Acceptible prejudice

[mattm09]

I have decided that the only prejudice acceptable now in Western Society is the one against Catholicism. I will not elaborate but I want to know what others feel about that thought.

 

[Crepusculum]

You aren’t alone feeling that way - see the book “New Anti Catholicism, the Last Acceptable Prejudice” for more details.

 

[LilyM]

I think prejudice against fat people is pretty acceptible too, sadly.

Overweight and obesity are medical issues, as well as psychological.

Food is literally a drug, it affects your brain chemistry as much as most pharmaceutical (or recreational) substances, and it is possible for people to be addicted to it on a physical level.

And yet the overweight, along with other addicts, are treated as if it’s merely a matter of choice and willpower.

 

[GemmaRose]

I think prejudice against fat people is pretty acceptible too, sadly.

Overweight and obesity are medical issues, as well as psychological.

Food is literally a drug, it affects your brain chemistry as much as most pharmaceutical (or recreational) substances, and it is possible for people to be addicted to it on a physical level.

And yet the overweight, along with other addicts, are treated as if it’s merely a matter of choice and willpower.

LilyM, you beat me to it, and you had me until the second sentence.

From there on, your post joins in with the rest of the fat bashers of the world, and frankly, I’m disappointed.

NOT ALL FAT PEOPLE EAT THEMSELVES INTO A CONDITION OF OBESITY. SOME OF US HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR BODIES THAT DON’T WORK RIGHT (LIKE THYROIDS) !!!

I have been morbidly obese my entire life. I was nearly 100 lbs. in first grade. I have spent my entire adult life trying to convince doctors that something was wrong with me. Their advice was always the same: eat less.

Nothing else mattered - not my thin and brittle nails, nor my thinning hair, nor my constant fatigue and feeling cold, nor the fact that as I aged, my weight just kept increasing and increasing until I hit 400 lbs.

Then, thank God, I found a doctor who actually BELIEVED ME. He put me on medication, and with only a very moderate reduction in calories and no exercise, in a year and a half I’ve lost 141 lbs. so far.

So, no, obesity is not always the result of a person eating themselves into that condition for psychological or any other reason.

And, if you open your eyes to it, the media has far more fun ridiculing fat people than it has bashing the Church. In addition, at least in most countries of the world, Catholics aren’t ridiculed for just walking down the street or going out in public. . .

 

[LilyM]

LilyM, you beat me to it, and you had me until the second sentence.

From there on, your post joins in with the rest of the fat bashers of the world, and frankly, I’m disappointed.

NOT ALL FAT PEOPLE EAT THEMSELVES INTO A CONDITION OF OBESITY. SOME OF US HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR BODIES THAT DON’T WORK RIGHT (LIKE THYROIDS) !!!

I have been morbidly obese my entire life. I was nearly 100 lbs. in first grade. I have spent my entire adult life trying to convince doctors that something was wrong with me. Their advice was always the same: eat less.

Nothing else mattered - not my thin and brittle nails, nor my thinning hair, nor my constant fatigue and feeling cold, nor the fact that as I aged, my weight just kept increasing and increasing until I hit 400 lbs.

Then, thank God, I found a doctor who actually BELIEVED ME. He put me on medication, and with only a very moderate reduction in calories and no exercise, in a year and a half I’ve lost 141 lbs. so far.

So, no, obesity is not always the result of a person eating themselves into that condition for psychological or any other reason.

And, if you open your eyes to it, the media has far more fun ridiculing fat people than it has bashing the Church. In addition, at least in most countries of the world, Catholics aren’t ridiculed for just walking down the street or going out in public. . .

Gemma, I’m so sorry that it took so long to get the medical help you needed. I’m glad you’re doing so well now. And I apologise for not being clear enough in my post.

Please believe me, the last thing I intended was to imply that all overweight people have either psychological issues or any sort of addiction to food - or even that we all eat unhealthily (of course there are plenty such as yourself to whom none of the above apply). :hug3:

In my own case, I’m afraid, it IS psychological and I DO overeat at times - just in the last few weeks I’ve regained some hard-lost kilos due to stressing out over exams and resulting comfort eating.

 

[KingAlfred]

I have decided that the only prejudice acceptable now in Western Society is the one against Catholicism. I will not elaborate but I want to know what others feel about that thought.

I agree. It’s rampant in the U.S., for example, because of its Protestant heritage and culture. Catholicism will never be accepted by the majority of Protestants (including so-called ‘non-Denominational’ Christians, who are, unknowingly, Protestant-oriented, theologically speaking) as a co-equal Christian community and tradition. Extreme anti-Catholicism of the Protestant variety is actually very disturbing in its implications. One senses true hatred underlying its condemnations of the Church, and a latent inclination toward violence.

 

[KingAlfred]

LilyM, you beat me to it, and you had me until the second sentence.

From there on, your post joins in with the rest of the fat bashers of the world, and frankly, I’m disappointed.

NOT ALL FAT PEOPLE EAT THEMSELVES INTO A CONDITION OF OBESITY. SOME OF US HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS IN OUR BODIES THAT DON’T WORK RIGHT (LIKE THYROIDS) !!!

I have been morbidly obese my entire life. I was nearly 100 lbs. in first grade. I have spent my entire adult life trying to convince doctors that something was wrong with me. Their advice was always the same: eat less.

Nothing else mattered - not my thin and brittle nails, nor my thinning hair, nor my constant fatigue and feeling cold, nor the fact that as I aged, my weight just kept increasing and increasing until I hit 400 lbs.

Then, thank God, I found a doctor who actually BELIEVED ME. He put me on medication, and with only a very moderate reduction in calories and no exercise, in a year and a half I’ve lost 141 lbs. so far.

So, no, obesity is not always the result of a person eating themselves into that condition for psychological or any other reason.

And, if you open your eyes to it, the media has far more fun ridiculing fat people than it has bashing the Church. In addition, at least in most countries of the world, Catholics aren’t ridiculed for just walking down the street or going out in public. . .

I feel for you. There have been times in my life when I experienced severe abuse from others due to my speech-block disability, which I tried my best to hide, instead of seeking treatment for. People can be very cruel toward anyone who doesn’t appear ‘normal’. It’s a true test of one’s sense of Christian devotion to not hold such cruel acts against those who commit them. Looking back on those days, I forgive my tormentors. They knew not what they were doing, as typically misguided humans.

 

[GemmaRose]

Gemma, I’m so sorry that it took so long to get the medical help you needed. I’m glad you’re doing so well now. And I apologise for not being clear enough in my post.

Please believe me, the last thing I intended was to imply that all overweight people have either psychological issues or any sort of addiction to food - or even that we all eat unhealthily (of course there are plenty such as yourself to whom none of the above apply). :hug3:

In my own case, I’m afraid, it IS psychological and I DO overeat at times - just in the last few weeks I’ve regained some hard-lost kilos due to stressing out over exams and resulting comfort eating.

I’m sorry for coming down hard on you Lily. I guess your post struck a nerve ! Even though I don’t really know you, I like you - or at least your posts - very much.

I once had a TOTAL STRANGER say to me: “Maybe if you lost some weight, you wouldn’t need that stick.” I was using a cane after using one crutch, after using two crutches, after using a wheelchair, after I broke my ankle and leg, and tore all the ligaments in between.

I know we’re supposed to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors, but the woman who said this struck me so off guard that I looked her in the eye and said, "Maybe I will lose weight some day, but you’ll always be ugly!"

And, yes, it took a long, long time to finally find a good doctor. I’m 53 years old, and I have been telling doctors for my entire life that something was wrong. No one ever believed me. :crying: (I guess that’s like trying to convince most Protestants that we don’t “worship” the Blessed Mother. )

Lily, everybody comfort-eats at some time or another. Now, when I see one of your posts, I’ll say a quick prayer for you that you don’t overdo overeating. :hug3: (Is there a patron Saint for weight loss - other than Jude or Dymphna ?)

 

[LilyM]

I’m sorry for coming down hard on you Lily. I guess your post struck a nerve ! Even though I don’t really know you, I like you - or at least your posts - very much.

I once had a TOTAL STRANGER say to me: “Maybe if you lost some weight, you wouldn’t need that stick.” I was using a cane after using one crutch, after using two crutches, after using a wheelchair, after I broke my ankle and leg, and tore all the ligaments in between.

I know we’re supposed to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors, but the woman who said this struck me so off guard that I looked her in the eye and said, "Maybe I will lose weight some day, but you’ll always be ugly!"

And, yes, it took a long, long time to finally find a good doctor. I’m 53 years old, and I have been telling doctors for my entire life that something was wrong. No one ever believed me. :crying: (I guess that’s like trying to convince most Protestants that we don’t “worship” the Blessed Mother. )

Lily, everybody comfort-eats at some time or another. Now, when I see one of your posts, I’ll say a quick prayer for you that you don’t overdo overeating. :hug3: (Is there a patron Saint for weight loss - other than Jude or Dymphna ?)

Oh, given that horrible comment your response is entirely understandable - and funny. Put it this way - some people just would’ve punched the person out, at least you used humour as your weapon.

And everybody comfort eats, but not everybody inhales cookies and other goodies the way I did. Of course I googled to see whether there was such a patron saint I was redirected to patrons ‘against temptations’ - and St Gemma was among them :getholy:

 

[GemmaRose]

Oh, given that horrible comment your response is entirely understandable - and funny. Put it this way - some people just would’ve punched the person out, at least you used humour as your weapon.

And everybody comfort eats, but not everybody inhales cookies and other goodies the way I did. Of course I googled to see whether there was such a patron saint I was redirected to patrons ‘against temptations’ - and St Gemma was among them :getholy:

Then maybe it was Gemma who restrained me from punching that woman’s lights out!

 

[Awake]

It’s funny… Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, and Atheists all claim that people are prejudice against them because of their beliefs.

I would, however, second that prejudice against fat people is accepted. And I say that as somebody who is thin and has never had a problem with weight. It’s not hard to see how much society shuns those that are overweight.

Also, I would add that it acceptable to be prejudice against those that are wealthy. I find it amazing how the rich are used as scapegoats for all of the problems in our world. I don’t even need to give any examples of this because it is prevalent everywhere. Like before, I say this as somebody who wouldn’t be considered rich by western standards.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Then maybe it was Gemma who restrained me from punching that woman’s lights out!

… …

 

[Ghoti]

Lily, everybody comfort-eats at some time or another. Now, when I see one of your posts, I’ll say a quick prayer for you that you don’t overdo overeating. :hug3: (Is there a patron Saint for weight loss - other than Jude or Dymphna ?)

I don’t know about weight loss – but on the “portly” side of things, I remember learning in school that when Bl John XXIII was attending the Conclave as Cardinal Roncalli, he overheard a woman comment, “Look at how fat he is!” He laughed, and said, “Thankfully, Madame, this is a conclave, not a beauty contest!” And after his coronation, Bl John said, “God knew for 77 years I would become Pope; you think He would have made me at least a little bit photogenic!”

“Food” for thought?

And yes, I can relate on one level; I am overweight, have been most of my life, altho’ I can say in my case that it’s most likely due to a combination of gluttony and sloth. However, I do have ADHD – always had – but it was not diagnosed until I was 30. Up to that point, I was convinced (by my teachers) that I was either stupid or lazy – or both – or in the case of one teacher, “disturbed” (I was a very restless child – the “H” part of ADHD – which I outgrew).

I only managed to start overcoming this problem – and the attendant self-contempt – when I began to receive medication and counselling. I’m now off those meds, and have recently ended counselling – I have (I believe) so far built up enough strategies (including prayer) to overcome – or at least minimize – my lack of focus. Some things I will never be able to do, though: drive a car, for one.

One thing I am grateful for. My counsellor was not a psychologist or psychiatrist – she was a developmental pediatrician eek and a devout Catholic. She is now a consecrated hermit (consecrated by the Archbishop).

 

[Rachel_J]

I think there are many acceptable prejudices - and they all revolve around been different to the norm.

I concur with the person with speech problems. I spent a year in speech therapy as a child which only stopped due to financial reasons. It was helpful, but there are still days I just can’t talk well enough to be understood without having to repeat myself 5 times. Some people don’t have the decency to say “pardon”… believe me when I say I know it is a problem. It’s more frustrating for me than for any one else

There there are those who are overweight (fit in this category too).

Or abnormally tall… Australia isn’t basketball mad and every man I’ve met who is getting close to the 7 foot mark has a permanent hunchback.

Or the wrong colour skin (and not just whites… )

Or hair that just doesn’t do what it is told…

I could go on for days. People are nasty… and there is no limit to acceptable prejudices these days.

 

[GemmaRose]

I don’t know about weight loss – but on the “portly” side of things, I remember learning in school that when Bl John XXIII was attending the Conclave as Cardinal Roncalli, he overheard a woman comment, “Look at how fat he is!” He laughed, and said, “Thankfully, Madame, this is a conclave, not a beauty contest!” And after his coronation, Bl John said, “God knew for 77 years I would become Pope; you think He would have made me at least a little bit photogenic!”

“Food” for thought?

And yes, I can relate on one level; I am overweight, have been most of my life, altho’ I can say in my case that it’s most likely due to a combination of gluttony and sloth. However, I do have ADHD – always had – but it was not diagnosed until I was 30. Up to that point, I was convinced (by my teachers) that I was either stupid or lazy – or both – or in the case of one teacher, “disturbed” (I was a very restless child – the “H” part of ADHD – which I outgrew).

I only managed to start overcoming this problem – and the attendant self-contempt – when I began to receive medication and counselling. I’m now off those meds, and have recently ended counselling – I have (I believe) so far built up enough strategies (including prayer) to overcome – or at least minimize – my lack of focus. Some things I will never be able to do, though: drive a car, for one.

One thing I am grateful for. My counsellor was not a psychologist or psychiatrist – she was a developmental pediatrician eek and a devout Catholic. She is now a consecrated hermit (consecrated by the Archbishop).

That was a beautiful post, Ghoti. Thanks for sharing.

I think there are many acceptable prejudices - and they all revolve around been different to the norm.

I concur with the person with speech problems. I spent a year in speech therapy as a child which only stopped due to financial reasons. It was helpful, but there are still days I just can’t talk well enough to be understood without having to repeat myself 5 times. Some people don’t have the decency to say “pardon”… believe me when I say I know it is a problem. It’s more frustrating for me than for any one else

There there are those who are overweight (fit in this category too).

Or abnormally tall… Australia isn’t basketball mad and every man I’ve met who is getting close to the 7 foot mark has a permanent hunchback.

Or the wrong colour skin (and not just whites… )

Or hair that just doesn’t do what it is told…

I could go on for days. People are nasty… and there is no limit to acceptable prejudices these days.

You are so right, Rachel. Every person on earth is supposed to be model thin, with an airbrushed complexion which is just the right shade - not too light, not too dark, with perfect, silky, shiny, manageable hair, with perfect teeth and perfect speech (no heavy accents or impediments, please!), be between 5’7" and 6’2", and have money (Lord forbid if one is on a lower economic level), and of course, attend the “right” Church.

Gosh, wouldn’t it be boring if we all were the same?

 

[Ghoti]

That was a beautiful post, Ghoti. Thanks for sharing.

You are so right, Rachel. Every person on earth is supposed to be model thin, with an airbrushed complexion which is just the right shade - not too light, not too dark, with perfect, silky, shiny, manageable hair, with perfect teeth and perfect speech (no heavy accents or impediments, please!), be between 5’7" and 6’2", and have money (Lord forbid if one is on a lower economic level), and of course, attend the “right” Church.

Gosh, wouldn’t it be boring if we all were the same?

Yes indeed – unless everyone was like me.

Oh, sorry…that’s this thread.

 

[tessi]

People are nasty… and there is no limit to acceptable prejudices these days.

We all are people. We all in one way or other feel a certain reluctance to the “different”. (some to the fat, some to the ugly, some to the unclean, some to a foreigner, etc).
We must try not to act accordingly. I think we must try to watch ourselves.

 

[Magdalene818]

I think prejudice against fat people is pretty acceptible too, sadly.

Food is literally a drug, it affects your brain chemistry as much as most pharmaceutical (or recreational) substances, and it is possible for people to be addicted to it on a physical level.

And yet the overweight, along with other addicts, are treated as if it’s merely a matter of choice and willpower.

I don’t feel there is any comparison… I have never really sensed a person’s prejudice against a fat person… but i have frequently sensed (sometimes strongly) the anti-Catholic thing…

Also, most overweight people do not eat that much… which is probably part of the problem… because that slows down metabolism. I have an obese friend and i eat way more than she does, yet am not overweight. Also, usually whne she eats, she eats the wrong kinds of food…

 

[GemmaRose]

I don’t feel there is any comparison… I have never really sensed a person’s prejudice against a fat person…
I really don’t mean to sound insulting, but… either you’ve never been fat, or you live alone in a cave. (However, I understand that I’d be a goddess in Hawaii. )

but i have frequently sensed (sometimes strongly) the anti-Catholic thing…
Sadly this is so true, seemingly universally.

Also, most overweight people do not eat that much… which is probably part of the problem… because that slows down metabolism.
Yes but, those of us who do that, don’t eat that much because we’re not hungry because our metabolism is all messed up because our hormones are all screwed up because our glands aren’t working properly… leading people (including doctors) to tell us to (a) eat less, and (b) eat more. :whacky:

I have an obese friend and i eat way more than she does, yet am not overweight. Also, usually whne she eats, she eats the wrong kinds of food…
And I once heard a size 2 young woman, order - and I quote: “I’ll have a bacon double cheeseburger, and can you make that deluxe? And can I have cheese on the fries?.. And I’ll have a chocolate shake [with a perky little shake of the head and upraised voice] !!”

I wanted to strangle her.

People of all sizes eat the wrong kinds of foods.

 

[LilyM]

Gemma, that was probably the only food the poor girl had in like a week.

Besides which, no one can eat that badly on a consistent basis and it not catch up with them. Maybe she won’t gain weight but she’ll definitely have health problems.