Do you know what Gluttony is? Unraveling the Deadly Sins

Sunday is a holy day, but it’s also the day to commit one of the seven most popular Deadly Sins: Gluttony! But, what is gluttony? This sin deals with those who eat and drink too much, even if already satisfied, for the simple pleasure. It is related to selfishness, because the person is not satisfied with what he has, he always wants more.

There are several proverbs in the Bible that talk about what gluttony is. One of them is 23:20-21, which says, “Do not be among the wine drinkers or among the meat eaters. For the drunkard and the glutton fall into poverty; and drowsiness will clothe a man in rags.”

What is gluttony and what are its characteristics?

But you have to ask yourself: what’s so bad about eating a little more once in a while? Why is gluttony one of the seven deadly sins?

According to the Catholic Church, the lack of moderation about what we eat indicates lack of control in all areas of our lives, both physical, mental and spiritual. A person who cannot resist food will also commit other excesses with drugs, will be carried away by gossip and other negative feelings. We need to have control over our appetite or we will be led to commit other sins and evils, such as laziness, self-indulgence and avarice.

Avarice because many times we are already satisfied and even so we eat more, leaving the other to go hungry. We don’t share what we have, because we want to enjoy it alone.

Therefore, it is important to know what gluttony is, as it also leads to a not so much religious evil, which is disease. A person who eats too much, doesn’t think about what he eats and prefers junk food to fresh, healthy ingredients, therefore, is prone to health problems like diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure and weight gain.

In the 13th century, Saint Thomas Aquinas published the Summa Theologica, where he details the 7 Deadly Sins. However, it is no use having only punishments, there must also be rules or inspirations so that people do not commit such sins. Based on the epic poem psychomachi (Battle of Souls), written by Prudêncio, the seven virtues emerged.

The antidote to gluttony, according to the work of Prudentius, is temperance. We must avoid excesses, both in food and in other matters. Living in balance is good for the body, mind and spirit.

Knowing more about the 7 Deadly Sins

A nice approach made with the sins was that of the publisher Objetiva. She gathered 7 important authors for literature and asked each one to write a work based on one of the 7 Deadly Sins. This is how the Plenos Pecados collection came about, a way to reflect, learn and have fun with this topic.

The book O Clube dos Anjos, by Luiz Fernando Veríssimo, tells the story of 10 friends who decided to live a celebration of gluttony. They eat in packs, without fear of death or tomorrow. It’s fun and exemplifies sin well.

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