NEW YORK CITY - Religious institutions nationwide are watching closely a lawsuit filed on behalf of several obese children who claim the Roman Catholic Church is responsible for making them fat.
The lawsuit, filed by lawyer Samuel Greenberg in a Manhattan federal court, alleges that the Church violated New York state's consumer fraud statutes by deliberately misleading consumers into thinking their communion wafers were actually human flesh.
It says the Church did not adequately provide information about the ingredients of the Host, and the children, who were on the popular South Beach Diet, could develop health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity from eating the carbohydrate-rich wafers.
Mr. Greenberg said the lawsuit raised "serious issues". "They have deliberately withheld information, he said.
Mr. Greenberg also says that, if the case goes to trial, he will seek to turn it into a class action suit, meaning it can represent other children in the state who claim they have developed health problems stemming from the body of Christ.
Bread or Meat?
The Holy sacrament of communion is not meant as sustenance for the body. If these children are eating two and three-hundred wafers a day, that far exceeds the recommended intake of Jesus, said Thomas Maloney, the lawyer representing the Church.
If successful, the spiritual community fears that it could trigger a rash of further suits and huge payouts to victims - potentially running into billions of dollars - similar to those that have severely damaged the tobacco industry.
Father Gerald Wilson of Saint Marthas Church in Amityville was outraged by the suit. Whats next? Are we going to be sued because someones prayers werent answered? I am sorry but we arent Genies in a bottle, and we arent a restaurant. These people need to take some responsibility for their lives. God makes people sick because they deserve it. That is why he sent AIDS to the gays.
A teenager, who weighs nearly 400lbs, said his doctor put him on a no-carb diet to save his life. He claims the Church misled him into thinking the Communion was meat. The priest says that it is the body of Christ. I had no reason to think he was lying. It wasnt until I continued to gain weight that my doctor discovered I wasnt sticking to my diet. That is when he told me that Communion wafers are actually bread. I was devastated.
The lawsuit - filed in New York State Supreme Court in the Bronx - said that in addition to withholding nutritional information, The Roman Catholic Church further misled parishioners by enticing them with promises of everlasting life and a chance to sit with God.
Preliminary hearings will be held some time in June.
fat kids Posted: 4/14/2005by: dave kids are awesome when they're as fat as this kid in the picture...the price of his health is well worth his huggableness Big ups to Jen C Posted: 4/14/2005by: Jen C-Fan Her comments were funnier then the artical--Funny stuff Jen! your mom Posted: 4/14/2005by: Jon That kid looks like the michelin man's son. His parents must be so proud Eat up Big Boy Posted: 4/14/2005by: Z-man That boy is hungry! Thats one fat mofo! Posted: 3/26/2005by: Fat kid! Damn!! That kid looks like the marshmellowy guy from the Michelin tires commerial, does he not!?! One fat kid! ha if i saw him in puvlic i would throw him upo and see if he could bounce. wafer alternative Posted: 3/18/2005by: Jen C In response to this, the Catholic church is working on a low-carb communion wafer alternative. It's called "I can't beleive it's not Chirst." Bad Posted: 3/18/2005by: FatPope You're going to Hell, for sure. The rich meaty part of Hell, where all the deons are Atkins friendly.
