The Daniel Fast

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Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    If you're going to call it the Daniel Fast you might also want to skip the shellfish and pork.

    ^^^ I freaking love you!

    :drinker:
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    edited January 2015
    EWJLang wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    EWJLang wrote: »
    Does your denomination not observe Lent? I can't imagine fasting NOW when fasting season starts up in just a few weeks....

    Most denominations don't. In fact, I think it may be an almost exclusively Catholic practice.

    I did a double take and looked at my local ecumenical calendar. Just about every denomination in my area is quite active in talking about Lent...Catholics, yes, but also the other major Churches here...mostly UCC, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and United Methodist. I'm racking my brain to think of a local church that DOESNT observe Lent.

    I know there are some denominations that are pretty populous in other parts of the US that really are not seen much around here, though, so perhaps that's it.

    There are a handful of protestant denominations that observe Lent.

    I've been to dozens of churches in my life, and am currently a member of a non-denominational church, and almost none of them observe it. Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians and Anglicans are I believe the bigger protestant denominations that still observe it; the denominations that retained more of their catholic roots.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    There are a handful of protestant denominations that observe Lent.

    More than that. I think it's mainly along the mainline vs. evangelical/fundamentalist (or whatever you want to call it) divide.
  • tempehforever
    tempehforever Posts: 183 Member
    Personally I find it problematic that someone takes advantage people's Christian beliefs to sell a diet book. It doesn't really jive with my understanding of the religion/what Jesus would be cool with.

    Religious fast for spiritual purposes? Sure. But you don't need a catchy brand name to do that.

    Weight loss? You can just track your calories on here without having to support weird Christian marketing gimmicks.
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    There are a handful of protestant denominations that observe Lent.

    More than that. I think it's mainly along the mainline vs. evangelical/fundamentalist (or whatever you want to call it) divide.

    Suppose that depends on how you define "handful".
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Personally I find it problematic that someone takes advantage people's Christian beliefs to sell a diet book. It doesn't really jive with my understanding of the religion/what Jesus would be cool with.

    Religious fast for spiritual purposes? Sure. But you don't need a catchy brand name to do that.

    Weight loss? You can just track your calories on here without having to support weird Christian marketing gimmicks.

    What in the world does this have to do with the Daniel fast? It's a practice based off one of the older books of the bible. It's not a "diet book".
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    edited January 2015
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    There are a handful of protestant denominations that observe Lent.

    More than that. I think it's mainly along the mainline vs. evangelical/fundamentalist (or whatever you want to call it) divide.

    Suppose that depends on how you define "handful".

    And, where you live. We do not have a Baptist church in town, I think the nearest one is about half an hour a way, as is the nearest LDS ward and UU community. There is an AME church in the nearest city as well. We do not have any of the "non denominational" evangelical style mega churches around here, either. We have several Catholic parishes, several types of Synagogue (we have a Reform Congregation and an Orthodox community in just my town, many more in the next over), and at least one congregation of most mainline Protestant denominations, two for the Episcopal and UCC churches.

    I know that the prevalence of these denominations flips in other parts of the country. You should have heard the confusion when a southern friend and I tried to make sense of "Church of Christ..." which up here almost always means UCC, a very old liberal denomination...down south? not so much, LOL.

    ANYWAY, back to the topic. What's the purpose of the Daniel fast? I think because we're on MFP, people who don't know about it were assuming it's supposed to be some kind of diet, promoted through churches. (much like Dave Ramsey sells his financial stuff through some churches, I suppose) So, if it's not supposed to be a health-related initiative Is it supposed to be a penitential fast? Sacrificial for almsgiving? Those are usually the concepts Lent-observing churches discuss for that fast, so it makes sense to me in that sense.

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited January 2015
    Personally I find it problematic that someone takes advantage people's Christian beliefs to sell a diet book. It doesn't really jive with my understanding of the religion/what Jesus would be cool with.

    Religious fast for spiritual purposes? Sure. But you don't need a catchy brand name to do that.

    Weight loss? You can just track your calories on here without having to support weird Christian marketing gimmicks.

    What in the world does this have to do with the Daniel fast? It's a practice based off one of the older books of the bible. It's not a "diet book".

    You sure?

    daniel-fast-towns2.jpg
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Personally I find it problematic that someone takes advantage people's Christian beliefs to sell a diet book. It doesn't really jive with my understanding of the religion/what Jesus would be cool with.

    Religious fast for spiritual purposes? Sure. But you don't need a catchy brand name to do that.

    Weight loss? You can just track your calories on here without having to support weird Christian marketing gimmicks.

    What in the world does this have to do with the Daniel fast? It's a practice based off one of the older books of the bible. It's not a "diet book".

    You sure?

    daniel-fast-towns2.jpg


    Yes, I'm quite sure. Since churches have been doing the Daniel Fast for eons and that was just released in 2010.

    The person I quoted suggested that it's practice roots in a "marketing gimmick" used to "sell a diet book". Which is preposterous considering that it's a religious practice that is done in most places without any "diet book" being sold.

    It's like suggesting that Christians, Jews and Muslims only water fast to "sell diet books" just because there exists books for sell on water fasting.
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  • LifeChangingAmy
    LifeChangingAmy Posts: 22 Member
    The Daniel Fast is a fast that Daniel did in the Bible. My entire church is doing this fast in conjunction with 21 days of prayer. I was only asking for others to share their experiences while doing this. I am really kind of wishing I hadn't said anything about it at all.

    I am getting ready to do it with my church as well. Thank you for posting.
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