Is fasting something that is done in other churches?

Is there a medical opinion on fasting? Could it be unhealthy?

One of the principle effects of fasting is hunger. And the longer one fasts, the greater the hunger increases!

When I was getting ready to go on my mission, I had to have a physical exam. I forget why, but I'd been fasting when I peed in the bottle. I called later to come in to do the pee thing again. I was told that when you're fasting, the body takes the opportunity to 'clean itself out', so that my urine was loaded with a lot of stuff that wouldn't normally be there. I have no idea if this is true, or if there was some kind of weird market for Lamanite urine... Who knows?

I could look it up, but hopefully one of the medical staff here will 'splain it!

Catholics fast on certain days, but it involves eating less or restricting what you eat and is less restrictive than Mormon
fasts. You dont eat meat on Fridays during Lent which includes Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. You can have one regular meal and the other two meals should be no bigger than one regular meal. Snacking is out. It doesnt apply to children, the sick and older people.I know other churches fast at times but am not sure of the specific rules. Jews also fast . Perhaps Tevai or Amy Jo could address this. Muslims fast during daylight hours during Ramadan,but can eat after sunset. This doesnt apply to small children, the sick or old or pregnant women as far as I know.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2017 09:40AM by summer.

with Mormonism.

The concept of fasting has been around for a very long time.

Among Jews:

Depending on a Jew's tradition (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrachi, Ethiopian, etc.)...

...and an individual Jew's chosen level of observance: ultra-Orthodox...Orthodox...Conservative...Reconstructionist...Reform...Jewish Renewal...Secular Jewish Humanist (etc.)...

...in general, there are five (or six! ;) ) fast days in each Jewish year (of which, Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av would probably be considered the "most important" by everyone; if a normally non-fasting Jew decided to fast, it would probably be on one of these two days).

Very religious Jews, if they choose to, fast more than is required of Jews in general (defined as: those who fast only on Yom Kippur, for example). Some very religious/observant Jews fast one day out of every week year 'round (or so I am told--I've never actually known anyone who did this).

When it comes to fasting, and who actually fasts, "Jews" means:

1) The Jew is, at minimum, of Bar or Bat Mitzvah age (usually: twelve for girls and thirteen for boys). No children who are below these two ages are expected to, or would probably be permitted to, fast.

2) The Jew is NOT pregnant or nursing. (The health of the mother and of the child takes priority over everything else.)

3) The Jew is NOT: in pain, or feels weak, or is sick, or has a disease or disorder which could be made worse by fasting (blood sugar problems/diabetes, as one example), or is not in the process of recovering from some injury or medical procedure where fasting would not be advisable. (This exemption re: fasting would also apply to most elderly Jews as well, simply on the basis of their age, unless an individual Jew would individually insist on fasting for whatever reason they might have.)

Many Jews do not fast at all.

Those who do, are usually at least somewhat observant (they are "High Holy Day" Jews, for example)...or (alternatively) they are in mourning because of the recent death of someone close to them.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2017 10:29PM by Tevai.

In some Native American cultures, people would fast, in order to evoke hallucinations.

Some rites of passage for adolescents involve fasting, but it's true that only Mormons force small children and pregnant women to fast.

As a child, I looked at it as torture, to force us into submission to the evil church. I would be too weak and ill to care about anything much, let alone feel "the spirit."

Everyone fasts from dinnertime, overnight, to breakfast time, about 12 hours later. Hence the word, "breakfast." Mormons don't own the idea of fasting.

The Orthodox (Christians) have very strict fasts during Lent.
Muslims fast during Rhamadan. (sp?)

For Christians and Jews, fasting is very Biblical/scriptural



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2017 05:08AM by angela.

Growing up Catholic, we had "no meat" Fridays, but for whatever reason, fish passed muster. I didn't feel like a sacrifice, and was in fact rather a pleasant custom. I still often enjoy a seafood meal on Fridays. I think nowadays the custom is just relegated to Lent and perhaps a few holy days.

Apart from that, I remember not being supposed to eat before you were planning on taking communion. But you didn't have to take communion every week, and you could go to an early Mass if you wished. I think my family took communion perhaps once a month or so. I also don't remember it being a big deal if you slipped up and ate breakfast.

Nowadays I don't believe in religious fasting, or any fasting at all unless directed by one's physician for medical purposes.

Fun fact: Nazi Germany used to have fast Sundays.

> The German version of Fast Sunday is incredibly similar to that of the LDS Church. The fast is implemented on the first Sunday of the month and asks those that can afford it to forgo two meals in order to collect funds to feed the needy in the country. The idea behind this special fast was to build unity and alleviate the the suffering of those within Germany.

Source: http://www.mormonthink.com/glossary/hitler.htm

Fasting isn't just a Mormon thing, as some Christians such as Catholics have been known to fast on occasion, such as during Lent. The fast at Lent is not really that extreme since it just means eating fish on Fridays. Before Vatican 2, Catholics would eat fish every Friday, not just during Lent, so things have lightened up there.

Other non-Christian religions also have times where believers fast, and yes, I don't consider Mormonism to be Christian which is why I lump it in with the other religions.

adoylelb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fasting isn't just a Mormon thing, as some
> Christians such as Catholics have been known to
> fast on occasion, such as during Lent. The fast at
> Lent is not really that extreme since it just
> means eating fish on Fridays. Before Vatican 2,
> Catholics would eat fish every Friday, not just
> during Lent, so things have lightened up there.
>
> Other non-Christian religions also have times
> where believers fast, and yes, I don't consider
> Mormonism to be Christian which is why I lump it
> in with the other religions.

Catholics only fast on Ash Wedsday and Good Friday. The abstaining from meat is during Fridays in Lent.

So there are days of fasting, and days of abstaining, with Good Friday and Ash wednesday being both

I don't know. But I slow sometimes

"But neither fast nor slow; instead moderate..."

Yes, people in other churches fast. Some churches declare a specific fast in January---it is not required, and it may be a partial fast---one meal a day, some specific food, watching TV, etc. Usually the purpose is to use that time to pray and also to discipline the flesh so the spirit can be heard better, so to speak. Many individuals choose to fast in order to concentrate on connecting with God, for anywhere from a meal to several days to 40 days---again, it may be a partial or a complete fast.

Muslims fast during the day, (and then eat after sundown) for the whole month of Ramadan.

Some people recommend periodic fasting as being healthy--not related to religion or church.

Catholics observe a partial fast during the 40 days before Easter, and also some will during the 40 days before Christmas. When I was a kid, Catholics fasted meat except for fish every Friday. I think that changed with Vatican II.

Yes, that changed.

Yes, other religions fast.

Fasting is a way of weakening religious followers in body/mind so they're more receptive to believing bullshit and obeying stupid 'commands.'

Hence its popularity in religions through the ages.

Well, all my Jewish friends, Conservative and Reform, fast on Yom Kippur. But come to think of it, I've never heard any of my Christian friends say they are fasting, maybe only abstaining from certain foods on Friday or Lent or some other reason.

But mormon "truth" is based on feelings, not facts. You are more in tune with your body in a state of hunger and probably less likely to be wanting to do any intellectual analysis. So the push on mormons to fast so often--tune yourself into your feelings and get out of your head. Then all they have to do is call it tuning into the spirit and voila, "isn't it marvelous, isn't it wunerful."

Good Question for a MD and/or health food specialist - dietician...