What in God’s name is a limited fast?
November 27th, 2004 at 12:21 pm by David FarrarNZPA has reported that a Tauranga pastor is going to go on a limited fast for 40 days to save society from evils that may result from the proposed civil union bill etc.
Now what the hell is a “limited fast” was my reaction. He explains he will not completely abstain from food, but would give up something for the 40-day period. Oh wow ho inspired.
Well if I was God, I would be rather upset at my pastor for his lack of diligence. This partial fast sounds like a diet, or just a way to avoid having to eat his brocolli every day. This is not going to save us from a lot of evils.
Could you imagine if the Church adopted this partial idea for everything? Instead of single people having to be celibate, we would only have to be partially celibate? Like we stay celibate during the day, and that will count. Or we don’t do any 69s for 40 days, and wow we are without sin.
Perhaps Pastor Trim could do what Bob Jones related a group of Indian fasters doing a few years ago. They fasted by relay – three of them taking eight hours each in turn. I think think they have been going for over a decade now.
Perhaps using the good Pastor’s ideas, gays can also be saved if they promise to be partially heterosexual for a few hours a day, or if they give up a certain type of same sex partner. Yeah promise only to sleep with clean shaven people and you are fine.
I think the only thing stupider than a “partial fast” is that someone thought it was newsworthy.
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November 27th, 2004 at 3:03 pm
Sounds awfully like a diet to me. God should smite him for being a pointless bastard.
Vote:November 27th, 2004 at 3:18 pm
The article says “He plans to start his fast early next year”. Sounds like he is just giving up something during the 40 days of Lent. Many Christians do this each year as a personal reminder of Christ’s sacrifice. It’s just a newsworthy as an article that details some person X is planning to celebrate Christmas in about a months time.
Vote:November 27th, 2004 at 5:48 pm
Perhaps he hasn’t read his bible lately,
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
*yawn*
Vote:November 27th, 2004 at 8:05 pm
The timing of this is ludicrous. He should have started a week ago and done a full on hunger strike and then the media focus on him would intensify everyday as the bill got closer to its second reading. and there would have been imense pressure over an extended period of time.
Vote:Kind of like the hikoi.
November 27th, 2004 at 9:04 pm
This is very funny
Vote:November 28th, 2004 at 8:47 am
Paul Adams from United Future is also fasting to prevent the passage of the CUB. I would have thought that withholding his vote come budget time would have been smarter.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3110985a11,00.html
Vote:November 28th, 2004 at 7:07 pm
While I am no authority on CERA (Celestial Employment Relations Act) the good pastor’s proposal seems prima facie reasonable to me. Any God acting in good faith would have to acknowledge that the pastor is supplicating for only partial fulfilment of his desires –
“I’m not praying against the civil union bill, I’m praying that it achieves it’s desired affects and not be detrimental to the nuclear family or the institution of marriage.”
and that a partial fast such as using only low-fat milk might be entirely appropriate. And what better name might we give such a fast than a “Trim fast”.
Paul Adams is another matter entirely. He wants the entire pork beast with the CUB voted down and its proponents mightily discomfitted and put to flight before the victorious host of the righteous and that doesn’t come cheap. Full 40 day fast, absolute minimum and woe to any MP who forgets to assign his proxy before becoming too weak to vote.
Finally I don’t see why Pastor Trim’s innovative concept could not be applied to sinner sentences. Perhaps the devils tormenting a gay who had practised partial heterosexuality for a few hours a day might be instructed to use only the blunt ends of their pitchforks for an equivalent number of hours each day.
Vote:November 28th, 2004 at 8:14 pm
Strange – it sounds just like what Catholics do during the season of Lent – give up something important for (from memory) six weeks (forty days). Hardly a big sacrifice as hundreds of millions of Catholics have been doing it annually since medieaval times.
Vote:November 28th, 2004 at 9:05 pm
They’re both twits. Supporters of the Civil Union Bill and Relationships (Statutory References) Bill are encouraged to counterprotest by doubling their portions over the next few days before the CUB’s second reading…
Vote:November 28th, 2004 at 9:06 pm
They’re both twits. Supporters of the Civil Union Bill and Relationships (Statutory References) Bill are encouraged to counterprotest by doubling their portions over the next few days before the CUB’s second reading…
Vote:November 28th, 2004 at 9:06 pm
They’re both twits. Supporters of the Civil Union Bill and Relationships (Statutory References) Bill are encouraged to counterprotest by doubling their portions over the next few days before the CUB’s second reading…
Vote:November 29th, 2004 at 8:13 pm
Hear, hear – I was pleased to see Mr Farrar undertaking this yesterday – two plateloads and no greens in sight.
Vote:December 3rd, 2004 at 4:49 pm
thats very funny david – heterosexual by day homosexual by night……
however there is a difference between partial fasting and partial sinning –
And it doesnt look like this man is sinning (?) by “partially fasting”
However in Revelations (last book of the bible) God talks about being “lukewarm” – being neither hot nor cold (For God) but “lukewarm”……
Or I guess a similar word would be “partial”????
Wouldnt like to be one of them – God says they will be vomit in his mouth!!! ewww…
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