American Pastor partakes in the holy month of Ramadan

[kal17117]

An American Pastor, Reverend Wess Magruder, has decided to partake in the Muslims holy month of Ramadan this year with his Muslim friends, by fasting, praying and reading the Holy Quran.

The United Methodist has not only decided to observe the Ramadan fast this year but also to share his experience on his personal blog, Shia-Online reported.

"I feel a constant “buzz” [during the fast] in my head," Magruder wrote on his blog.

"This buzz serves a useful purpose, by the way. It keeps me conscious of God, of God’s presence, of God’s will that is bursting to become real in the world. And so when something else isn’t going on in front of me, the buzz reminds me to speak to God," he added.

Magruder also wrote that he turned to the Muslim faith for inspiration since he knew that Muslims have successfully been fasting for 30 days each year during Ramadan for over fourteen hundred years.

“I feel very happy and fortunate now,” Magruder wrote, who has succeeded in fasting from sunrise till sunset.

In his blog, Magruder invited all people of the Christian faith to try the fasting experience even for one day.

The Muslim fast is a total abstention from eating and drinking during the daylight hours. Furthermore, the fast goes beyond stomach and includes the eyes, the tongue, the ears, and all limbs which are expected to be trained to submit to the pleasure of God by refraining from ill manners and moral vice.

source

Edited August 8, 2012 by kal17117

[moggggys]

i used to skip dinner at work to sit with friends , it was only 1 meal mind , i did this as although they said they didnt mind seeing me eat i thought it would be disrespectful so thought why not join them , be under no illusion those butties were long gone by the time i landed home

[Degsy]

You do know that a lot of christians fast as well ? I'm not a christian but just pointing it out

[Comrade Stoker]

I like to fast every night, all year round, from about 11:30pm to 6:30am. I know God looks favourably on me for this.

[Arnold Layne]

You do know that a lot of christians fast as well ?

Indeed we do

But the teaching of Jesus is that we should not talk about it, or engage in any kind of boasting. It is to be a quiet and private affair between God and the individual. See the Sermon on the Mount

[JimmyPage]

A muslim friend explained a bit about Ramadan to me ... I asked how his children coped, and he was quite indignant that I should believe Islam would force anything on anyone. It has to be done with understanding to mean anything. However he admitted that being able to pay someone to undertake Ramadan for you is a little suspect (apparently ill people can, if fasting would be harmful).

He said that because Ramadan is linked to moon cycles, it can be hard on muslims living further north (more hours of daylight). It may be an urban legend, but apparently there was some international muslim conference held in Norway during Ramadan, which was abandoned after the delegates discovered the sun wasn't going to set.

[Fat Charlie]

Off topic a bit but I was watching this Horizon program the other night and periodic fasting is HUGELY beneficial for the health, makes you live longer, cuts the risk off all kinds of cancers and basically eradicates the risk of heart problems and strokes.

[Guest bazzad9]

Off topic a bit but I was watching this Horizon program the other night and periodic fasting is HUGELY beneficial for the health, makes you live longer, cuts the risk off all kinds of cancers and basically eradicates the risk of heart problems and strokes.

i watched that as well ,it was certainly an interesting programme

[Boojum]

You do know that a lot of christians fast as well ? I'm not a christian but just pointing it out

It's what pancake day is all about in origin - using up the perishable foods on Shrove Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the first day of the fasting period of Lent.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Boojum

[troy]

Lake Palmer , you crack me up

I know you can get a high from not eating , I've experienced it myself. Nothing to do with supernatural beings though. Fasting can be very dangerous if not done carefully. This example is not really fasting anyway, just delaying the time you are going to eat by a good few hours.

If you fast for too long your body will start to consume itself.

Yum Yum...

Probably not many health benefits if you stuff your face with pizza and Mc Donalds at the end of the day anyway.

Edited August 14, 2012 by troy

[ska]

The Muslim fast is a total abstention from eating and drinking during the daylight hours. Furthermore, the fast goes beyond stomach and includes the eyes, the tongue, the ears, and all limbs which are expected to be trained to submit to the pleasure of God by refraining from ill manners and moral vice.

source

Growing up with a Christian mum and Muslim dad and living in Egypt Ramadan was always celebrated to a degree. I've never fasted my dad did of course, which was funny cause the rest of the year he wasn't a practicing Muslim, he drank alcohol smoke weed and didn't go to the mosque, but somehow taking part in Ramadan made up for that. The building 'security' (most buildings have 'security' in Egypt) wouldn't look or talk to my mum for Ramadan, I guess that meant he found her attractive and was fasting his eyes for Ramadan actually no joke that happened all the time during Ramadan.

Also at the end of Ramadan there is the 'Eid'/feast, where family slaughter a sheep halal. But most of the guys doing it are not qualified and the animals die a very slow painful death, you can hear them.

The only good that came of Ramadan was that the governbent used to feed all the homeless of free of one month of the year.

e2a: Ramadan moves forward 30days every year, so fasting in December might be bareable, but fasting through a hot Cairo July day is just stupid.

Edited August 14, 2012 by ska