What exactly is gluttony?

[Holly3278]

Hi everyone. What exactly is gluttony? Is it overeating or is there more to it than that?

 

[davidv]

Hi everyone. What exactly is gluttony? Is it overeating or is there more to it than that?

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines gluttony as: the excessive indulgence in food and drink.
See the rest of the article here:

 

[Holly3278]

The Catholic Encyclopedia defines gluttony as: the excessive indulgence in food and drink.
See the rest of the article here:

Thank you David.

 

[ricmat]

Hi everyone. What exactly is gluttony? Is it overeating or is there more to it than that?

I believe that gluttony refers to an inability to balance ANY appetite. Appetites for food, money, sex, power, etc.

Temperance is the virtue which opposes gluttony, and strives to achieve balance in our appetites.

I’ve also heard that gluttony can extend not just to “quantity”, but also “quality.” A foreign friend of mine once said “You Americans eat way too much [gluttony]. As for me, I eat very little, but I only eat and drink of the very best.” It turns out, an unbalanced appetite for “only the best” is also a form of gluttony…

 

[Holly3278]

I believe that gluttony refers to an inability to balance ANY appetite. Appetites for food, money, sex, power, etc.

Temperance is the virtue which opposes gluttony, and strives to achieve balance in our appetites.

I’ve also heard that gluttony can extend not just to “quantity”, but also “quality.” A foreign friend of mine once said “You Americans eat way too much [gluttony]. As for me, I eat very little, but I only eat and drink of the very best.” It turns out, an unbalanced appetite for “only the best” is also a form of gluttony…

Interesting. I am just wondering; since I wasn’t sure exactly what gluttony was (though I had a general idea) does that count as not having full knowledge?

 

[AHapka]

Interesting. I am just wondering; since I wasn’t sure exactly what gluttony was (though I had a general idea) does that count as not having full knowledge?

A sin is still a sin whether or not you have knowlege of it. However, not having knowlege can reduce your culpability for the sin a little to entirely, based on the degree of ignorance and the matter involved.

If you fear this is a sin of yours, it is a matter best discussed with a priest in the confessional. None of us here are in a position to determine your spiritual state and knowledge in your particular situation.

Andy

 

[LilyM]

As I’ve been instructed, in regards to food, a single instance where you overeat would be a venial sin at most, whereas an habitual tendency to overeat or overindulge in other things would possibly be grave matter.

But then again most people who overeat or otherwise overindulge have other factors at play - stress, emotional issues, even an outright addiction to food (and certainly large amounts of fats and sugars can seriously affect brain chemistry just as medications would). So their culpability is likely lessened.

 

[Holly3278]

A sin is still a sin whether or not you have knowlege of it. However, not having knowlege can reduce your culpability for the sin a little to entirely, based on the degree of ignorance and the matter involved.

If you fear this is a sin of yours, it is a matter best discussed with a priest in the confessional. None of us here are in a position to determine your spiritual state and knowledge in your particular situation.

Andy

As I’ve been instructed, in regards to food, a single instance where you overeat would be a venial sin at most, whereas an habitual tendency to overeat or overindulge in other things would possibly be grave matter.

But then again most people who overeat or otherwise overindulge have other factors at play - stress, emotional issues, even an outright addiction to food (and certainly large amounts of fats and sugars can seriously affect brain chemistry just as medications would). So their culpability is likely lessened.

Oh OK. Thanks to both of you. I will be mentioning this sin to my priest the next time I get to confession. I was going to go to confession this morning but I hit a curb (couldn’t see out the windows good enough) and bent the rim on my car and my car is a little messed up (slightly wobbly) and so I can only drive it here in town until my Grandpa and Dad figure out what is wrong with it and get it fixed.

 

[Huiou_Theou]

Interesting. I am just wondering; since I wasn’t sure exactly what gluttony was (though I had a general idea) does that count as not having full knowledge?

Yes, with the exception that those who do not take the trouble to find out when it is easy to do so – are not considered ignorant in a positive sense during that time where they willfully ignored the duty to find out. That itself is sinful.

Second point, gluttony, like lust, is a sin of some type of excess. It isn’t a value measured by a stick – but by reasonableness. eg: if one knows what the purposes of eating are – both pleasure to determine quality of food, and quantity to determine health – that eating the extra bite of food is causing physical problems of some kind or lacks charity for another, then I would expect it is gluttony.
If it is reasonable, eg: more today, less tomorrow, then it isn’t gluttony because one can remain healthy when indulging occasionally, like the wine at the wedding of Cana.

Excessive desire beyond reason is what the weakness “concupiscence” drives a person toward whether sexual, food, money, or other such items the resulting sin when the temptation is given in-to becomes greed, lust, or gluttony. etc.

 

[Holly3278]

Yes, with the exception that those who do not take the trouble to find out when it is easy to do so – are not considered ignorant in a positive sense during that time where they willfully ignored the duty to find out. That itself is sinful.

Second point, gluttony, like lust, is a sin of some type of excess. It isn’t a value measured by a stick – but by reasonableness. eg: if one knows what the purposes of eating are – both pleasure to determine quality of food, and quantity to determine health – that eating the extra bite of food is causing physical problems of some kind or lacks charity for another, then I would expect it is gluttony.
If it is reasonable, eg: more today, less tomorrow, then it isn’t gluttony because one can remain healthy when indulging occasionally, like the wine at the wedding of Cana.

Excessive desire beyond reason is what the weakness “concupiscence” drives a person toward whether sexual, food, money, or other such items the resulting sin when the temptation is given in-to becomes greed, lust, or gluttony. etc.

Oh okay. Thank you for this post.

I may not be able to get to confession anytime soon (due to car trouble and heavy snow storm coming) but I will make sure to do a good examination of conscience and then confess all of my sins the next time I go.