to admire religious fasting for its discipline and commitment?

[catchingup1]

I’ve been thinking about this lately, especially with Ramadan just gone and the dry fasting of 24 hours by Jews and Mormons.

I can't help feeling impressed. Not in a gushy way, just genuinely. Going without food and water for long periods, while still getting on with normal life, work, family etc takes a level of willpower and discipline that I don’t think most people have.

It’s not even just the physical side. It’s the restraint, the routine, the intention behind it. The fact that people are doing it for something bigger than themselves, not just for a diet or health trend.

It's not just people who’ve grown up with it. There are converts every year across different religions who are doing these fasts for the first time as adults. They haven’t had years to “get used to it” and are choosing to take it on anyway. It’s a conscious decision, not just habit.

Even for people who have done it since childhood, plenty still find it challenging every year. It’s not like it becomes effortless, they’re still choosing to stick to it day after day.

Then you read so much now about people struggling with “food noise”, constantly thinking about what to eat next, cravings, snacking, not being able to switch off from it. So the idea of deliberately stepping away from all of that, even for a set period and managing your impulses like that. It does make me respect it.

I’m not saying it makes anyone better than anyone else, just that I admire the self control, discipline and commitment involved.

I came across this about the benefits of dry fasting:

www.bcm.edu/news/dawn-to-dusk-dry-fasting-leads-to-health-benefits-in-the-study-of-immune-cells

Self denial is part of many religions. All this chat about Ramadan and most seem to have forgotten we are also in Lent.

Also, how many people are aware that, traditionally, advent was also a time to fast prior to the feast of Christmas?

Im afraid my will power is rubbish and I admire anyone who can focus on their faith in this way.

No I dont admire it for religious reasons, as I think that most religions have some element to them which encourages a degree of self harm and practices which are not in line with what humans need or how they function, lots of denial above and beyond which is actually good for people in the name of 'something'. I dont think that is emotionally, psychologically or physically healthy

I also dont admire it for 'health' reasons as I think that its again just a form of restriction and self harm dressed up as 'healthy' and the new thing building on an old thing (as fasting has been born out of religion over thousands of years)

None of these things are normal and not to be encouraged or admired.

Good reminder about Lent. My Christian friend gave up Facebook for Lent.

I mean we all fast overnight, so what. Yes we aren't using any energy to require calories but the point is we eat and drink sufficient during the day to support organ function etc therefore it works the other way, consume enough before dawn and at dusk and all is fine.

I work with lots of people from various countries. We have three that fast for Ramadan. One in particular is useless in fasting time. He forgets everything makes many mistakes and generally angry all the time. Each year it's the same.

Good luck to people who want to do it but the no water thing is not for me.

There are always people like that absolutely tbut then there are surgeons who are fasting and it does not affect their performance.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26150227/

Great username!

I definitely couldn't dry fast as I would get a UTI almost immediately. I was wondering about this though as I work in benefits and quite a few people didn't turn up for appointments because they were fasting. Presumably people in work still go to work.

Of all the things in the world to be impressed by, someone choosing not to eat during the day for a set period of time, isn't one of them.

Some orthodox Christians still fast for advent.

Catholics don't fast for advent but I found out when the DS1 was doing choir that we can only sing some Christmas carols during advent and some have to be saved for after Christmas.

I only learned a few years ago that it’s dry fasting. I had always assumed that water was allowed as going a lot of the day without water just seems unhealthy.

I knew someone who was getting a house built in Morocco and the builders in the hot sun weren’t drinking any water. Seems so dangerous to me.

I do think foregoing things can be beneficial in not being gluttonous, practicing discipline and also so we appreciate what we have. I’m not big on religion though so can’t say I admire that aspect.
There are lots of things in life that require focus and discipline like training for a marathon. That has my admiration more.

Dry fasting is not unhealthy. I posted a link in my OP and then several further links that show beneficial effects.

"We were invited to fast during Ramadan to experience what others as part of an inclusivity thing at work."

What?

Yes I didn’t get that either.

How do you ‘invite’ employees to deny their own bodies food and drink?

All I remember about Ramadan is being in Dubai during it, on our way to Europe (crap travel agent so don't use them anymore....).

We saw several people - mostly women - collapse in the street from dehydration (it was HOT) and our evening event the driver busted out food while driving down the highway as the call came out on the radio to end fasting for the day.

It's a no from me. Where I live can get very hot & people get heatstroke. The constant reminder is to drink water.

Yes I’ve got some colleagues who fast for Ramadan and are quick to anger and forgetful while doing so. It impacts negatively on me and others. Others who seem ok on it, and don’t often talk about it. Others who bang on about for the whole month. My colleague’s husband got gout, put on weight, and his diabetes worsened over Ramadan. I’m not convinced, especially when it is over the UK summer, considering that in the Middle East the sun sets much earlier than here.

Must be great to be a shift worker if you fast, surely just request nights for the whole of the 'fasting' period.

Then they are doing it wrong. It is about self control not just of food, drink but patience and controlling any negative behaviours.

I have worked with many people who were fasting and I forgot they were fasting as they continued their work as normal and seemed no different to when they were not fasting.

I found it extremely psychologically beneficial when training for a particular ultra endurance sport. It made me far more self disciplined and resilient and made me realise how far I could push myself, which was a lot further than my brain was telling me at times. Dry fasting is clearly unadvisable.

I personally find it weird to be asked to admire something like that. If you don't believe, it just seems a bit peculiar to dehydrate yourself and want plaudits for it, especially from people who don't share the faith.

Are you Muslim OP?

If not I find the idea of you telling Muslims ‘they’re doing it wrong’ quite amusing.

No one is asking you to admire anything. The people who are fasting are not asking for plaudits.

Muslims have told me themselves that it is doing it wrong to be impatient, complaining etc. It also is obvious that it would be doing it wrong not to show self restraint in a number of ways.

Why is dry fasting inadvisable? I have posted numerous links where the research shows positive effects.