Meaning: The quote "A fast is not a hunger strike. Fasting submits to God's commands. A hunger strike makes God submit to our demands" by Edwin Cole encapsulates the distinction between fasting as a spiritual practice and a hunger strike as a form of protest or coercion. In this quote, Cole emphasizes the voluntary and submissive nature of fasting as a means of spiritual devotion, contrasting it with the forceful and demanding nature of a hunger strike.

Fasting has been a common practice across various religious and spiritual traditions for centuries. It involves abstaining from food, and in some cases, also from drink, for a specified period of time. Fasting is often undertaken as a form of self-discipline, purification, and spiritual growth. It is seen as a way to focus on spiritual matters, detach from worldly distractions, and attain a deeper connection with the divine. In many faiths, fasting is regarded as an act of obedience to God's commands and an expression of humility and surrender.

On the other hand, a hunger strike is a deliberate refusal to eat, usually undertaken as a form of protest, often to advocate for a specific cause or to demand action or change from others. Unlike fasting, a hunger strike is characterized by its confrontational and coercive nature, seeking to compel a response from others by putting pressure on their conscience or sense of justice. The act of hunger striking is often driven by a desire to force compliance or action from those in power, rather than by a commitment to spiritual growth or submission to a higher authority.

Cole's quote suggests that fasting is an act of submission to the will of a higher power, whereas a hunger strike seeks to impose one's will on others, even to the point of attempting to coerce divine intervention. By drawing this distinction, Cole highlights the difference in attitude and intention between the two practices. Fasting is portrayed as an act of humility and reverence, grounded in a willingness to yield to spiritual guidance, while a hunger strike is depicted as an act of defiance and insistence, aimed at compelling others to yield to one's demands.

In religious contexts, fasting is often associated with periods of introspection, repentance, and seeking divine guidance. For example, in Islam, fasting during the month of Ramadan is considered a form of worship and a means of drawing closer to Allah. In Christianity, fasting is practiced as a way to deepen one's relationship with God, with Lent being a prominent time for fasting and reflection.

In contrast, a hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance that has been used in various social and political movements to draw attention to injustices and bring about change. Notable figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Cesar Chavez employed hunger strikes as a form of peaceful protest to advance their causes and advocate for the rights of marginalized communities.

Overall, Cole's quote serves as a reminder of the different motivations and outcomes associated with fasting and hunger striking. It encourages reflection on the nature of one's actions and the underlying intentions behind them, whether they are driven by a desire for spiritual growth and submission to a higher authority, or by a need to assert one's demands and influence others.