Cover Story by Rhett Butler It's a problem with our whole society, and church is just one aspect of our whole society.

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Send mail to The Voice Holiday grazing doesn't cause gluttony Many restaurants serve portions that are much larger than they need to be. -Iyesha Lynch, photo Like the needle on a scale, the number of Americans who are overweight is rising to 65 percent of the population. In light of this figure, Christians in the United States are faced with the question: "Are Christians falling into gluttony by feasting this season?" The Voice interviewed three authoritative professionals for their perspectives on gluttony. Carly Wecks is the dean of students at Multnomah Biblical Seminary. David Needham is a professor of theology at Multnomah Bible College. Ellen Swope is the Multnomah Bible College nurse. The Voice: What is gluttony? Wecks: An inordinate desire to consume food. Needham: The simplest definition would be an obsession with food. Swope: Eating or drinking more than you need to. The Voice: Do you think gluttony is more of a problem now than it was 25 years ago? Wecks: I compared the cookbooks from 1940 and 1970. Heavy creams and big meals were a given, so the calorie count was horrendous. What was different then was that people were less sedentary. Today we have quicker ways to get fast, high-calorie food. You go to McDonalds and get your meal super-sized, and it's right there waiting for you. Needham: My assumption is yes, based on the fact that human beings in general, and Christians in particular, are struggling with issues of meaning and purpose more than ever before. I assume this because the media are broadcasting a smorgasbord of counterfeit ways to find meaning and purpose. With food, you have fantastic gourmet cookbooks by the hundreds, resulting in an obsession with eating. Sex and food are the dominant things we use to fill up the emptiness because they are so quick to obtain. Swope: Yes. Companies advertise super-sized meals everywhere. Advertising promotes eating more than is necessary. The Voice: What does the Bible say about gluttony? Wecks: The Bible doesn't say much about gluttony, and where it does, it has more to do with a gluttonous or rebellious personality. It's hard to find a direct passage that says overeating is sin. The closest I could find was a passage in Romans that said we are to be slaves to God rather than to our bellies. However, the word for belly is used nine times in the Bible, and only one time it has to do with the stomach. Biblically, there is more emphasis on enjoyment and moderation. Needham: Whenever we talk about a human being's participation in things that are sensual -- and eating is sensual -- we need to remember the truth in 1 Timothy 6:17 where Paul says, "God richly supplies us with all things to enjoy." Paul was talking in the context of people who had enough wealth so that they could enjoy a lot of sensual things, like eating. Swope: The Bible says that it's a sin. The Voice: Do you think American culture encourages gluttony? If so, in what ways? Wecks: Yes, and with mixed messages. On the front page of a woman's magazine, you'll see the latest diet next to an article about desserts. They say you need to be thin but that the way you show love and be a good housewife is through your cooking. Advertising has caused a problem with gluttony. Needham: Yes, but not just gluttony. Our culture encourages anything that will replace the meaninglessness. It isn't as though the world has singled out food; it's just one of the quick ways to fill up emptiness. Of course, in a capitalistic society, the more you can market things to fill up emptiness, the more money you make. Swope: Yes. In many restaurants, you'll find serving portions that are much larger than they need to be. People don't want to waste food, so they eat it, and they eat more than they should. It's the "clean your plate" mentality versus eating until you're full. The Voice: Is there a spiritual connection to eating? Wecks: Everybody is inclined to turn to something when the going gets rough. The difficulty with eating is that you still have to eat to live, whereas with something like alcohol or drugs, you can actually cut it off and still survive. I think we are called to treat all things with moderation. It's less of a spiritual problem, though, and more of a cultural and physical problem. Needham: I wouldn't say the process of eating is a spiritual thing. However, an obsession with food by its very nature can effect one's relationship with God. Swope: I don't think there is, unless a person is depressed or dealing with some other spiritual issues. Then food might be the drug of choice to treat that emotional problem. The Voice: Does the American church have a problem with gluttony? Wecks: In the Christian community, we don't talk about it, so it becomes a shaming thing to be overweight. Someone in the Christian community who is obese won't overindulge at church because it's embarrassing, leaving them to become closet eaters. The church contributes in that they are not addressing compulsions of any kind, and overeating is just one kind of compulsion. Needham: I would say yes, to some degree. Swope: It's a problem with our whole society, and church is just one aspect of our whole society. The Voice: Do you think that this problem is being adequately addressed in our churches today? Why or why not? Wecks: It is being over-addressed by Christian diet groups and under-addressed at the pulpit. A verse in Romans says, "Do not be a slave to your belly," so there's a sense of being enslaved to something. Often, pastors will address alcoholism or sexual addictions, but things like overeating or over-exercising are not being addressed. In our culture, there is a shame factor in being overweight that many pastors don't want to address. If a thin pastor addresses it, it's going to seem very condemning. If someone who is overweight addresses it, it seems like they are unspiritual. It's a catch-22. Needham: I don't think that the problem is that the church isn't confronting gluttony, but is failing to confront the underlying issues of meaning and purpose. At church, there is too much emphasis on how much service you are giving God, rather than receiving God's love and delighting in His faithfulness. Therefore, the church is failing to deal adequately with the issue of meaning and purpose. Swope: I don't ever recall hearing a sermon on gluttony. Gluttony can be associated with things beyond food issues. Buying things on time or having the latest greatest CD, stereo equipment or car are all forms of gluttony. The Voice: Does the American church foster gluttony by basing many social events around meals? Wecks: Feasting has been a part of the church since the Bible was written. There was the expectation that a feast day was a feast day, where you eat and enjoy what God had provided. In the New Testament church, they ate together, and social events were based around food. In every culture in the world, the social act of breaking bread together is common. In countries like France, they spend two hours at one meal and have fellowship around food. Needham: I don't think so. Swope: The church has always done it, as far back as the beginning. The dinners that I have attended are just family meals, and I don't think they especially foster gluttony. The Voice: In what ways can someone guard against falling into gluttony? Wecks: Think moderation, not quick fix. That goes for what you eat, how much you exercise and how much you sleep. Plan what you are going to eat. Look over the buffet beforehand and decide what you want rather than picking up anything that looks good. Needham: Allow God to fill your needs. If you're saying, "For me to live is Christ," it's hard to struggle with gluttony at the same time. Swope: Many people counteract the sin of gluttony by getting into an eating disorder. That has drastic short-term and long-term effects and is just as bad. Although the media foster the idea that to be happy you need to be thin and beautiful, our beauty needs to come from within. We need to take care of the temple that God gave us. We need to exercise and watch what and how much we eat. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2002 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.