Do You Believe Gluttony Is a Sin? Or Has It Become The American Way, and No Big Deal?

The more I reflect on fat, the more I wonder whether I have been missing the morality boat on gluttony. It used to be that we were taught:  Gluttony is a Sin.  But now, it seems that overindulgence is considered to be either a right, or a disease process.  We feel entitled to eat as much of whatever we like, whenever we like, either because we believe we are entitled to, or because obesity puts us in a protected class of suffering ill individuals. The thing is, I believe this attitude extends to the whole wide gamut of western (especially north American) overconsumption: material gluttony.  We are entitled, as Americans and Canadians, to a certain material lifestyle, without much consideration for the impact on our household economy (debt), or our environment. We need to have the newest computers, the latest fashions, the hottest styles of whatever ... And I really don't believe for a minute that this applies only to the middle and upper social/economic classes. Because I have students receiving free lunches who nonetheless own cell phones and MP3 players -- and feel no conflict there.
So ... what do you think?  Is gluttony now the way of our American culture?  Is it or is it not a sin?  Was it EVER a sin?  Should we be looking at ourselves this way? Let me put it to you another way ... have you ever stolen or lied in order to eat food that you did not need to survive? 

It almost appears like the the US is playing "follow the leader" in regards to most aspects of life. If a friend gets a new home, one of their friend gets a larger new home. You get a new car, someone else gets a fancier car. One restuarant has a burger, then the next one has a "supersized" one.  We used to get photos printed in a couple of days, then one hours, now at home in seconds. The world seems to want it NOW, whatever it is.   Yes, some of the world will spend money on electronics, but struggle to pay their utility bills. My wife works in the education field. Years ago, she had students come to the class where she worked with shoes that were barely able to stay on their feet--the shoes were flat worn out. My wife felt sorry for them, figuring the family couldn't afford the shoes. She bought the kids some new inexpensive shoes at a local thrift store. She brought the shoes to the home. She gave the kids the shoes, and made only one comment to the mom. It was " seems funny you have enough money to feed the three horses in that corral, but lack the money to keep shoes on your kids".  Prioirities are not always put in proper order, now are they? DAVE

So, do you think there is a connection to our sense that we should get whatever we want now MATERIALLY, to our former sense that we should EAT whatever we wanted NOW?

Sure. That's why there's a Starbucks and a McDonalds on several streets in every town. People want too much instantly, and they don't want to work very hard to get it. That's why some of these food and beverage stores have som many stores--you can get what you want very easy.  And that's also why there are so many obese people. Even the coffee shops--the least sold item is plain coffee. It's the fancy muffins or the designer flavored coffees that pay their overhead.  99% of what Starbucks sells is not dietetic. DAVE 

When you are done being so judgemental of others, feel free to step down off your soapbox and take it with you! This post is niether insightful nor informative and it is certainly not supportive.  Instead, it is judgemental and trite and little more that parroting of mindless liberal banter aimed at making us feel guilty as Americans or Canadians.  Sorry, but that doesn't play out here.  If you want to preach to others, try donning a black robe.

Hear, hear....except for that part about LIBERAL!  I took it as a right-wing conservative hate post for sinners!  Yanno, fatties?

Speaking as a mindless liberal...please remember that we NEVER blame ourselves. Thank you, Sue

I do not agree with you. I thought it was a very good question and insightful. Christine

Thank you Christine!  I'd like to read more of your thinking on this.

Actually, I really do look good in black ... it's slenderizing, and all of my shades of black match each other, so it's easy to get dressed in the morning (see icon, to the left). I don't see this as an issue of us judging OTHERS so much as I see it as a matter of us judging ourselves and our own behavior against changing social norms, and cultural and religious values.