dells_of_bittersweet Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Is it considered the sin of gluttony to be a professional eater? As in entering a hot dog eating contest with the intention of winning a large enough purse to cover your living expenses. I think it is a sin, just interested to see other people's opinions here. Edited May 30, 2012 by dells_of_bittersweet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubertus Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 That's an interesting question.. Does a sin become not a sin if you're getting paid for it? I wouldn't think so. And I wonder also about the restaurants that offer free (if you can eat it all) 72 oz. steaks. That's gotta be gluttony there, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I don't actually know anyone who does this as a profession. I have seen people participate in the contests, but I have never seen anyone make a living on this. Have you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innocent Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 My hasty and not very well thought out opinion is that if you managed to perform these feats with perfect interior detachment from the enjoyment of eating, and supplemented this with regular ascetic exercises of fasting and vigils to ensure that your heart doesn't cultivate a disordered love for the pleasures of the palate, it wouldn't be a sin. Do you think I got something right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groo the Wanderer Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 mebbe not if you rowlf it all up after ye win. save the biggest chunks for dinner though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 This is actually a very interesting question. I've never really thought about professional eaters before. To be one, a person would probably have to like food very much I do agree with what Innocent says - but I think such a thing would be difficult to pull off. Doing too much (or even a lot) of something can create disorder. I imagine such a career could create some kind of disorder very quickly if a person is not careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmotherofpirl Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Getting paid to eat is not sinful, but I would be seriously concerned about your long term health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIKolbe Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 this thread is about me, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tab'le De'Bah-Rye Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 you don't eat,than you won't POOP!!!,if you don't POOP!!! you will die, recently i have been taking amino acid supplements and thats like 10 bannanas in the one pill and i was considering whether taking these super concentrated tablets is gluttony, paticularily so if i'm not working out or getting fit or both. In the practice of fitness and/or strength the more one needs to eat i guess. Are these guys like obesely fat or obesely muscular,it doesn't sound like much difference but possibly is evil and one is just bad. And if there delibrately regurgetating the food afterwards that sounds kinda twisted and evil. One eating competition are week is possibly good,3 is ok and 4 or more iz sinful. We used to have a huge lunch on sundays at my nanna and pops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomaly Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 [quote name='dells_of_bittersweet' timestamp='1338342215' post='2437547'] Is it considered the sin of gluttony to be a professional eater? As in entering a hot dog eating contest with the intention of winning a large enough purse to cover your living expenses. I think it is a sin, just interested to see other people's opinions here. [/quote]I would think the difference is why you are eating. Eating tons of food for the pleasure of eating would be gluttony. Eating 100 hot dogs for a contest is not about the pleaure of eating. Based on TV interviews and shows, competitive eating is a skill that requires training, practice and commitment, and isn't about the enjoyment of the actual food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dairygirl4u2c Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 the only definitions i've seen on gluttony say that it is simply eating too much. even catholic encyclopedia defines it as "the excessive indulgence in food and drink." pleasure doesn't have anything to do with it. i often do try to justify things like buffets where you eat way too much as they are not habits but once in awhile endeavors. but like distinguishing with "pleasure", it's mostly a rationalization. the buffets in those cases are gluttony too. as much as one might casually think em harmless or never thought about it... those hot dog eating contests are gluttony, plain an simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arfink Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 My concern with eating contests has always been that it's incredibly wasteful. I would be very tempted to say it would be a sin to participate in such contests. [quote name='Anomaly' timestamp='1338387364' post='2437775'] I would think the difference is why you are eating. Eating tons of food for the pleasure of eating would be gluttony. Eating 100 hot dogs for a contest is not about the pleaure of eating. Based on TV interviews and shows, competitive eating is a skill that requires training, practice and commitment, and isn't about the enjoyment of the actual food. [/quote] After all, hookers also have years of practice, training, etc. for having sex, but their actions are still wrong too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anomaly Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 [quote name='arfink' timestamp='1338402850' post='2437885'] My concern with eating contests has always been that it's incredibly wasteful. I would be very tempted to say it would be a sin to participate in such contests. After all, hookers also have years of practice, training, etc. for having sex, but their actions are still wrong too. [/quote]Other than the obvious disparity of the nature of the two actions, is the point that it is wasteful of certain resources? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amory Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Committing the sin of gluttony does not cause one to lose membership in the Church, so--even if being a professional eater does entail the sin of gluttony--a Catholic can still be a professional eater. If being a professional eater necessitated the sin of gluttony, then it would be immoral for anyone, Catholic or otherwise, to be a professional eater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r2Dtoo Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 [quote name='Innocent' timestamp='1338343951' post='2437582'] My hasty and not very well thought out opinion is that if you managed to perform these feats with perfect interior detachment from the enjoyment of eating, and supplemented this with regular ascetic exercises of fasting and vigils to ensure that your heart doesn't cultivate a disordered love for the pleasures of the palate, it wouldn't be a sin. Do you think I got something right? [/quote] That would just be awful it someone did that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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