Re: anyajb12 Re: anyone who has fasted please help! EDIT BY MOD

Bella,

Is it kind to tell someone who is going to embark on a 40 day fast to lose weight "you can do it" "you can do it", knowing full well that they probably can't? It's extremely rare for someone to come on here and do a long fast for their first time.

Wouldn't it be better to say, "no you probably can't, how about trying something a little shorter first?"

Is it unkind to be blunt? We are all from different cultures. Some of us are loving enough to be straightforward and honest.

I think it's more evil to be "supportive" but ignorant in that support in comparison to being honest and correct even if one is blunt or rude. If the doctor has to tell you that you have cancer, WHO CARES if he says it bluntly or with a tear in his eye!!??

Sure it would be wonderful if we were all as special and as nice as you are, but we aren't. Some of us are actually men, believe it or not, and we will behave like men. Not like your castrated ideal of woman in a man's body. You are a woman, you can be as emotional and sensitive as you wish and I will do my best not to gag.

You say nobody called you an idiot for drinking herbal tea on a water fast. That's because you responded to their admonition. If you continued drinking tea and insisting that it WAS a water fast, then I may have called you an idiot. And I would have been correct. But it didn't need to escalate to that.

Negative feedback is not "punishment".

You said that there is no need for diatribe on this forum because: "and the greatest crime any of us could possibly be guilty of is eating junkfood"

Unfortunately, that is a very ignorant statement.

First, people here can be putting their lives at risk. People can die from improper fasting. People can screw up their bodies from improper fasting. There may be instances where people need to be reprimanded for their practices. The moderators of this forum have taken on a huge responsibility, knowing that in this litigious world, it could be possible for them to find themselves in court for something that happens here. There are times here where people will need to be STERNLY warned. That could end up being labeled as diatribe.

Second, much misinformation can be propagated here. I think many of us feel that fasting is a sacred practice that must be diligently protected. It may require us to rail on somebody from time to time. I don't want to see fasting slandered here. It's slandered enough throughout society as it is.

Third, I've seen over the years and even recently, the promotion of very dangerous pagan religious beliefs promoted here. Such beliefs as meditation, yoga and shamanism to name a few. If those promotions are allowed here, then I believe that I should also be allowed to voice opposing opinions, knowing that such practices lead to the eternal destruction of the soul. So I or others may go on a rant or two, and many will call my position a diatribe or intolerant. But in the end, it will be worth it, because maybe one or two people will listen.

Libertarians have a really good saying that you may want to personally adopt: "You have the right to NOT be offended."

If somebody says something nasty, you don't have to read it, you don't have to believe it or you can believe it but not be offended by it.

You can argue against negative feedback, but the fact remains, you would be dead without it. Study some physiology and you will see. Your body uses it to keep you alive.

Your argument against negative feedback of looking at one's body in the mirror not working is insufficient. That is because the positive feedback of the quart of Ben and Jerry's in combination with the emotional problems is stronger than the negative feedback of the body image and the uphill battle of correcting it.

Seeking to "love oneself" is also unhealthy. Who has the most "self-esteem"? Studies have shown that the demographic with the highest self-esteem are criminals.

ME ME ME, it's all about you. We are all supposed to make YOU feel good and dance around your emotional issues. We are all to walk on egg shells so we don't offend any of your sensibilities.

I agree, we should all try to be civil here, but as soon as somebody is deemed to be uncivil, you all act like a pack of wolves and jump on their back. It makes you no better than them.

Please lets put our primary focus on whether or not the posting is correct with respect to fasting. I'm here to learn more about fasting, not for emotional support.