Gluttony / Hot Dog Contests

[PeteZaHut]

Are hot dog eating contests wrong if you still keep yourself generally healthy?

Does the sin of gluttony constitute grave matter?

 

[Xpi]

Are hot dog eating contests wrong if you still keep yourself generally healthy?

Does the sin of gluttony constitute grave matter?

Interestingly, there was just this week such a contest which went into overtime as both remaining contestants tied in the number of dogs eaten (ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gpMMONryOCpjEI1RB4O6Jrfx4n_QD91N7A180)). I wondered myself if such a contest was sinful; certainly there would be venial sin for such a frivelous pursuit. For gluttony, one of the seven deadlies, to be grave matter, one would have to be so given over to it as to make true the words of scripture: “their god is their belly.”

 

[Caesar517]

This is interesting; I’ve never thought about the morality of an eating contest. My first reaction is to say that it isn’t sinful when kept in perspective. A contest comparing stomach capacity doesn’t seem much different than a contest comparing muscle strength.

 

[strngrnrth]

It seems wrong to me but I’m not sure. If it’s for a good cause maybe it’s OK. But a contest to see who can degrade himself by acting sickening, waste the most food at a time like this and distend his stomach the most (which damages the muscle and can also interfere with appetite regulation for life)? Why not a dunk instead?

 

[DL82]

Only in America could eating be a competitive sport!

:newidea: :bigyikes:

 

[thistle]

With 400 miilion people in the world going to sleep hungry because they have only one meal per day I would say eating contests are totally immoral and can’t imagine how anyone organising, participating or watching in such contests can consider themselves good Christians.

 

[Caesar517]

With 400 miilion people in the world going to sleep hungry because they have only one meal per day I would say eating contests are totally immoral and can’t imagine how anyone organising, participating or watching in such contests can consider themselves good Christians.

People aren’t starving because there isn’t enough food; people are starving because of food distribution problems and political interference.

 

[redrosetea]

Thistle I agree…It is disgusting, and depraved

 

[thistle]

People aren’t starving because there isn’t enough food; **people are starving because of food distribution problems **and political interference.

Like having eating contests shovelling all these hotdogs down the throats of people who don’t care if millions are starving and dying.

 

[Newbie2]

With 400 miilion people in the world going to sleep hungry because they have only one meal per day I would say eating contests are totally immoral and can’t imagine how anyone organising, participating or watching in such contests can consider themselves good Christians.

Let’s say there are 50 hot dogs eaten per competetor, and 20 competetors…1000 hot dogs. I know what you’re saying, the idea of purposefully wasting food or engaging in such gluttonous behavior isn’t model behavior, but how does that differ, for example, of someone going out week after week to an expensive dinner?

Besides, the event(s) generate contributions to hunger relief (this from the “Major League Eating” website):

Just prior to the its annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, Nathan’s Famous will donate 100,000 hot dogs to the Food Bank For New York City, a hunger relief charity that is part of the America’s Second Harvest network.

“Each year, Nathan’s Famous makes a donation to hunger relief organizations as part of our world famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest,” said Wayne Norbitz, president and COO of Nathan’s Famous, Inc. “I am very pleased to announce that this year we’ll make our biggest donation ever, a total of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.”

Unchristian?

 

[Caesar517]

Like having eating contests shovelling all these hotdogs down the throats of people who don’t care if millions are starving and dying.

Everyone who participates in an eating contest is an uncompassionate monster?
Let’s discuss the intrinsic morality of the eating contest, not make uncharitable generalizations.

 

[VociMike]

I find eating contests disgusting because they are disordered. They disconnect the act of eating from the reasons for eating. That’s why these contests have an aspect of the freak show about them. And on top of that, they are wasteful of something that should not be wasted.

The fact that people may use the spectacle to raise money for some good cause doesn’t make the spectacle itself any less disordered.

 

[Conservative]

Let’s say there are 50 hot dogs eaten per competetor, and 20 competetors…1000 hot dogs. I know what you’re saying, the idea of purposefully wasting food or engaging in such gluttonous behavior isn’t model behavior, but how does that differ, for example, of someone going out week after week to an expensive dinner?

Besides, the event(s) generate contributions to hunger relief (this from the “Major League Eating” website):

Just prior to the its annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, Nathan’s Famous will donate 100,000 hot dogs to the Food Bank For New York City, a hunger relief charity that is part of the America’s Second Harvest network.

“Each year, Nathan’s Famous makes a donation to hunger relief organizations as part of our world famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest,” said Wayne Norbitz, president and COO of Nathan’s Famous, Inc. “I am very pleased to announce that this year we’ll make our biggest donation ever, a total of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.”
…

Thanks, to Newbie2, for that note - I anticipate the Nathan’s Contest (they cover it on the news at night) just wondering who will win. But I’d not thought in terms of the hungry of the world (just the ridiculous-ness of it all). Didn’t know Nathan’s made that contribution to the hungry. Thanks for the info.

But it is gluttonuous - and Nathans could make their donation without the display…not to mention this year the News reported the health risks the competitors face by competing this way…that’s a sin in addition to gluttony. All just to wear a belt with a buckle? Yee-ha!

 

[Newbie2]

I find eating contests disgusting because they are disordered. They disconnect the act of eating from the reasons for eating. That’s why these contests have an aspect of the freak show about them. And on top of that, they are wasteful of something that should not be wasted.

The fact that people may use the spectacle to raise money for some good cause doesn’t make the spectacle itself any less disordered.

Oh, I agree with you, it’s a freaky experience. Eating 60-some hotdogs at a time just ain’t right, let alone in 10 minutes. Not that there’s any connection, but I’d rather watch the Nathan’s hotdog eating contest, with the idiocy of the coverage (they never showed how they train for such an event ) than something trashy like some of the “reality” shows or the other bilge they have on TV.

But, there are other “spectacles” that waste things that shouldn’t be wasted…like motor racing, which disconnects the act of driving for transportation (the reason for mororcars) from driving.

Or…The MetRx “World’s strongest man” competition. Most of those dudes are juiced up and eating way more than a normal person needs just to get freaky big and strong and lift and pull big, heavy things.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Just reading this is making me hungry and there’s not a hot dog in the house. Ummm… Nathan’s

 

[Xpi]

Let’s say there are 50 hot dogs eaten per competetor, and 20 competetors…1000 hot dogs. I know what you’re saying, the idea of purposefully wasting food or engaging in such gluttonous behavior isn’t model behavior, but how does that differ, for example, of someone going out week after week to an expensive dinner?

Besides, the event(s) generate contributions to hunger relief (this from the “Major League Eating” website):

Just prior to the its annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, Nathan’s Famous will donate 100,000 hot dogs to the Food Bank For New York City, a hunger relief charity that is part of the America’s Second Harvest network.

“Each year, Nathan’s Famous makes a donation to hunger relief organizations as part of our world famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest,” said Wayne Norbitz, president and COO of Nathan’s Famous, Inc. “I am very pleased to announce that this year we’ll make our biggest donation ever, a total of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.”

Unchristian?

Yes, unchristian. When is it ever ok to do a gratuitous evil to obtain some ‘good?’ Let Nathan’s donate without the gross incentive. This is hardly a moral priority or a cause celebre for me, but the question was posed and, yes, Virginia, it is unchristian. WWJD? :

 

[strngrnrth]

Yes, unchristian. When is it ever ok to do a gratuitous evil to obtain some ‘good?’ Let Nathan’s donate without the gross incentive. This is hardly a moral priority or a cause celebre for me, but the question was posed and, yes, Virginia, it is unchristian. WWJD? :

Make a quiet money donation? Send the hot dogs straight to a soup kitchen? Have a feeding contest, but without most of the fanfare, where the winner is the one who can distribute the food to the most needy people, not the one who can eat fastest? Food for thought.

 

[thomfra]

Are hot dog eating contests wrong if you still keep yourself generally healthy?

Does the sin of gluttony constitute grave matter?

But isn’t the contest based on “speed of eating” now, rather than quantity? Or at the very least “quantity - in a given time frame”

 

[thistle]

But isn’t the contest based on “speed of eating” now, rather than quantity? Or at the very least “quantity - in a given time frame”

Its based on both and is blatantly immoral pouring scorn on the starving in the world. Christians should certainly have nothing to do with such contests in any capacity, even watching.

 

[thomfra]

Its based on both and is blatantly immoral pouring scorn on the starving in the world. Christians should certainly have nothing to do with such contests in any capacity, even watching.

If it raises money for the starving, then it’s a good thing. I’d support it.