gluttony

values

2022

We explain what gluttony is and why it is considered a vice in Christian morality and in secular society. Also, the other deadly sins.

Gluttony begins the moment you eat or drink without feeling hungry or thirsty.

What is gluttony?

Gluttony is called one of the seven deadly sins of Christian Catholic theology, understood as excessive appetite or excessive taste for food and / or drink. The term comes from the Latin gluttony, "Throat" or "gullet", which was metaphorically associated with the act of swallowing.

Gluttony is considered a viceboth in the Christian tradition and in the societies lay women, and is often interpreted as a pathological search for emotional rewards or relief through consumption of other substances. Thus, it is a concept close to that of addictions, and in the Christian religious tradition drinking was part of it, that is, the excessive intake of alcoholic beverages.

Within the framework of moral Christian, who shares with many other traditions The punishment of excesses, gluttony begins the moment you eat or drink without feeling hungry or thirsty, that is, when you do it for the pure pleasure and not to obtain sustenance. In fact, according to theologians such as Fray Andrés de Olmos, Adam and Eve themselves incur this sin by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree, having the rest of the Garden of Eden at your disposal.

Thus, gluttony could occur according to Christianity in different ways: ingesting food and drinking excessively, doing so when not needed, consuming substances knowing that they are harmful to health or that they are beyond the economic reach of the individual, and eating voraciously paying more attention to food than to other diners.

Other deadly sins

Aside from gluttony, the other six deadly sins (each opposed to one of the theological virtues) were:

  • The go to, understood as excessive rage, rancor and hatred.
  • The lust, understood as excessive, vicious or immoral sexual practice.
  • The pride, understood as the maximum point of arrogance and of believing himself above God.
  • The envy, understood as hatred for successes and happiness alien and the desire to destroy them.
  • The avarice, understood as excessive attachment to material goods and wealth.
  • The laziness, understood as laziness or the absolute lack of industry.
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