Gluttony
Everything in moderation.” This is a wise saying that has to do
with, well, everything! Gluttony is the deadly sin that abandons
that idea.
We normally think of gluttony as having to do with food. It is the overindulgence
or excessive consumption of food. It is closely related to greed,
as it is taking far more than what we need, sometimes to the detriment
of others. But the sin of gluttony is not just about food. For instance
drunkenness is the excessive consumption of alcohol, which would be a
form of gluttony.
With obesity rates skyrocketing, it is obvious that gluttony is a serious
problem. Gluttony, though, can extend far beyond just food. We can
be gluttonous with many things: possessions, sex, power, and so much
more.
It has been said that gluttony is a form of idolatry. St. Paul spoke of this
in Philippians 3:19. “Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach;
their glory is their ‘shame.’ Their minds are occupied with earthly
things.” And Proverbs 23:21 warns, “For the drunkard and glutton come
to poverty, and torpor clothes a man in rags.”
Just because one is overweight, it does not mean they have fallen into
the sin of gluttony. Genetics, physical and chemical factors can surely
play a role in that. That’s why we must go deeper. We fall into the sin of
souls. Food (or other things) becomes a substitute for God. Gluttony can
lead to addiction, which is very serious indeed.
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The remedy for gluttony is the virtue of abstinence.
For further study:
CCC 1866
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