Essay On Dietary Restrictions

“I will never forget your commandments, for you have used them to restore my joy and health” (Ps. 119:93). This phrase from the Old Testament in the Christian Bible has several different variations, and as a result, the message is slightly different in each case. Despite this, the overarching message is still present; through following the Bible, one can improve themselves. This can refer to their character or health. Various religions, aside from Christianity, have a number of rules set in place which provide benefits. Dietary restrictions are particularly prominent in this situation. Dietary restrictions in religions may have increased benefits on health, but the misconception is that they were created for those health reasons. Dietary restrictions …show more content…
In many religions, fasting is used as a method of atonement. For instance, during the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur, Jews are not allowed to eat or drink and instead practice the ideas of self-denial (Ziv). For the Jews, fasting helps individuals to repent and reflect on sins during Yom Kippur; health is not a considered factor at all for their reasons to fast. In other religions, fasting may be used as an act of worship. For example, during the month of Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat, drink, smoke or have sexual relations from dusk till dawn (Quinlan 333). In Islam, fasting is the fourth pillar of faith and allows Muslims to develop spiritual piety, patience and perseverance, rather than improve one’s health. Fasting may also be used to create connections between an individual and a religion's holy being. In Hinduism, fasting is used to create an attunement with brahman (Das). The process of fasting denies the physical needs of the body in order to achieve spiritual gains. Further proving the irrelevance of health when it comes to fasting in religions. Albeit the concept of fasting is merely one example of the illogical dietary restrictions in various