Hi, This is Boris' imaginary girlfriend. He wanted me to say a few words. Like "shut up" and "please let it die". But I'd like to talk about the virtues of abstinence, instead. To quote my good friend Thomas Acquinas:
Objection 1. It seems that abstinence is not a
virtue. For the
Apostle says (
1 Corinthians 4:20): "The
kingdom of God is not in speech but in power [virtute]." Now the
kingdom of God does not consist in abstinence, for the
Apostle says (
Romans 14:17): "The
kingdom of God is not meat and drink," where a
gloss [Cf.
St. Augustine, QQ. Evang. ii, qu. 11 observes that "
justice consists neither in abstaining nor in eating." Therefore abstinence is not a
virtue.
Objection 2. Further,
Augustine says (Confess. x, 11) addressing himself to
God: "This hast Thou taught me, that I should set myself to take food as physic." Now it belongs not to
virtue, but to the medical art to regulate medicine. Therefore, in like manner, to regulate one's food, which belongs to abstinence, is an act not of
virtue but of art.
Objection 3. Further, every
virtue "observes the mean," as stated in Ethic. ii, 6,7. But abstinence seemingly inclines not to the mean but to deficiency, since it denotes retrenchment. Therefore abstinence is not a
virtue.
Objection 4. Further, no
virtue excludes another
virtue. But abstinence excludes patience: for
Gregory says (Pastor. iii, 19) that "impatience not unfrequently dislodges the abstainer's mind from its peaceful seclusion." Likewise he says (Pastor. iii, 19) that "sometimes the
sin of
pride pierces the thoughts of the abstainer," so that abstinence excludes
humility. Therefore abstinence is not a
virtue.
On the contrary, It is written (
2 Peter 1:5-6): "Join with your
faith virtue, and with
virtue knowledge, and with
knowledge abstinence"; where abstinence is numbered among other
virtues. Therefore abstinence is a
virtue.
I answer that, Abstinence by its very name denotes retrenchment of food. Hence the term abstinence may be taken in two ways. First, as denoting retrenchment of food absolutely, and in this way it signifies neither a
virtue nor a
virtuous act, but something indifferent. Secondly, it may be taken as regulated by reason, and then it signifies either a
virtuous habit or a
virtuous act. This is the meaning of Peter's words quoted above, where he says that we ought "to join abstinence with
knowledge," namely that in abstaining from food a man should act with due regard for those among whom he lives, for his own
person, and for the requirements of health.
Reply to Objection 1. The use of and abstinence from food, considered in themselves, do not pertain to the
kingdom of God, since the
Apostle says (
1 Corinthians 8:8): "Meat doth not commend us to
God. For neither, if we eat not [
Vulgate: 'Neither if we eat . . . nor if we eat not'], shall we have the less, nor if we eat, shall we have the more," i.e. spiritually. Nevertheless they both belong to the
kingdom of God, in so far as they are done reasonably through
faith and love of
God.
Reply to Objection 2. The regulation of food, in the point of
quantity and
quality, belongs to the art of medicine as regards the health of the body: but in the point of internal affections with regard to the
good of
reason, it belongs to abstinence. Hence
Augustine says (QQ. Evang. ii, qu. 11): "It makes no difference whatever to
virtue what or how much food a man takes, so long as he does it with due regard for the people among whom he lives, for his own
person, and for the requirements of his health: but it matters how readily and uncomplainingly he does without food when bound by
duty or
necessity to abstain."
Reply to Objection 3. It belongs to
temperance to bridle the pleasures which are too alluring to the
soul, just as it belongs to
fortitude to strengthen the
soul against
fears that deter it from the
good of reason. Wherefore, just as
fortitude is commended on account of a certain excess, from which all the parts of
fortitude take their name, so
temperance is commended for a kind of deficiency, from which all its parts are denominated. Hence abstinence, since it is a part of
temperance, is named from deficiency, and yet it observes the mean, in so far as it is in accord with right reason.
Reply to Objection 4. Those
vices result from abstinence in so far as it is not in accord with right reason. For right reason makes one abstain as one ought, i.e. with gladness of heart, and for the due end, i.e. for
God's glory and not one's own.
