re: Thoughts on fasting

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If you reject the Bible as being the infallible word of God, then that’s the biggest difference between our beliefs, not fasting.

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Sounds like it. Infallible, in particular.

Sacrificing worldly pleasures, that makes sense. Sacrificing (putting at risk) cellular life, the central design in God’s human life, that does not.

And it reinforces my skepticism of the word infallible. I think God creating skepticism is far healthier than fasting.

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How do y'all come off these long fasts?

Like do you gorge on your first meal? Or do you take it easy?

I've never fasted. I like being active and eating protein way too much. But the idea does fascinate me purely from a "do hard things" perspective.

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If you "gorge" you could literally die.

It needs to be small, low/no calorie meals. Bone broth is the most recommended to introduce nutrients back to your system. Then things like a boiled egg, cucumbers, watermelon, avocado, 0 fat greek yogurt.

I ate a 1/2 of a turkey sandwich with just whole wheat bread and meat after my first 72hr fast because I didn't know better. I felt like shite. My insulin spiked hard and I got hot flashes for a few hours.

My second go round I did 1 cup of bone marrow followed by a boiled egg an hour later. Then the next day, 15 hours later, ate a small salad and chicken breast. It wasn't until day 3 that I had what looked like a real meal.

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Sacrificing (putting at risk) cellular life, the central design in God’s human life, that does not.

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Putting aside your position on scripture, I’m not sure this is a workable position.

Losing weight puts “cellular life” at risk—this is not morally wrong.

Exercising damages muscle fibers. This is not morally wrong.

Vaccines cause inflammatory responses. This is not morally wrong.

Even if I steel man your argument and differentiate by saying these things improve the person as a whole, your position still doesn’t hold. Mostly because fasting, if done properly, also is beneficial on the whole.

Fasting improves insulin resistance, improves immune recovery, improves cellular stress responses, increases the brain derived neurotrophic factor.

But aside from the physical benefits, the person is not just a body. Person is also mind and spirit. The spirit is the most important. Why does Jesus say that if your hand causes you to sin, then to cut it off? He’s not promoting self harm, but stressing that your spiritual wellbeing is more important than anything else. Fasting is good spiritual discipline.

That doesn’t mean everyone should be fasting or that we should be fasting indefinitely. A pregnant or nursing woman probably should not be fasting. But it is certainly not morally wrong, as you indicate, to fast.

Speaking to extended fasting (long periods of time, many days) in the name of religion flies in the very face God’s design (as presented in our human anatomy and its physiology).

If so important in God’s eyes, should the text not provide fasting specificity or parameters?

Strictly speaking to health & fitness, great sleep, exercise and intermittent fasting (not extended fasting) are all beneficial. I think it is honoring Him when we live well and take care of our bodies. Yet we are left to interpret parameters. Not all fasting is equal.

Those who go on long extended fasts in the name of religion are detrimentally starving all their physiological systems and organs, are not - mindless irony I just cannot fathom.

If infallible text, universal language and clarity (prescribed snd specific) fasting expectations would leave no debate. Omission leads me to conclude text is not infallible, and many blind followers In the name of… exist and commit. Beware of ungodly omission of parameters for something so important.

I like to fast.

But I do it real slow.

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I've started a 7 day water only fast.

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Why do you lie?

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I do allow my self black tea or coffee in the morning.

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That is awesome!!!

Pro intermittent fasting.

Against treating it as infallible Bible text. If it were, at least some range, specificity or parameters would be provided in Bible, including exceptions (elderly, pregnancy, etc). The zealots are left to chance.

Just this post string illustrates wide range of fasting periods, some well past optimal fasting - past 72 hrs - medical supervision recommended.

Pro good sleep, exercise, hydration, eating well and sunlight. All kinds of ways to Honor God.

Less so on believing Bible text on fasting, without specificity and parameters, is infallible text. God-like would not be so vague.