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Spirituality

Pastor dies while attempting to replicate 40-day fast of Jesus

By T.K. Randall
February 16, 2023 · Comment icon 9 comments

The pastor went for 40 days without eating. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 WbgArchives
Pastor Francisco Barajah of Mozambique died from the effects of not eating anything whatsoever for over 5 weeks.
The ill-advised stunt, which attempted to replicate the story of Jesus fasting in the wilderness for 40 days while being tempted by the Devil, took such a toll on the pastor that he ended up dying.

According to reports, Barajah visibly deteriorated as the days went by and became weaker and weaker.

After 25 days without food he had become quite sick and by the 38th day he was in a very bad way.

By the time he had completed the fast he had developed severe anemia and was so ill that his internal organs had sustained damage and he was no longer able to digest food.
Despite efforts to rehydrate him, he died last week in a hospital in the city of Beira.

Ultimately, it's not particularly surprising that the pastor lost his life; while it is possible to survive for 40 days without food, it is highly dangerous and could easily prove fatal.

Some reports even implied that he had gone without water as well, although this is thought to be impossible because even the world record for such a feat stands at only 18 days.

Suffice to say, don't try this at home.

Source: The Daily Beast | Comments (9)




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Comment icon #1 Posted by joc 2 years ago
Well...that's what Belief does for you.  Messes up your mind!  So many things wrong with that. First problem...The Mozambique Preacher didn't go out into the wilderness.  So, the 'faith' act wasn't a faith act at all...it was incredibly Narcissistic.  Look what I did!  He didn't go out into the wilderness because he wouldn't have gotten far before something ate him. Still, it's sad when people do stupid things like that. Secondly, the Faith wasn't that at all.  Jesus just believed that the Father would take care of his needs whether in the wilderness or the comfy home of his Mommy and Da... [More]
Comment icon #2 Posted by DieChecker 2 years ago
Maybe he should have started with something less deadly, like walking on water and/or turning water into wine. Very sad, but obvious Darwin award type victim. In that same exact story of the Bible, it says, "Do not put your Lord God to the Test".  Which is basically, don't try this at home folks. "It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'" (Matthew 4:7) 
Comment icon #3 Posted by Tatetopa 2 years ago
Maybe if one wants to emulate a very important  central aspect of Jesus rather than an anecdotal detail,  they could start by  living a good life
Comment icon #4 Posted by EBE Hybrid 2 years ago
If he'd fed 5000 people by doing a magic trick with a couple of fish and a bit of bread, surely that would have ticked a few Bible boxes and avoided putting the health service to unnecessary trouble. Would also be greatly appreciated given the way that many of us are having to make so many compromises regarding "heating or eating" as the cost of living crisis continues
Comment icon #5 Posted by Chaldon 2 years ago
Without a magic trick and more than a bit of fish and bread would also do. And tick all the necessary boxes.
Comment icon #6 Posted by Chaldon 2 years ago
By the way, the story of the 40-day temptation in the desert is not present in the Gospel of John, as well as Nativity and some other more naive stories, instead it contains a lot more of complex teachings, reminding of some apocryphal manus, such as Gospel of Thomas.
Comment icon #7 Posted by Ajay0 2 years ago
Jesus fasting for 40 days in the Judean desert may be a metaphor for abstinence from sensory pleasures and comfort and leading a life of solitude and silence necessary for contemplation and perspective. Benjamin Franklin in his autobiography had creditted fasting or less intake of food with greater mental clarity. Fasting does not necessarily mean a complete abstinence from food. Jesus may have taken some sparse food and water available in the desert needed for bodily survival. I know of people who fast taking only a sufficient amount of food and water, often tasteless but nutritious, as a way... [More]
Comment icon #8 Posted by flying squid 2 years ago
I remember the similar case from the year 2016. This time the pastor was from South Africa. Did pastor die after attempting Jesus’ 40 day and 40 night fast? https://metro.co.uk/2016/08/03/did-pastor-die-after-attempting-jesus-40-day-and-40-night-fast-6046002/  
Comment icon #9 Posted by DieChecker 2 years ago
What I've been told by my Anglican Priest Father-in-law is that John was written differently because it was aimed at the local Jewish population, who responded to various religious themes differently then the Romans and Greeks. Luke and Mark were written to be read by Gentiles, and thus focused more on the miraculous, and Jesus's power.


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