Fasting

[Daniel]

Yeah, if you're sick, it's just fine to relax the fast.

[Elijah]

If possible you are suppose to ask your spiritual father for permission to break the fast even in cases like this. If you are unable to while you are sick it would probably be best to mention it next time you go to confession. Hope you feel better soon.

[David]

This is my first post here and I'd like to say what a great site this is- it's truly one of the sanest havens on the internet!
I have always wondered why shellfish are allowed during fasts and whether there was anyone here who could point me to supporting texts from the Fathers, etc. that explain this at all?
It's a question I am asked by non-Orthodox often and I would like to give them a good answer as well as understand the practice better my self.

God bless!
David

[TomS]

Tell them because men who were hung up on legalistic rules made them up.

[Anastasios]

Actually, Tom, it's because shellfish were cheap and abundant in the Mediterreanean area and so fasting by eating them saved money which was used to give to the poor.

anastasios

[尼古拉前执事]

Well now that we have the liberal protestant response from Tom, shellfish were not considered animals because they have no backbone and this is why worms and other bugs are allowed during a fast.

[TomS]

Actually, Tom, it's because shellfish were cheap and abundant in the Mediterreanean area and so fasting by eating them saved money which was used to give to the poor.

anastasios

So then, the purpose of fasting is economics based? So this means that there is no real reason not to eat read meat, just eat a cheaper cut on fasting days?