Religious Fasting Part 2
Sharing more stories
Last week, I shared my history with religious fasting. You can read part 1 here.
Today, I want to share others’ experiences.
Em
My friend Em grew up Catholic. She was encouraged to fast, especially on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, to “feel closer to God.” But fasting never did that for her. She was simply hungry on those days and felt a lot of shame because of that.
In the throes of an eating disorder, religious fasting was a way for her to not eat and feel holy about it. As she moved towards healing, eating full meals on fasting days was something she hid so that no one would criticize her.
Now she doesn’t participate in fasting days by fasting from food, because she knows pursuing healing is so important.
Jay
My friend Jay was involved in religious fasting as a teen. Her youth group participated in 30-hour Famine, a program by World Vision geared toward teens to promote empathy and thoughtfulness about others who don’t have access to sufficient food.
Teens get pledges to raise money for their fasting, which goes to World Vision, who in turn uses the money to impact hunger all over the world. Or at least, that’s what their website says.
Jay told me that at the end of the 30 hours of fasting, she noticed her stomach and thought, “So this is what it takes to have a flat stomach…”
When I asked her if the program helped her think about other children who are subject to hunger, she said yes, even so far as to grounding her in eating meals. She said that it “helped ground me that I don’t need to skip eating just to be thin because I knew those children would not long to be thin if food was available.”
CeeCee
A follower on Substack, CeeCee, shared her experience with religious fasting:
“I’m an Episcopal priest and for years I've thought it would good spiritually to fast on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, or for special occasions of prayer & reflection, like a retreat. But any time I have tried, my whole being rebels and I find myself eating more than I want -- a deep-seated rebellion I think against a lifetime of dieting that started when I was six. So I have to find other ways to observe solemn occasions & the like.”
Conclusion
It sounds like religious fasting has been a mixed bag for these people I have featured, and most of it isn’t good.
Next week, we’ll draw conclusions and look at what other options we might have to religious fasting. So stay tuned for Religious Fasting Part 3!
Peace,
Amanda Martinez Beck
I think fasting can be ok for some people, but only if you have a very healthy relationship with food. Growing up catholic, my mom made fasting all about thinness, which was missing the point. Lent wasn’t about sacrifice and getting close to god, it was a weight loss opportunity. I think it’s better to “fast” from other things that might be interfering with your ability to love yourself/others/god. Like every November, I fast from negativity. I try to refrain from complaining, gossip, and judgy comments. It forces me to change my mindset. If I’m thinking “traffic sucks, I’m going to be late” I reframe it to “I’m grateful to have a job, and a safe car to get me there” “omg, why is she wearing that?” Becomes “good for her for wearing what she feels confident in” “ Did you hear…?” Becomes shutting my mouth. I feel like it helps me try to be a better person and address my biases/ judgements/fatphobia than just feeling hungry, which just makes me cranky.