Overweight Pastor's

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on July 7, 2013 at 2:50pm

Grace,

 

Some things to ponder:

 

1) Some of the Scriptures you have posted relate to gluttony. Does gluttony mean overweight? Here is what Webster says about "Gluttony."

Gluttony

GLUT'TONY

, n. Excess in eating; extravagant indulgence of the appetite for food.

1. Luxury of the table.

Their sumptuous gluttonies and gorgeous feasts.

2. Voracity of appetite.

 

2) Some refer to defiling the temple of God, but does that really mean being overweight?

 

3) One verse refers to making yourself sick by overeating.

 

4) If we accept that being overweight is against Scripture then we would still have at least two more questions to ponder:

A) What is considered overweight according to Scripture?

B) Why is the person overweight? (i.e. Does the person have a biological or physical ailment? Are they simply overeating? Is there a lack of physical activity and what is the cause of that lack of activity?) Those are just a few questions that would have to be asked before one could even consider the obesity question on an individual level.

 

Lord Bless,

LT

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 7, 2013 at 3:23pm

Lack of energy balance is one of the causes of being overweight -- calories being consumed are more than those being used. However, many health conditions cause overweight, such as thyroid disease. Also, the side effect of many meds is weight gain. Sometimes the weight from meds is due to water retention. Other times, the meds slow the body's metabolism. There is a genetic factor, too. If parents are overweight, your risk for it is also more. Aging also causes it. As we age, we become less active simply because we begin to lose muscle tissues, and muscles help us burn calories. One person I can think of is Jerry Lewis as an example of someone who gained weight due to medications and illness. I believe his diagnosis was pulmonary fibrosis.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 7, 2013 at 4:26pm

Well, I remember back in the 90s when I went through this phase of new age thinking and it was popular back then to "cleanse" Lol. That meant fasting and "other things" Lol. Getting rid of toxins. But that can become very dangerous -- can mess up your electrolytes -- and people tend to go to extremes in almost everything and anything. I also remember from my childhood seeing in the news the hunger strikes that people were going on to protest various things -- and some of those people lived 100 days and I wondered how is that possible -- how do people just stop eating? I don't know why I'm talking about all of this ... just rambling I guess. But, yes, it's when we fast, not if, and it is about self denial among other things, but not about vanity at all. Also, food can be an addiction that is as serious as any addiction. At least the pastor was confessing. That's the point where healing can begin.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on July 7, 2013 at 6:19pm

Grace,

Two things come to mind.

 

1)  I don't know this pastor and do not mean to judge him, but comment on previous experience where similar words are used. Often these comments are made to help others feel a little better about themselves and to break down barriers. Also, this man may be under true conviction.

2) Is his real problem what he calls obesity or is it gluttony, his love for food that led to the obesity in his case. His weight will not change, in my opinion, if he focuses strictly on the obesity. He has to focus on what appears to be his gluttony.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 8, 2013 at 12:38pm

Gluttony has a root cause, too. I believe even looking at gluttony itself as the cause and obesity as an effect is not enough. The problem is much deeper. Perhaps, the gluttony could be a food addiction but the problem is still much deeper than an addiction, too, because addictions have deep roots. Most addictions are efforts to self medicate emotional pain. Also people with low self esteem develop substance abuses, including abusing food, and of course a food addiction isn't treated by just going on a diet. Most people view addictions as sins which makes biblical sense. Sins can be forgiven. Sometimes God gives instant freedom from bondage and that temptation just isn't there anymore. Other times, the battle remains.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on July 7, 2013 at 4:07pm

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I was officially diagnosed with it in 2001 and I was given PTU for it. Then, in 2003 I went into remission and all my thyroid tests have been normal since then and my thyroid is functioning on its own. Thankfully. I had even been scheduled for surgery back then to remove the thyroid. Surgery is a last resort. What happened in my case was my thyroid became very overactive and my appetite increased due to very high metabolism, and I did gain weight. Those with underactive thyroids gain weight for different reasons. Depression can also effect weight. My depression has caused poor appetite and I've lost weight even though I am not very active. So ... life goes on, huh ... 

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Permalink Reply by Seek on July 9, 2013 at 7:08am

Despite all the reasons one can be overweight without being a glutton, each of us fail in certain areas...pastors notwithstanding.  It is up to us not to be their judge and know that God will judge them accordingly if they're in the wrong.

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Permalink Reply by Seek on July 10, 2013 at 6:06am

Ok, my Bishop is overweight.  Yet he has fasted for days, so he can go without food.  That said:

3 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

2 A bishop then must be blameless (my Bishop is saved, therefore made righteous and blameless through Christ), the husband of one wife (he's been married to the same woman for something around 15 years, their only marriage), vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach (he does those);

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; (And those)

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (His kids are great.  His son - 12 years old, wanted left in public school because as he told his parents....who will he minister to in Christian school?)

At any rate, yes God expects us to use discernment on whom we allow to teach us and influence us, whom we hang out with, etc.  But not to make judgements based on outward appearances without taking into account the entire package.  And if we do determine something is amiss, bring it to them.  If they won't listen, bring along another to tell them, etc. 

I know America has a lot of overweight people, and many are because of gluttony, but I believe so many of our problems here are also all the additives in our foods, the chemicals in our air and so on.  It messes with us, causes disease, weight and all sorts of bad things.  It's about as hard to look past a grossly overweight person as it used to be for a white person to look past a black person sitting on the front seat of the bus.  So it's something we have to work at daily not to allow appearances to cloud our judgment. 

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on July 10, 2013 at 12:00pm

but I believe so many of our problems here are also all the additives in our foods, the chemicals in our air and so on

 

That is so true.... not just food additives but the way food is being grown now. My mom was over weight and she wasn't a glutton.  I know it was her medication that caused it.

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Permalink Reply by Tammy on July 13, 2013 at 12:41am

I haven't read many replies so I may be repeating another reply so forgive. I've seen my uncle as well as my husband gain tons of weight because of their diabetic meds. My husband had the gastric bypass but my uncle continues to put on weight & can barely walk now. It's sad to watch because he's such an incredible man of God.

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