Various guest speakers have throughout this ‘plate’ emphasised the importance of commensality in modern society. In week 3, Dr Nicholas Thompson argued that this practise, and its importance in society, has existed since antiquity, from Graeco-Roman banquet tables[1] to the passages of the New Testament. Indeed, the word ‘sharing’ seems to surface regularly in descriptions of ancient attitudes to food, either in reference to its distribution within groups[2], or, more literally, to the ‘sharing of the blood of Christ’ in the case of transubstantiation[3].
It can be argued, then, that for many the practise of communal eating is inextricably linked with religion – that, as Dr Thompson explained, ‘the question of bread is… a religious one’. If sharing (particularly with the needy) is taught so vehemently by the major world religions, then surely those societies in which food inequality is most apparent are also the most ‘anti-theist’.
To question this assumption, one needs only to look at the Southern African countries, where income inequality (and thus presumably also food inequality[4]) is the worst in the world. In Namibia, the world’s second most unequal country[5], 92% of respondents to a Gallup poll agreed that ‘yes, religion is important’, in contrast to just 17% in Sweden[6]. So, it can perhaps be discerned that the promotion of all forms of equity by major religions, especially through various food examples, might be somewhat ineffective.
[1] See 1 Corinthians 11: 17-34
[2] Ibid.
[3] See 1 Corinthians 10: 14-30
[4] Think of last week’s shopping list activity
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/datablog/2017/apr/26/inequality-index-where-are-the-worlds-most-unequal-countries
[6] Crabtree, Steve. “Religiosity Highest in World’s Poorest Nations”. Gallup.
This is an insightful blog post! Though I myself prefer an open mind to religions rather than being wholly categorised in one religion, I definitely think you have a great balance here between the sharing and the religion ideas. As you pointed out, sharing is also important in its distribution to different ethnicities and classes. it creates the social balances and imbalances; the idea of the rich versus the poor. In many ways, I think your post relates to my own blog post, given that the idea of sharing is apparent in equalities and inequalities. it is important to emphasise the practices such as transubstantiation; to recognise and appreciate the different ways we ‘share’. Perhaps, if humanity was more aware of the ways people practice within their religions and cultures, we would be better at sharing. Perhaps if we were better at sharing, we would have less social imbalances within humanity.
Yet, additionally, with relation to your discussion of anti-theism, you make some more interesting points. I think it seems, despite the inherent inequality in many countries, the poorest and hungriest often – miraculously – have the most faith. I witnessed this in Cambodia’s slums, where children with next to nothing also possessed the biggest smiles. They were unbelievably attentive, and firm in their faith of God. It shocks me – like you said – how people continue to go hungry if these practices of sharing do take place. Maybe it is, as you say, ineffective.