Is it sinful to be obese?

[canadyjd]

In another thread, someone commented they were conflicted about churches allowing obese people (along with certain other groups) to join.

Is it sinful to be obese? How do you define which folks are too fat for fellowship? Do we ask folks to take a body mass test to determine their fat percentage of body weight and exclude folks above a certain percentage? What is that percentage? I’ve read that 22% for men and 25% for women is too much fat.

Do we exercise church discipline on these fat people and advise them that unless they get down to a non sinful weight they will be removed from fellowship and treated as an unbeliever?

Peace to you

 

[timf]

There can be several reasons for obesity. Often women who have been sexually abused as children end up overeating as a compensation mechanism. Those who have been bottle fed are up to six time more likely to be obese. Yes, self indulgence can be a contributing factor, one might call it feeding the flesh. However, those who are in the flesh (carnal) may be more in need of instruction than being shunned.

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

 

[Dr. Bob]

Prov 23:21 speaks severely of the GLUTTON, not the obese.
" . . . for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags."

Careful to make a distinction between the glutton and one who is obese. Very often NOT the same.

(caveat: 18-25 is healthy, 25-30 is overweight; 30+ is obese. I am 33.8 on obesity ratio by this scale)

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

In another thread, someone commented they were conflicted about churches allowing obese people (along with certain other groups) to join.

Is it sinful to be obese? How do you define which folks are too fat for fellowship? Do we ask folks to take a body mass test to determine their fat percentage of body weight and exclude folks above a certain percentage? What is that percentage? I’ve read that 22% for men and 25% for women is too much fat.

Do we exercise church discipline on these fat people and advise them that unless they get down to a non sinful weight they will be removed from fellowship and treated as an unbeliever?

Peace to you

Come on now…how absurd

 

[canadyjd]

Prov 23:21 speaks severely of the GLUTTON, not the obese.
" . . . for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags."

Careful to make a distinction between the glutton and one who is obese. Very often NOT the same.

(caveat: 18-25 is healthy, 25-30 is overweight; 30+ is obese. I am 33.8 on obesity ratio by this scale)

Good info. Thanks. Before I lost 70lbs, I was off the chart by 50lbs. Morbid obesity, as my doctor says. Perhaps one day I’ll make the obese level and then plain old overweight.

Peace to you

 

[Scarlett O.]

When I said that, I was responding to the OP who questioned churches letting adulterers in

What I did not express very well was that sin is sin. Overeating, using drugs, porn, and a whole lot more.

Perhaps I should have said gluttons and not obese.

I believe churches should help and minister to all.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Come on now…how absurd

NOTHING ever too absurd for some Baptist churches to exclude from membership.

My wife's college roommate in a Baptist college was a member of a Baptist church. At college, the gal realized she was never truly saved! Repented and called on God for salvation. Everyone was thrilled. Called her mom and it was shared in prayer meeting at home church. Emergency business meeting and VOTED HER OUT of the membership.

 

[Judith]

In another thread, someone commented they were conflicted about churches allowing obese people (along with certain other groups) to join.

Is it sinful to be obese? How do you define which folks are too fat for fellowship? Do we ask folks to take a body mass test to determine their fat percentage of body weight and exclude folks above a certain percentage? What is that percentage? I’ve read that 22% for men and 25% for women is too much fat.

Do we exercise church discipline on these fat people and advise them that unless they get down to a non sinful weight they will be removed from fellowship and treated as an unbeliever?

Peace to you

The bible NEVER deals with the size of a person. Those who point to the passages about being a glutton for weight show their ignorance of the term. A glutton has absolutely nothing to do with size and the bible never relates the word glutton to food or the size of a person.
Look at how the term is used in scripture.

Deut. 21:18-20 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
v.19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
v.20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

The Hebrew word is "zālal" (translated glutton) and it has to do with rebellous living.
זָלַל zâlal, zaw-lal'; a primitive root; to shake (as in the wind), i.e. to quake; figuratively, to be loose morally, worthless or prodigal:—blow down, glutton, riotous, vile.
A glutton is a person that lives only for personal immoral gratification even at the expense of others.

So, no it is not a sin to be what people call overweight. If it was the bible would need to give some kind of chart that describes what it means to be overweight, but it does not. So let us not be Pharisees and pile more on people than the Lord intends by telling them what we feel is excess weight is a sin when the word of God does not say any such thing.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

NOTHING ever too absurd for some Baptist churches to exclude from membership.

My wife's college roommate in a Baptist college was a member of a Baptist church. At college, the gal realized she was never truly saved! Repented and called on God for salvation. Everyone was thrilled. Called her mom and it was shared in prayer meeting at home church. Emergency business meeting and VOTED HER OUT of the membership.

Good riddance would be my response…so different from the PB Pastor I follow, the guy is great!