Ramadan Fasting

[FreeSatania]

What do you think of fasting?

I prefer not to. One of the benefits of atheism is that I don't have to engage in meaningless and possibly harmful rituals.

I think that the argument that ' I believe X therefore Y is meaningless' is devoid of meaning. It's not meaningless to the people who believe in it.

And it's certainly not harmful. One is allowed to not fast if there is any valid medical reason why -- no one is required to go beyond their breaking point. A healthy person or even a person in moderate health can go some days without food and water. Ramadan only requires that the faithful observer go for the daylight hours without either.

I'm not a Muslim but I respect their beliefs, in fact today I ended up eating late because I had dinner with Muslim friends who are observing Ramadan and are leaving for their home country of Syria in a few weeks.

[Hairless Kitten II]

Muslims have their fasting in the daylight.

I'm wondering what Muslims are doing at areas close to the Pole circle where the sun isn't disappearing for months.

Eeesh. I would think that an exception could be made - maybe fasting on Mecca time?

Maybe that could solve the problem. But that would mean that all Muslims worldwide could do.

[Yenke-Bin]

Fasting is a christian discipline, and as so I try to practice it when I can. It's only rewarding when you do it for a reason other than a public show of piousness. It should be about finding your reward in God alone, hence why Jesus said to do it in secret.

[FreeSatania]

Muslims have their fasting in the daylight.

I'm wondering what Muslims are doing at areas close to the Pole circle where the sun isn't disappearing for months.

Eeesh. I would think that an exception could be made - maybe fasting on Mecca time?

8.30 local time.

[Autotelic]

I have fasted for Christian holidays and with my boyfriend for his Catholic traditions (I am of the Friends Church). I think fasting goes better when you meditate on your faith and why you are fasting. It can help one come closer to themselves, God, and their faith.

Would you still fast if you were the only person to do so?
If the answer is no, then how much do you believe in your religion?
If the answer is yes, then how would you know you were fasting?

If I felt compelled to fast, I would do it myself. I have done it myself on non-holidays because I felt the need and wish to reflect on God. It's a personal choice to fast and I feel more fulfilled when I do it on my own. My relationship with God is very personal and I don't often get too public with it....

[Hairless Kitten II]

What do you think of fasting?

Every dietitian can tell you that it will not work. It's better to eat enough (and not more) healthy food around the year.

[O5vx]

I remenber when we first gote to canada. I would go to school and when they go for lunch my Friends did not understand what i was doing and i explain it to them. They all sead they could not do it, so my point is that it takes detamination to god to do it.There are some people who fast and only take water at the braken time.

[Yenke-Bin]

What do you think of fasting?

Every dietitian can tell you that it will not work. It's better to eat enough (and not more) healthy food around the year.

if you fast to lose weigh, then you are silly. Fasting is not a diet plan. Its denying one's own desires, and seeking spiritual guidance to get through the trial. Its a way to build a connection with one's higher power.

[Cameroi]

Baha'is also fast for 19 days each year.
it's about being mindful, not taking things for granted,
and it really does increase a sense of spiritness
and connectedness.

this doesn't mean not eating anything at all for this period
and there ARE major exemptions
for that matter, it's entirely voluntary anyway.

it's only from sunup to sunset that we neither eat nor drink.
after sunset and before sunrise modest amounts are consumed.

anyone experiencing arduous health or other physical conditions
are advised not to participate physically in the fasting,
but can still join in the special prayers that go with it.

i don't KNOW how it is done in islam,
but i would imagine it is mostly similar.

or for that matter what catholics do during lent,
which i think is more like the jewish passover,
where it's only a matter of not eating certain foods.

[O5vx]

Almost like ramadan.

[Milks Empire]

or for that matter what catholics do during lent

We pick something to give up for Lent - not necessarily a food (for example, some Catholics give up smoking) - and don't eat meat on Fridays.

which i think is more like the jewish passover

I'll have to ask about that in more detail, but the big thing is leavened bread.

[The Black Forrest]

Meh.

It at least tells me when Ramadan is going on. The Muslims I know tend to get bitchy and or whiny during that time.

[Hairless Kitten II]

What do you think of fasting?

Every dietitian can tell you that it will not work. It's better to eat enough (and not more) healthy food around the year.

if you fast to lose weigh, then you are silly. Fasting is not a diet plan. Its denying one's own desires, and seeking spiritual guidance to get through the trial. Its a way to build a connection with one's higher power.

Uhm. Let us install pot week. Works better.

[South Lorenya]

I see no point in fasting.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my stomach demands food.

[Call to power]

I wouldn't do it myself because then I'd have to have a huge feast at night which is effort

but I wouldn't say no to being invited to someone else's feast

I tend toward the opposite idea. Getting together with good friends and family, enjoying a shared meal and good company seems closer to God in my mind than magic crackers or even no food at all.

having a huge family squabble is what God is all about?

[Shahinesian States]

As an avid Egyptian/Albanian Muslim, I believe that Fasting is a way from Allah to teach us about being compassionate, and learning to appreciate what we have here on Earth that the less fortunate may not have. Plus, after a few times, it's not that hard.

laa ilāha illa Allāh, wa Muḥammad rasūl Allāh

[Shahinesian States]

What do you think of fasting?

Every dietitian can tell you that it will not work. It's better to eat enough (and not more) healthy food around the year.

It has nothing to do with diets, incompetent one. "RAMADAN Fasting" is the name of this thread. It's about religion, not weight loss.

[Call to power]

As an avid Egyptian/Albanian Muslim, I believe that Fasting is a way from Allah to teach us about being compassionate, and learning to appreciate what we have here on Earth that the less fortunate may not have.

wait so instead of say spending a day helping out at a homeless shelter your going to learn how the poorest suffer by not eating for a few hours

[Cybach]

Fucking pointless for me. I go every second day to the gym, I run a lot and do a lot of weights since fitness is one of my favorite hobbies. The result is a I have a nice proportion of my body weight as muscle. Fasting would eradicate the work of years. Not to mention from a health perspective it would be dangerous for me;

Since if I continue exercising with my regular intensity and don't intake a sufficiently nutritious and calorie heavy diet, according to the doctor I risk;

1) Severe muscle atrophy
2) Becoming too thin, worst case resembling an anorexic condition. I already have very little body fat.
2b) I risk kidney/liver damage from the shock of changing from a 3,000 calorie a day diet to a fasting diet from one day to the next.


Couple this with me possessing an above average metabolism [Which I inherited from my mothers side], which is why I require more food than average for the same amount of energy. Also with my inherited condition of an extremely low blood pressure, where I risk falling unconscious if my blood sugar gets too low (This is particularly a danger in the morning, if I skip breakfast, I risk getting severely dizzy and/or losing consciousness temporarily around noon/afternoon).

[Call to power]

Fucking pointless for me. I go every second day to the gym, I run a lot and do a lot of weights since fitness is one of my favorite hobbies. The result is a I have a nice proportion of my body weight as muscle. Fasting would eradicate the work of years. Not to mention from a health perspective it would be dangerous for me;

and yet you have religious Muslims with muscle hmmmmmm

[Cybach]

Fucking pointless for me. I go every second day to the gym, I run a lot and do a lot of weights since fitness is one of my favorite hobbies. The result is a I have a nice proportion of my body weight as muscle. Fasting would eradicate the work of years. Not to mention from a health perspective it would be dangerous for me;

and yet you have religious Muslims with muscle hmmmmmm

Not all muslims practice the fasting. I am sure many muslim athletes don't. Also it's merely hurting your own cause and inflicting undue stress on your body, and putting yourself at a disadvantage.

[Nodinia]

What do you think of fasting?

I'd only do it for political status.

[Albania2323232]

Dudes who do this are crazy,they don't even drink while fasting

[Blouman Empire]

I prefer not to. One of the benefits of atheism is that I don't have to engage in meaningless and possibly harmful rituals.

Got to laugh at this, because despite the title the question in the OP has nothing to do with religion.

Also it isn't really a benefit as you can be a member of a religion without having to engage in all of the rituals.

[Dostanuot Loj]

Fucking pointless for me. I go every second day to the gym, I run a lot and do a lot of weights since fitness is one of my favorite hobbies. The result is a I have a nice proportion of my body weight as muscle. Fasting would eradicate the work of years. Not to mention from a health perspective it would be dangerous for me;

and yet you have religious Muslims with muscle hmmmmmm

Not all muslims practice the fasting. I am sure many muslim athletes don't. Also it's merely hurting your own cause and inflicting undue stress on your body, and putting yourself at a disadvantage.

No, a lot do.

Since during Ramadan Muslims, you know, party out every night with heaps of food. And in the end all that matters, unless you have a medical condition, is that you get the calories. Muslims don't forsake food for the entirety of Ramadan, it's more like they have a high-energy breakfast, skip lunch, and party down at dinner, every night.

A close friend of mine growing up is a Muslim, and her and her mother used to donate the food they'd eat during the day to food banks, and help out. A few years ago her and her husband did some work for habitat for humanity during Ramadan too.