The Neglected Sin of Gluttony

To the Editor:

I read R. Marie Griffith's "The Gospel of Born-Again Bodies" (The Chronicle Review, January 21) with great interest, but I was largely unconvinced by her arguments that physical fitness has become a notable priority among contemporary Christians. My problem arises because I attend a Christian church, I know many others who do also, and I have eyes.

While I'm not prepared to say that current Christians exhibit greater levels of obesity than the general population (whose levels are reportedly at all-time highs), they certainly do not seem to exhibit lower ones. It has long struck me as perverse that so many sermons rail against the deadly sins of lust and hatred, but when was the last time you were on the receiving end of a detailed admonition against the deadly sin of gluttony? The next one I hear will be the first one I've ever heard.

J. David McDonald
Professor of Biological Sciences, Wichita State University

From The Chronicle Review (March 11, 2005)

Since you asked...

The Rev. Jean Denton, RN, is director of National Episcopal Health Ministries and editor of Good is the flesh: Body, Soul and Christian Faith,” published by Morehouse responds:

Is it a sin to be fat?

Is there a via media in the weighty matter of obesity? Is there a middle way between the celery stick and the hot fudge sundae, between harsh judgment and facile disregard of obesity?

We American Christians are a fat society. Riding (rarely walking) down Main Street USA, the epidemic is obvious. Apart from the conditions of low leptin levels and genetic makeup, the causes are multiple: fast and “super-sized” foods, a recumbent lifestyle, overwhelming daily stress, and spiritual and emotional emptiness, to name a few. The results are multiple: high blood pressure, increased arthritis pain, more diabetes -- even as malnutrition plagues our sisters and brothers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Is it a sin to be fat? Our catechism tells us that sin is seeking “our own will instead of the will of God,” resulting in distorted relationships “with God, with other people and with all creation.”

Part of God’s will for us is that we have faith in God’s abundant care for us. Yet we are too busy to spend time with God and be fed with nourishment that our deepest selves require. We are too busy to move our bodies, too busy to sit quietly in meditation and too busy to find out what’s really eating us and taking that to God in prayer.

We unconsciously seek to comfort ourselves with sweets rather than let God soothe the hurting places in our souls. That self-centeredness is sin.

We turn a deaf ear to God speaking through our bodies. We don’t hear “Slow down” or “That’s enough food” or “Please stretch.” Our lack of attention leads us to abuse and neglect our bodies. We excuse this exploitation, convincing ourselves that bodies are our private possessions (which, of course, they are not, being simply on loan to us from God, who has asked us to steward them wisely). That unconsciousness is sin.

We don’t thank God for the wonder of our bodies, nor do we love and celebrate the amazing part of creation that is intimately us. Instead, we measure the body’s worth by the bathroom scale or our body mass index, and we take part in prejudice and size-ism. We fail to be amazed by our extraordinary bodies, whatever their size or condition or limits. That ingratitude is sin.

Sin distorts our relationships with food, with ourselves, with our hungry neighbors and with God. The answer to setting those relationships right is not a new diet or losing weight. The answer is in chewing on our relationship with our bodies and letting God meet our real hunger.

Clergy Health

            I write in response to "Three Bishops Confront Health Issues" [TLC, June 10].

            At 70, I am among the many clergy facing common, elderhealth issues. All of mine afflicted my late parents. I have never been a health fanatic. However, since my heart attack five years ago, I have been especially aware of what appear to be chosen maladies among many fellow clergy - including various degrees of obesity.

            In "The Chronicle Review" of the weekly Chronicle of Higher Education (March 11, 2005), biology Professor J. David McDonald wrote, "While I'm not prepared to say that current Christians exhibit greater levels of obesity than the general population (whose levels are reportedly at all-time highs), they certainly do not seem to exhibit lower ones. It has long struck me as perverse that so many sermons rail against the deadly sins of lust and hatred, but when was the last time you were on the receiving end of a detailed admonition against the deadly sin of gluttony? The next one I hear will be the first one I've ever heard."

            Excessive alcohol use could rightly be included, too.

            Might we add to the Church's visible agenda our health as lay and ordained individuals? This need not be a mean-spirited attack, but an inspiration to consider the many dimensions of our overall well-being - including diseases that are self-inflicted (knowingly or not).

            (The Rev. Canon) Richard T. Nolan Lake Worth, Fla.

Clergy Recovery Network

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WELCOME!

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Supersized Pastor?

May 18th, 2007

A recent perusal of a major denomination’s regular publication, its written mouthpiece, contained lots of photos. Some were if its highest ranking leaders. It also contained pictures of recent seminary graduations, special denominational conferences and obituary pictures. If the text of the publication was ignored and the pictures searched for a unifying theme it would require little research. The blatant unwritten message is, “We’ve been suppersized.”

From graduates to leadership, the pictured ministry professionals had chubby cheeks, bursting waistlines, and bulging suits. This is not an atypical reality for most denominations and clergy. One could wonder if our Higher Power were our bellies. Yes, it is easy to poke at this publication and over weight preachers like the in crowd picked on larger classmates in Junior High. Our intentions are better than that. A serious addiction to food increasingly communicates its presence in the pulpits of North America’s churches. Though the above observation sounds unkind and harsh it is intended to point out a potentially tough unflattering reality. Members of the clergy are hooked on food as an addictive substance.

The seriousness of clergy obesity indicates a little discipline, cutting back or giving up sweets for lent will not solve this all but accepted addiction. Every indication is addictive eating is rampant in clergy ranks. Because we have to eat to sustain life and because eating appears so innocent compared to other ministerial addictions, it is easy to be deceived or unconcerned about why we eat and whether or not we are hooked on food. Whether consciously or unconsciously a pastor eats addictively, it is clear clergy eating is increasingly compulsive and done for reasons much like those alcoholics use for drinking. Eating for comfort, eating to celebrate, eating because of depression, eating because it is why churches gather (We often call it fellowship but the centrality of food in Christian gatherings cannot be denied.), eating because we are bored and eating because we crave food and long to satiate deep personal longings are some of the reasons. A bottle will never meet soul needs. Cuisine cannot quench these clergy longings either. Some ministry professionals find they are powerless over the pull of the plate.

Gluttony and obesity are seemingly uncharitable terms used to describe this brand of eating and its result. Though each of us would shy from ownership of the judgment those words carry, if we as pastors serve our stomachs, it does not help us to hide from hurtful words. We must squarely face our food addictions as surely as an anorexic must face her eating disorder. Too many of us are eating our selves to death.

Yes, North Americans in general are loosing the battle of the bulge. Obesity is more accepted and more prevalent than ever despite its alarming health consequences. Alert health professionals and some government agencies are waking to the dangers of being supersized. Laws are being passed and add campaigns launched. The impact of supersized meals at MacDonald’s made its way to the big screen. Never before have we heard so much and heeded so little.

If you wrestle with using food as a substance to calm, to deal with boredom, to celebrate because you don’t drink or eating has become a factor which is controlling your health, your moods and your enjoyment, it is time to face it squarely as a potentially dangerous addiction. Approach it as an issue which is addictive and embrace the full healing of a recovery journey. There are lots of reasons to hope.

As recovering food addicts clergy members have unprecedented entree into the lives of struggling parishioners. If pastors deal deeply and decisively with this spiritual/emotional issue the results will be obvious to congregations who long to be lead and hate themselves for their own lack of control over food.

If you suspect your eating is controlling you or you at least are willing to investigate it further there is a helpful quiz. Honestly facing this issue and getting whatever help you need to progressively recover is important to your health, your family and your church/ministry. For helpful recovery groups and a host of information consult Overeaters Anonymous. This issue is one which easily deceives.

If you struggle with this issue and are seeking personal help, insight and mentoring for your recovery journey go to I Need Help and get started today. Your wonderful life may depend on your courageous recovery. You are worth it! You deserve all the grace you can give yourself on your recovery journey.