Wednesday, 01 July 2009

  • Should Christians Be Overweight?

    Over 60% of Americans are overweight. And like our divorce statistics, the number of overweight people in the church must be comparable: there are scores of us every Sunday, pudgy in the pew.

    There are legitimate medical reasons for being overweight: thyroid problems, medication side effects, etc. But face it: most of us are overweight because we simply eat too much food and exercise too little. Emotional eating is an idol; we use food to self-medicate and feel better before we think to go to God with our concerns. I've heard pastors who preach vehemently against homosexuality and abortion, but who have never uttered a single world against gluttony, which is actually one of the seven deadly sins. Why are we ignoring this serious issue?

    My guess is that it's easy to rail against sins committed mostly by those outside the church. Most churches unfortunately don't have significant numbers of gay people in the congregation, and so it's easy for us to pass judgment on them because they're "those other people." However, most churches do have a lot of overweight members; for a pastor to challenge them would alienate people, thus shrinking tithes. So we continue to look down on pro-choice people, for instance, for maligning creation while we damage our own created bodies by overindulging them.

    Is being overweight a sin, or simply a health issue? Should we encourage Christians to maintain healthy weights, or should pastors preach acceptance at any cost?

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Comments (95)

  • morbidxshadows@xanga

    How does weight have anything to do with your belief?
  • LiberalArmyWife@xanga

    The music director at my childhood church was morbidly obese. I wouldn't be surprised if he weighed 500 lbs at one point. Glandular issues. He eventually got gastric bypass, though.

    As for the rest of the bunch, being overweight - if related to gluttony or sloth - is absolutely a sin. I don't want to hear the excuses for them. If God is all you need, then you can put that extra bag of chips down. Most overeaters do so because of emotional reasons. Again, these people need to close the refrigerator and crack open their precious Bibles for emotional comfort. True, "nobody's perfect" but these gluttonous Christians need to think twice next time they want to call someone else a fornicator, sodomite, or "baby killer".

    I don't see the point of even showing up to church every Sunday if your fat ass can't make it through the pearly gates.
  • PatFactorX@xanga

    Yes, gluttony is a sin. 
  • never_alone

    I have never thought of the issue of being overweight as being a sin.  I'm not sure where I stand on that issue, but you make some very valid points.  Thanks for this post and stirring up some healthy controversy.
  • JUSTAVAPORHERE@xanga

    @ltl_rvr@xanga - Well yes, IF smoking is considered desecrating then likewise should women dying their hair. In fact, they have linked brain cancers to some hair-dying. There is no middle on this, no "well yeah, it may be wrong, but I...." If smoking is desecrating the temple, so is tanning it and dying hair, etc. It's like with Santa, fact of the matter telling our kids he wears the suit and comes on Christmas Night is a lie. No matter who we may try to justify it, i.e. to make the children happy, it's still a lie.


    And yes, thank you, :). I know smoking is not good for me. I just wanted to point out that it's no worse a sin than gluttony or anything else, and actually I've yet to see is literally spelled out in the Bible..."smoking is a sin." I figure it for one but then I'm not all-knowing, :(


    Thanks for your input!
  • ama_nesciri@xanga

    Being overweight is not a sin.  It may be a result of a sin, but is not in and of itself a sin.  Just as sex outside of marriage is a sin, the baby that results from that sin is not a sin itself. 


    I do think as Americans, however, we do struggle with gluttony--a sin of excess.  Not in just food, but of possessions and work and loads of other stuff.  As Christians, I think we should strive to find the healthy balance.


    For example, eating candy is not a sin--unless eaten in excess.  Drinking is not a sin--unless done in excess.
  • soy_esteban@xanga

    What is going on?

    The problem with gluttony is not so much that someone is overweight. You can be a glutton and not be overweight. This issue isn't weight or even health. The issue has more to do with a person's willingness to share their resources with the poor. If you have so much to eat, then save some cash to help others who don't.
  • InTheThin@xanga

    I feel like so many things are sinful according to the bible...I mean, isn't it technically a sin to use power on Sunday or something? And I know the percentage of males who have masturbated reaches about 98-99% by the late teens. Doesn't that make it more of an issue than fat people?
  • Angelsdelight@xanga
    brown noser

    I am overweight and I have lost weight before and the Lord has helped me do it. However,I do think that some people are going to far the other way. Just because you are skinny doesn't mean that you can't also be gluttonous. It is one of those things that is a little hard to judge. You can still be overweight because of your family genetics just like someone can be slim and be small but eat like a dog. Food is not the only thing you can be gluttonous about. Some people are gluttonous about their computer usage. They spend many hours a day online instead of outside talking to people spreading the gospel. I used to walk from house to house and I was 282. I would walk everywhere and stayed 282. I know have a car but I have done my share of walking and witnessing. There are not a lot of thin people doing that. I don't think we should be judging people based on appearances. As for the gay thing, homosexuality is a sin because God says it is. There are a lot of church people who struggle with gay feelings and don't live the gay lifestyle. I think they should be commended for at least trying to do what God wants them to do but it is hard to tell anyone about something like that. You just have to suffer in silence.

  • TheGreatBout@xanga

    I really wish posts like this included scriptures.
  • JUSTAVAPORHERE@xanga

    @ltl_rvr@xanga - Oh and something I just thought about, tattoos do do quite a bit of damage. What about hepatitis from unsterile needles. And who is to say that somewhere down the line they won't find that tattoos do cause problems? Some people even have allergic reactions to the die. THat when then leave you with asking, which is the greater damage, smoking or tattoos, which again is my whole point. I see no worse from the other, :)
  • Soul_Pizza@xanga

    Props for the most hilarious "Should Christians do X" question ever! 

    I guess according to you, the only fat burning that fat people do will be in Hell!  LAWL
  • tillseptemberends@xanga

    @sarahzthoughts@xanga -  Totally agree ! I am actually thinking about getting a tattoo or a couple at some point. I am also want to get my nose pierced and guess what I am a christian . Yeah I don't think any of that stuff is a sin ....good grief. 

  • jmisener@thepopsite

    The point of my post was not to condemn Christians who are overweight. It was simply to shed light on an issue that I think is under-addressed in churches, whereas other issues (homosexuality, for instance) are unfairly over-addressed. We Christians are the first to point fingers at others, but we don't often scrutinize ourselves enough.


    For example, many Christians would balk at a pastor who drinks alcohol or gambles or smokes, but we don't think twice if a pastor is 50 pounds overweight.


    Thanks for all the comments, guys!
  • cutesycharm@xanga

    Food can do more for your emotional state than "god". At least food is real, and physically visible (and edible too.)
  • ThinComeTrue@xanga

    hahaha
    isn't gluttony a sin?

    someone should edit the bible. make it more clear.

  • shinymeshapples@xanga

    Finally, a legit post on this site!

    I'm not a Christian myself, but yes, I think they ought to address overweight-ness in the church.
  • mandy_graham@xanga

    I've always heard that one's body should be a temple of Christ.  When you knowingly and continuously fill it with harmful things (cigarette smoke, certain drugs, deep fried Twinkies) to the point where it is deteriorating your body, that is wrong.


    I appreciate your post.  Obesity is a problem for everyone, but I like how you connected with a specific audience by connecting it to scripture.
  • pillowpixies@xanga

    Being overindulgent could be considered a sin, however being overweight cannot.
  • galadrielspitcher@xanga

    gluttony is a sin...but people aren't always overweight because of gluttony. let's face it:as people age, their metabolism slows down. sure, you can compensate for this by eating less/ working out more, but people are set in their ways. this is especially true in our busy society where people often feel they don't have time to work out. personally, i think there is always time. but many people can't manage their time well enough to work out. my own mother is overweight, but she is definitely not a glutton.

    i'm not saying it's okay to let yourself go-i myself workout usually 3 or 4 times a week. but what i am saying is that sometimes people just gain weight. especially with age or after having a baby. sure, they could lose the weight. and that would be best. but it's not a sin the way they gained weight. it's just something that happened, that's all.

    at the same time, i can see where you're coming from. we're supposed to treat our bodies as temples-being healthy is an excellent way to do that!
  • Sandollar_Hope@xanga

    Lol, is this serious? There are judgmental people everywhere, YES even in the church.

    I'm wondering what church YOUR going to. My pastor has preached about gluttony and has never said "those other people" talking about gays or anything. Anyone that is a true honest christian doesn't judge people like that. They look at them with Jesus' eyes like your supposed to.

    I think being overweight is everywhere just not because your christian. This blog is a joke.
  • sarahzthoughts@xanga

    @tillseptemberends@xanga - Context is key when reading such passages about keeping your body a temple for the Lord. As far as tattoos go, the pagans covered their bodies with ink designs to honor their false gods, so that's why tattoos are condemned in Leviticus. But I know a girl who has a tattoo of the fish symbol and personally I think that if you decorate your body in a way that is meant to glorify God then I don't see anything wrong with it.
  • anonymous

    this is completely up to anyone. some people have different convictions. i personally don't see it as a sin... but my conviction is to practice self-discipline in controlling what i eat and exercising. how can i keep my spiritual self healthy when i can't even keep my physical self healthy? and like someone has said, our body is a temple. we must take care of it.

  • AerialPJ@xanga
    Well done! :)

    What a great post!!!  It's provocative and looks at a common issue in a very new way!!!  What a great way to turn the hypocrisy back upon the hypocrites!!! 

  • geminiteen24@xanga

    You've got to be kidding me....

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