Fasting...i'm having definition issues, serious ones

The whole idea of fasting is to voluntarily sacrifice on food. That sacrifice is to be offered to God - however, if I remember correctly then it's not simply about giving up on food but on actually giving up on luxury and offering to charity what you "saved up". Going on water alone for forty days and forty nights wasn't actually advocated by the Bible - it just said that Christ did it, and it's up to you if you want to follow suit. The recommended/popular Fasting observance is actually to avoid meat on Fridays. That sums it up to eating fish for protein sustenance. Your friends opting to avoid even fish is actually doing a more extreme form of fasting. And you know what, I know someone who did the water diet - it's not really healthy... And I don't know if I'm being self-centered and self-righteous when I say that I don't think God would want us to harm ourselves just to show our love. There are healthier ways to do that - something where someone would actually benefit from our sacrifice:)

Good for you! I also do not go into the "organized religion" bit as it is the church's idea of what the bible says. I believe that the bible also states in there that God will give one the ability to interpret his word.. But there is one place in there that tells us not forsake gathering together as one body in Christ. I used to be member of a bible baptist congregation and we used no prepared litterateur only taught from the bible. I think this is what God meant. So, visitor, you hang in there until you find your congregation, read your bible and pray daily and live as you are led by those readings.

sigh. To me organized religion is an obviously-needed two-edged sword. Needed because to many of the sheeple without either faith or fear based on some dogma would act purely as uncivilized animals (much as we already do, but only worse I fear). On the other hand, it is a tool of control, more often than it is of salvation. I don't have any answers here. I agree with your analysis, only adding how civilization is in need of both some legitimate spirituality, and the control that organized religion gives them. dr...