Holding fast to Religion

Thursday, April 4, 1996

Prayer and piety take priority over pasta for Bruins from
various faith backgroundsBy Jennifer Louie

Daily Bruin Contributor

Given the hectic schedules of college students, skipping a meal
in order to study is common. But for students who fast for
religious reasons, passing up meals serves a completely different
purpose.

Passover, which began Wednesday evening and ends on April 11, is
one such occasion for fasting.

During Passover, Jews abstain from eating leavened bread. The
ritual is meant to commemorate the Exodus, in which the Jews left
Egypt and did not have enough time to wait for their bread to
rise.

Eating only unleavened bread is meant to "make Jews feel the way
the Jews who were leaving Egypt did," explained Gary Bernato, a
fourth-year English student and editor in chief of Ha’Am, UCLA’s
Jewish student newsmagazine.

And it is wrong, Bernato believes, for Jews to eat leavened
bread during Passover because there are punishments in heaven as a
consequence.

"It’s a faux pas for Jews," Bernato explained.

On the first day of Passover, according to Orthodox Jewish law,
firstborn sons must abstain from food and water from dusk to dawn,
Bernato said. This fast is to commemorate the 10th plague, during
which firstborn Egyptian males were killed while Jews were
spared.

Although reasons for fasting vary as widely as the religions
which promote it, many center around spiritual renewal.

Lent, a Catholic holiday which began on Ash Wednesday and ends
today, Holy Thursday, is meant to remind Catholics of their
baptismal promises in preparation for the celebration of the
resurrection.

"Lent symbolizes our willingness to do penance and cleanse our
hearts through prayer, fasting and self-denial," said Michelle
Banta, a first-year political science student who participates in
Lent.

"We’re denying ourselves of things that normally give us
pleasure in order to prepare for Easter and help get closer to
God," Banta said. "It helps me reflect and become more
Christ-like."

Muslim students gave reasons for fasting similar to those of
Catholics. During the annual Holy Month of Ramadan, which ended on
Feb. 20, Muslims abstain from food and water from sunrise to
sunset.

One purpose of Ramadan is to sympathize with the poor, said
Ahmed Shama, a first-year computer science student and vice
president of the Muslim Students Association.

Aamer Hayat, a Muslim and second-year undeclared student,
explained how Ramadan helps him to empathize with those less
fortunate.

"At the end of the day, I have the food before me, unlike the
homeless, who might have to go for more than one day (before they
can eat)," Hayat said.

Sympathizing with the poor makes him more thankful to Allah, and
therefore draws him closer to Allah, Hayat added.

"Fasting is not for the purpose of starving yourself," Hayat
maintained. "If that’s the only reason you’re doing it, you’re
doing it for the wrong reason."

But some religious individuals who fast have global concerns in
mind.

For instance, members of the Hare Krishna movement abstain from
eating grains twice a month in an effort to help reduce world
hunger, said Karuna Dharini, a missionary for the Hare Krishna
movement. World hunger would be alleviated if everyone took part in
the Hare Krishna’s semi-monthly ritual, Dharini said.

Members of this movement also abstain from food during the eight
special Hare Krishna holidays, such as Krishna’s birthday.

"We fast to increase our love and devotion to Krishna," Dharini
explained.

The sacrifice involved in Christian fasting is also meant to
improve fasters’ relationships with their God, said Randy Weiss, a
fourth-year applied mathematics student and member of Alpha Gamma
Omega, a fraternity centered around Christianity. For him, the
purpose of fasting is to use the time usually spent eating in
praying instead and trying to get closer to God.

And his fraternity brothers see eye to eye with him, hosting a
house group fast on the first Tuesday of every month. During the
fast, the members pray for the fraternity house and strive toward
communion with God, while refraining from all but water.

Other Christians who fast gave similar, specific reasons for
their abstention from food. Elissa Fultz, a second-year linguistics
student and member of the Agape Christian Fellowship, said she
fasts for one of three reasons ­ "asking God what His will is
for the community or personally; cleansing the self of habitual
sins such as lust, pride and judging others; or for spiritual
protection against Satan’s attacks," Fultz said.

Although reasons for fasting differ, many who fast agree that it
is not required for their religion. In the Krishna movement,
"(fasting) is not forced, it is always voluntary, like love,"
Dharini said.

"That’s the thing about God," Dharini added. "His love is
voluntary."

And many fasters agreed that it is not very difficult to do.

"It is a trial, but very attainable," Shama said, explaining
that his lack of sleep from waking before sunrise to eat is more of
a trial than the actual fast. Weiss also said that hunger is not an
obstacle in his fasting.

Although many fasters said they try to limit their activity
during a fast in order to prevent weakness, others said they go
about their day as they usually do.

"(During Ramadan), life is the same, except that we don’t eat,"
Shama said.

However not all fasters are physically unaffected during their
fasting.

Fultz claimed she got cramps when she wasn’t drinking a lot of
water during one fast. Now she uses her meal plan for juice and
water when fasting.

For others students, fasting is a debilitating task.

"(Fasting) incapacitates me with hunger and fatigue," said
Curtis Gruenler, an English alumnus and coordinator for the
Graduate Christian Fellowship. Because he does not physically deal
well with fasting, Gruenler explained, he skips a meal only on
occasion.

Students who abstain from both food and juice for more than a
few days should be aware of the needs of their bodies, according to
Laima Wesson, a nutritionist with Student Health Services.

The human body is designed to withstand a certain amount of
fasting, Wesson said, "but the intestinal tract will stagnate
within a matter of days if there is no juice flowing in (through
the digestive system)."

Though the extent of fasting’s harmful effects depends on the
health of each individual, Wesson said she does not encourage
fasting.

However, if a person still wants to fast, he or she should
prepare for it by eating regular meals and remaining hydrated, she
said. Wesson also advised drinking at least juice during the
fast.

To safely end the fast, Wesson suggests refraining from fatty
"monster meals." Instead, she recommends a "light re-feeding"
­.especially if the fast is longer than 24 hours.

Despite difficulties that may be encountered during a fast,
fasters said the effectiveness of their ritual encourages them to
continue.

Through fasting, Shama said he achieves the the spiritual
revival he seeks.

"The holy month of Ramadan is a battery recharge," Shama
continued. "Spirituality becomes higher."

Others agreed that quick responses from their deities during
their fast are evidence that their fasts are effective. Fultz, who
is participating in a 30-day communal fast similar to the Muslim
month of Ramadan, said that "from the beginning of the fast,
everything we prayed for, God answered quickly."

Fultz added that she asked others to pray for the opportunity
for her to build relationships with those who live around her. One
hour later, a teenager from Fultz’s area called. Much to Fultz’s
surprise, the teen sought reconciliation with a friend. Fultz said
said the change she saw in the teen’s heart proved to her that the
fast was effective.

"In our lives, we can be so busy. But for a person committed to
God, if (they) can sacrifice, God rewards (them)," Fultz
explained.

Whether they fast for a day or a month, fasters said such
"evidence" of spiritual productivity keeps them confident that
their sacrifices are effective.