The Deadly Sin of Gluttony

We Christians have a way of emphasizing some sins more than others. When I was a young boy growing up in the church, smoking and drinking were frowned upon strongly, and perhaps rightly so. But I never heard a sermon about gluttony, which centuries ago Pope Gregory included on his list of seven deadly sins.

So, what is gluttony and why is it considered a vicious vice? The dictionary defines gluttony as “excessive eating and drinking.” That definition fits well with how the Bible discusses gluttony, often associating it with drunkenness and a profligate lifestyle.

For example, Proverbs says, “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags” (23:20-21).