"A different kind of Rosa Parks:
Does participating in religion create obesity and prejudice?
Will religion be able to change in time?"
~ By Cynthia G. Creel
April 9- 2013
My Story:
I was not raise in a church as a child, but giving a Christian view of the world I have found in general my beliefs match the tenets of most religions promoting good actions over bad choices. As an adult I ended up choosing a church. An interesting journey of feeling like a visitor to being part of a new family.
This story really could be about any church, any religious organization or volunteer group trying to help others. This is just my view of how it seems to mirror the studies that have recently come to light. To bring the questions of hope for change and survival of the fittest to help the most the very best way.
Yes, there is much good that does come from the religious groups from cutting edge solar systems to feeding the homeless. Does that out weight the ‘bad’?
I have notice in church or other places. I am not against religion or any church, I am for churches being better able to help others. I am not afraid today to say I am Christian yet that term has become a negative in many eyes. The church is can offer a valuable incite to life to help keep what is important in focus. The reality is this could come from any number of religious back grounds, I have found pieces of wisdom from many sources in my life. The question has come to my mind over almost a decade of participation with a church, Have churches or religions been hijacked by the unhealthy?
Many people have one thing in common that shatters a judgment to the point they begin to only see that their actions are reasonable and a new idea is pragmatically impractical and could never apply to them. A deep run prejudice against new ideas that are proven and actually work are viewed with disdain to being indifferent uncaring about ones self or others.
Birds of a feather do flock together, not allowing for diversity’s strengths. This is a reality I was shocked to find ingrained in the groups of people that should be the most open to understand and move forward upon common ground, the religious group that is always talking about helping others, forgiving 77 times and more. More importantly I found a group I made a second home with where they are the one in 10 churches that are made up of many cultures and yet still of like minds. This mind set seemed to trap me into the same way of unbalanced thinking and deaths door.
Once I walked away from deaths door and moved on to find a lifestyle I could sustain life with instead of “walking off a cliff.” that would have ended in a heart attack or stroke or cancer creating an early death most likely at 50, I could clearly see the resistance in thinking so similar to the republican report saying the republican party was full of old grumpy men that were of like mind that they were going to win the last election unaware and unprepared for the reality that many had predicted of them loosing, I wrote about in Intelligent Conversation can save Republicans and Democrats: Republicans take a long hard look at what is wrong.(1)
I did not want to believe that others were prejudice against new ideas. I gave every excuse in the book to others to turn my cheek when I was told everything from “I don’t know about that.” with the person turning and walked away in the middle of a conversation with 3 other people, where I had quoted an expert’s idea as part of the conversation that cancer was 95% environmental to the idea that sugary drinks were harmful created the closest I have been told that I am a liar receiving the response “that is not true, I don’t believe you.”
Was it because they had an opinion formed beforehand: a preformed opinion, usually an unfavorable one, based on insufficient knowledge, irrational feelings, or inaccurate stereotypes they must just need a little more information to understand a new idea?
Three years ago I thought it was the way I was saying something, that affected the out come just a little. Looking for the truth it has led me to facts that support ideas of importance. It is not so much me, the ideas of a needed change that only represent a stress for a person that don’t want to understand the relevance of the change needed. It is easier to say I don’t believe you than to have a conversation and say, “Why? Tell me how that works.” To ignore and move at a slow pace forward or in circles than to change for the better to move forward together.
Why are churches so affected?
Two years ago I read a study that showed people who attend church were more likely to become obese over time. From the Northwestern University (1). The study traced almost 2,500 men and women for 18 years finding the normal weight adults ages 20 to 32 who frequented attending church at least once a week had a 50% likely hood of becoming obese (body mass index of 30 or higher) by middle age.
Obesity and the church connection:
I never because obese, but was within 35 pounds of obesity. I and my family ballooned in the first few years of attending church. The study doesn’t know exactly why it happens, the end result is In my experience part of going to church is wrapped around food and talking. The idea that people are not only encouraged to eat together and many times given little healthy choices or worse yet people who already have a difficult time choosing are given options like cookies, cake, donuts or anything that is desert offered even as a snack on Sunday morning before service sounds impossible to believe but happens in other churches not just mine.
The saddest for me was becoming unhealthy left me making choices out of weakness, I looked for help with me, and my family. Hoping to fill in the gaps I knew I was missing to raise children well I realize now that not only the schools, the girl scouts, the companies and church were all pushing the same message. This food will make you happy come and be with us.
So frequently were the youth meetings, trips and over night stays for my children that were laced with the unhealthy over saturated with fat, salt and sugar that drew the kids in like flies to honey. There were so many each month I have lost count.
Yes, I was quiet at first when I did not understand. I trusted the church to have my best interest at heart and my family’s. Even when I had changed my life, I only spoke a little, attempting to change my family first only to find that they were being handed that sugary drink or dessert every time I turned around. The toil on my personal life was great, the battle to undo what I have taught and what church and others have reinforcement was like giving a toddler a five pound weight and expect them to carry it across a room quickly.
This is the greatest challenges of my life. This marathon has been long, I can now see the finish line for myself and my family. For the church, that will be up to them, I can only present information and it is up to them to change.
The past ideas that direct someone to the back of the bus because they are different in color, culture, race, or ideas have no place in today‘s world. The ingrained “bad habits” that feel like home will need to be modified.
To go beyond the idea that fellowship is so strongly connected to unhealthy food. That a highly sweetened desert is a necessary part of a meal. To get past a reactions. Homemade ice-cream should never be the identity of a church.
There is no room in a world that moves forward for uneducated prejudices. People create the churches of different color, culture and ideas what direction it takes can vary. Those who follow in a direction that helps others help themselves vs. hindering the growth keeping things over protected and smothered tells the story of the end results of good or something else.
Final words:
Churches or religion have they been side tracked?
Is it like a con man to tell others look at the happiness we can provide while taking a wallet from a pocket. Providing a temporary happiness that can not out weigh the damage done.
Can this change? I do believe it can. Churches are designed to be self correcting. Slow yet steady they can change. Just as a con artist can change in an instance from being a con with intentions of harm to a person that helps direct for the betterment of an individual or the whole group.
I do not know where my path will lead me, finding the accurate truth has been an interesting journey. I do know the world is changing and if we ignore it, it will still change and leave us unprepared. Change can happen from the bottomed up or the easier change happens from the top down.
The challenge as always is a common understanding to create a healthy growth. After all the difference between a healthy cell an cancerous is only how quickly they grow and what the master instructions tells the cell to do. Even people with stage 4 cancer sometimes beat the cancer back to become a healthy able bodied person once more. The challenge of a complex life can strain a person or a church. If churches refuse to change or change too slowly how will they survive and who will help when the churches no longer are able to help? Is the obesity challenge and others helping to keep prejudice alive against new ideas in religion? Only time will tell.
Help yourself, help the world, step on to the Path of True Health and vote with your dollars to create a world you will love to live in.
By Design ~ “Life is good By Design”
Photo by Cynthia G. Creel all rights reserved ©2013
A single lemon on the one of the trees on the By Design Farm.
all rights reserved ©2013 written permission is needed to duplicate
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of By Design or Cynthia G. Creel. Consultation of a medical professional is highly recommended before any changes are considered. This article is not saying anyone person in a leadership position is unhealthy or healthy, it is just a possibly of many and is only speaking in general terms. .Note: No company or church mentioned in this article is considered to serve “healthy or unhealthy” food, any examples given was only used as an example of how business works or how some churches might work though their history and public information. The focus is only to help explain a idea. Statements and conclusions of any study authors that are presented are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Cynthia G. Creel or any means the information is published. There is no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.
The article can also be seen on
lifeisgoodbydesign.blogspot.com or facebook.com/itisbydesign
Please subscribe to lifeisgoodbydesign.blogspot.com at blogspot.com
Don't forget to like this page: facebook.com/itisbydesign
Share with a friend.
Sources:
(1) http://lifeisgoodbydesign.blogspot.com/2013/03/intelligent-conversation-can-save.html
(2) http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2011/03/religious-young-adults-obese.html
No comments:
Post a Comment