clefty
Phoron
..."so that your fasting will not be obvious to men." Matt 6:16-17
A gift to mankind are His "rules to life"...
And so:
"According to the Orthodox Christian Patristic Tradition, the goal of OF is not a victory over the body (Greek: σωματοκτόνος), but a victory over the passions (Greek: παθοκτόνος) (1); what is important is not a healthy body, but a sanctified body. Regarding the consumption of meat, the principal reason for its exclusion from the OF diet is related to the spiritual achievements of fasting (as gaining mastery over oneself and conquering the passions of the flesh) (1) and, more specifically, with the curbing of erotic desires of the flesh. The real reason is clearly described in The Rudder (Pedalion) (Greek: Πηδάλιον), a collection of texts of the Orthodox Canon law, first printed and published 1800 AD. In particular, the first footnote of the 51st Apostolic canon of The Rudder reports that “eating meat, the most fatty food among all foods, is opposed to the purpose of monasticism, which is wisdom and virginity, by tickling the flesh and raising a war of wanton appetites and desires against the soul” (Greek fragment: “Ἡ δὲ τοῦ κρὲατος βρῶσις λυπαρωτάτη οὖσα ἀπό ὅλα τά φαγητά, ἑπομένως ἐναντιώνεται εἰς τόν σωφροσύνην καί παρθενίαν, ταὐτόν εἰπεῖν, ἐναντιώνεται εἰς τόν σκοπόν καί τό τέλος αὐτό, μέ τό νά γαργαλίζῃ τήν σάρκα, καί νά ἀσηκώνῃ πόλεμον ἀτόπων ὀρέξεων καί ἐπιθυμιῶν κατά τῆς ψυχῆς”) (4). Although this footnote describes just one of the three reasons for monks’ compulsory abstinence from eating meat (the other two being the ancient tradition of the Orthodox Church and the challenge of scandal), meat is recognized as the fattiest of all foods activating human passions, namely the passion of prostitution characterized by any act of sexual instinct, whose main and sole purpose is pleasure (pathological use of sexuality or sexual instinct or libido). Thus, meat consumption during OF would be an obstacle to the body’s self-control, abstinence from passionate desires and pleasures, humility of the flesh and curbing of inborn sexual appetite; in other words, it would be contrary to the purposes of OF, not only for monks but every Orthodox Christian. Through fasting, Orthodox Christians also avoid the danger of abdominal “deification” (see Philippians 3:19) and therefore, protect their body from passions of the flesh, aroused mainly by gluttony and resulting in overeating (polyphagia or hyperphagia). In fact, in the Holy Bible and Orthodox Christian Patristic Tradition, polyphagia is not only the “mother” of prostitution or “the door of passions” (5) but moreover weakens human will, thus reducing resistance to every kind of pleasure and corruption. According to Saint Basil the Great, “the enjoyment of abundant and fatty food creates fumes in the soul, which like a dense cloud of smoke hamper the mind from seeing the flashes of the Holy Spirit” (6) and “if you want to strengthen your mind, you need to tame your flesh with fasting” (7). Meanwhile, many other Christian Churches and Religions similarly warn against (excessive) meat consumption, among them the following. In the Roman Catholic Church, the current rules for fasting and abstinence, described in the Code of Canon Law (8), prescribe abstaining from meat on Fridays and throughout Lent. Anglican formularies have generally required abstinence from meat on Fridays (9). In Judaism, animals considered tahor (kosher, meaning clean) may be consumed if prepared properly; those considered tame (non-kosher, or unclean) may not be consumed under any circumstance (10, 11). The Quran defines for Muslims what is halal (lawful) and what is haram (prohibited) food and meat (11, 12). Eastern religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, generally agree in their support of non-violence and a meatless lifestyle, i.e. vegetarianism (11)." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6362887/
No surprise that our Creator would have His Own opinion about diet...
Paul too...
"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17
A gift to mankind are His "rules to life"...
And so:
"According to the Orthodox Christian Patristic Tradition, the goal of OF is not a victory over the body (Greek: σωματοκτόνος), but a victory over the passions (Greek: παθοκτόνος) (1); what is important is not a healthy body, but a sanctified body. Regarding the consumption of meat, the principal reason for its exclusion from the OF diet is related to the spiritual achievements of fasting (as gaining mastery over oneself and conquering the passions of the flesh) (1) and, more specifically, with the curbing of erotic desires of the flesh. The real reason is clearly described in The Rudder (Pedalion) (Greek: Πηδάλιον), a collection of texts of the Orthodox Canon law, first printed and published 1800 AD. In particular, the first footnote of the 51st Apostolic canon of The Rudder reports that “eating meat, the most fatty food among all foods, is opposed to the purpose of monasticism, which is wisdom and virginity, by tickling the flesh and raising a war of wanton appetites and desires against the soul” (Greek fragment: “Ἡ δὲ τοῦ κρὲατος βρῶσις λυπαρωτάτη οὖσα ἀπό ὅλα τά φαγητά, ἑπομένως ἐναντιώνεται εἰς τόν σωφροσύνην καί παρθενίαν, ταὐτόν εἰπεῖν, ἐναντιώνεται εἰς τόν σκοπόν καί τό τέλος αὐτό, μέ τό νά γαργαλίζῃ τήν σάρκα, καί νά ἀσηκώνῃ πόλεμον ἀτόπων ὀρέξεων καί ἐπιθυμιῶν κατά τῆς ψυχῆς”) (4). Although this footnote describes just one of the three reasons for monks’ compulsory abstinence from eating meat (the other two being the ancient tradition of the Orthodox Church and the challenge of scandal), meat is recognized as the fattiest of all foods activating human passions, namely the passion of prostitution characterized by any act of sexual instinct, whose main and sole purpose is pleasure (pathological use of sexuality or sexual instinct or libido). Thus, meat consumption during OF would be an obstacle to the body’s self-control, abstinence from passionate desires and pleasures, humility of the flesh and curbing of inborn sexual appetite; in other words, it would be contrary to the purposes of OF, not only for monks but every Orthodox Christian. Through fasting, Orthodox Christians also avoid the danger of abdominal “deification” (see Philippians 3:19) and therefore, protect their body from passions of the flesh, aroused mainly by gluttony and resulting in overeating (polyphagia or hyperphagia). In fact, in the Holy Bible and Orthodox Christian Patristic Tradition, polyphagia is not only the “mother” of prostitution or “the door of passions” (5) but moreover weakens human will, thus reducing resistance to every kind of pleasure and corruption. According to Saint Basil the Great, “the enjoyment of abundant and fatty food creates fumes in the soul, which like a dense cloud of smoke hamper the mind from seeing the flashes of the Holy Spirit” (6) and “if you want to strengthen your mind, you need to tame your flesh with fasting” (7). Meanwhile, many other Christian Churches and Religions similarly warn against (excessive) meat consumption, among them the following. In the Roman Catholic Church, the current rules for fasting and abstinence, described in the Code of Canon Law (8), prescribe abstaining from meat on Fridays and throughout Lent. Anglican formularies have generally required abstinence from meat on Fridays (9). In Judaism, animals considered tahor (kosher, meaning clean) may be consumed if prepared properly; those considered tame (non-kosher, or unclean) may not be consumed under any circumstance (10, 11). The Quran defines for Muslims what is halal (lawful) and what is haram (prohibited) food and meat (11, 12). Eastern religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, generally agree in their support of non-violence and a meatless lifestyle, i.e. vegetarianism (11)." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6362887/
No surprise that our Creator would have His Own opinion about diet...
Paul too...
"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17