the toxins in your system that has accumulated of the months and weeks. If you fast for three days with water and liquid (denial is what it's called) it will clean your system of the toxins and your energy level will come back.
The main reason people fast, because they practice it as part of their
belief. It is used, to get more focused on God and become more able to handle temptations that may come your way.
When I fast, things people say to me at work don't ruffle my
feathers, because I am focused and can resist the need to
get back at them. I reprogram my mind to think a certain way again harmful things that would affect my spiritual walk.

Answer 4

I will assume that you are aiming this message at religions in general and not a particular religion.

In Hinduism & Jainism fasting is a person's way of placing more importance on the soul above material things (food).

For one day or whatever amount of days you have decided to fast you are not to indulge in food, but rather focus on spiritual activities. This is done primarily through prayers, meditation, and other soulful activities.

In Jainism, as recently as last year people have fasted for more than 6 months. A friend of mine, in fact, fasted for 30 days. Jain fasts do not allow for the eating of any food item unlike other fasts. So this person lived alone on boiled water and nothing else for 30 days.

Now there will always be a debate on what is considered normal or abnormal. To outsiders this may seem like a shallow way of showing devotion or even an unhealthy way, but the fact of the matter is that people today are surviving through fasts. Fasting for 8 days is very common in Jainism.

But others do minimal types of fasting as well. So, for example, I personally cannot do fasts because I need to eat daily. So I minimize the amount of food I eat and do it by sitting to eat only once in a day and then not eating anything for 36 hours. You are only allowed to eat once again after sunrise.

The goal is to meditate on impermanence of body and the eternal existence of your soul. Hope this helps somewhat.

Answer 5

Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. Concerning that from which one fasts, and the period of fasting, a fast may be total or partial. It may be observed unbroken for many uninterrupted days, or be observed only for certain periods during the day, as is the Muslim practise during the holy month of Ramadan. Depending on the tradition, fasting practices may forbid sexual activity as well as food, in addition to refraining from eating certain types or groups of foods; for example, meat may be refrained from. Medical fasting can be a way to promote detoxification.

Fasting for religious and spiritual reasons has been a part of human custom since pre-history. It is mentioned in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testament, the Qur'an, the Mahabharata, and the Upanishads. Fasting is also practiced in many other religious traditions and spiritual practices.

Answer 6

Fasting is a way to help you gain sympathy. When you fast, you feel what people that are poor and hungry have to feel. We don't look at eating as a gift from God, but it is. Only when you don't have the means to eat do you realize what happens and how it feels not to eat. In Islam, you don't eat, drink, smoke, or have sex during the day for the month of Ramadan. You should also avoid lying, slander, and anger. Through fasting, a person experiences the deprivation that the poor suffer throughout the year and become more sensitive and responsive to the poor. By cutting yourself off from the distractions during fasting, you also become more attuned to God as the only ultimate reality and gain a closer relation to God through your sacrifice.

Answer 7

As children, our parents and teachers discipline and punish us for our wrongdoings. As adults, we still do wrong things, but we don't have anyone to discipline us but ourselves.

Fasting helps build self control and it is one way to help us atone for our sins. Our fasting does nothing for God, per say, but rather, it is for ourselves. It teaches us restrain and discipline and being hungry is a constant reminder of why we are fasting to begin with.
We have so many luxuries in life, we often forget how easy we have it. If we are hungry, we can stop almost anywhere and pick up something that is desireable to eat. We often forget that there are people who are poor and starving who don't have even a fraction of our luxuries. By self-denial of food or anything else, we are reminded of our sin, and of the suffering of others.

Also, fasting does not just have to be from food. It can be from just sweets, or TV or soda, coffee etc. After an extended period of time (ie 40 days) one begins to realize that they do not need these things and little by little, that person is able to better deal with temptation. AKA, if one can have self control over smaller things, it will lead to self control over bigger things. Fasting from food. which is necessary to survive, hopefully helps us to have control in other situations as well.

As for taking an active role, that too is important. It's not like we should only fast and do nothing else.

Answer 8

It's not supposed to be that way, with dizziness, weakness and fatigue. If that happens, you should certainly get something to eat right away!

Fasting is to help us become closer to God, it's just a method to do it. We forego food for awhile, and whenever you feel the hunger pains you are reminded of whatever it is that you are fasting for. It's based upon the Scripture "man does not live by bread alone..."

I can't fast, I'm slightly hypo-glaucemic (sp?) and get sick if I don't eat regularly. So I find other ways to keep myself close to God :)

Answer 9

Fasting can be a wonderful spiritual experience. Those who never fast and pray miss a spiritual exercise which has been a blessing to many throughout the ages. A person in good health may choose to forego occasional meals in order to focus on devotion to God. Not only are there spiritual benefits, but many doctors agree that there are also health benefits. The early church found prayer and fasting valuable when seeking the guidance of God for making important decisions such as choosing spiritual leaders; see Acts 13:2-3 and 14:23. God will honor and bless anyone who will fast and pray in the right spirit.

When Jesus fasted (Luke 4:2), we are told He ate nothing. It meant in all probability that He abstained from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water. This type of fast may be called the "normal fast." There are also a few examples in the Bible of the "absolute fast" which means abstaining from drinking water as well as from eating, as in Ezra 10:6. In Esther 4:16, Queen Esther instructs Mordecai, "Fast for me, Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do." See also Paul's fast in Acts 9:9. Other examples are in Deuteronomy 9:9, Exodus 34:28 and 1 Kings 19:8. This method of fasting is an exceptional measure for an extremely unusual situation. One would need to be very sure of the leading of the Lord to undertake any fast for longer than three days or one which excludes liquid. A doctor's advice would be very important.

There is also the "partial fast" which is a restriction on certain foods or certain meals, as in Daniel 10:3 and 1 Kings, chapter 17. This method is used today by some who omit one meal a day and spend that time in prayer. Biblical fasting can be public as well as private, regular as well as occasional, involuntary as well as voluntary. For a detailed discussion on fasting, I suggest the books "God's Chosen Fast" by Arthur Wallis and "Hunger for God" by John Piper. These books would be available through a Christian bookstore.

Answer 10

It disciplines the emotional self-indulgent side of us. From the christian point of view that is very useful as then your spirit can more easily rule your soul. Since the christian's spirit is born again, its going to mean that all the good stuff in the spirit is going to get out into one's outer life, if you do it as a regular practice (so the theory goes; I haven't done much.)
It isn't much fun though (!), so you really have to want spiritual growth, or have an issue that needs a breakthrough.

It does somehow lead to doubt being removed. I have done it for one day now and then, and it does seem to increase my faith a bit each time.

Answer 11

It's not about the food and drink. For us Muslims when we fast the 30 days of Ramadan it becomes more spiritual. Food and drink are essential to life and so by going without them we are no longer slaves to them. Of course we eat and drink etc when the sun goes down. The purpose of our fasting is to abstain from the worldly passions during this month and Allah has asked us to do this for Him alone. It takes a lot of willpower to do it but done for the right reasons it feels wonderful. :)