WWUTT: Christian Dieting? (The Daniel Plan, Daniel Fast, etc.)

Among the dieting fads, there’s a market for Christian diets, and the names are as cliché as “Testamints”. There’s the Maker’s Diet, the Hallelujah Diet, the Eden diet, Take Back Your Temple, Weight Loss God’s Way, Bod for God (yeah, seriously!)

It doesn’t look like anyone’s tried a “John the Baptist diet” featuring locusts and honey yet.

The most popular are the Daniel diets: first the Daniel Plan, co-written by Rick Warren… and it’s what we’ve come to expect from Rick – out of context Bible references, a 40-day program and alliteration (Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus & Friends). It also features his lack of discernment: co-author Dr. Mark Hyman encourages pagan mysticism.

Then there’s the Daniel Fast, which consists of cutting out meat and eating only fruits and vegetables… like Daniel and his friends did because the Babylonian cuisine wasn’t kosher. And after ten days, they were fatter than everyone eating the King’s food. (Daniel 1:8-16)

Not an inspiration for weight loss!

Christian diet books are notorious for taking Scripture out of context. Another example is 1 Corinthians 6:19 which says:

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you whom you have from God? You are not your own.

Rick Warren said in his Daniel Plan accompanying video:

“God says your body is the temple of His Spirit. So I’m supposed to take care of that!”

God is saying to flee from sexual immorality – the only sin committed against His temple, not bad dieting.

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but he sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you whom you have from God? You are not your own. (1 Corinthians 6:18-19)

Being healthy is still important – eat right, exercise, brush your teeth… all that good stuff. Just

remember that:

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! (Romans 14:17)

While bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life, and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8)

…when we understand the text. 

 (This video is by WWUTT. Discovered by e² media network and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not e² media network.)