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Cancer Answers is hosted by Dr. Anees Chagpar, Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and Director of The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Dr. Francine Foss, Professor of Medical Oncology. The show features a guest cancer specialist who will share the most recent advances in cancer therapy and respond to listeners questions. Myths, facts and advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment are discussed, with a different focus eachweek. Nationally acclaimed specialists in various types of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment discuss common misconceptions about the disease and respond to questions from the community.Listeners can submit questions to be answered on the program at canceranswers@yale.edu or by leaving a message at (888) 234-4YCC. As a resource, archived programs from 2006 through the present are available in both audio and written versions on the Yale Cancer Center website.

Can Fasting Bring You Closer to God?

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Commodore%20Skahill/Colin%20McEnroe%20Show%2007-23-2013.mp3

In researching this show, I found one claim that some of the writers of the Constitution fasted to enhance inspiration and mental clarity. I couldn't confirm that, but in 1775, the Continental Congress proclaimed July 20 as a day of "fasting and humiliation."  

The notion was that a day of fasting would shake the cobwebs out of some people and wake their senses up to the necessity of independence. Thomas Jefferson and the Lees, Richard Henry and Patrick Henry, had been pushing the fasting concept in the Virginia House of Burgesses, and Benjamin Franklin was known advocate of fasting.

I guess I'm saying that, instead of pigging out at cookouts and shooting off firecrackers, we'd be staying truer to our roots if we fasted on July 4.  

The idea came back in 1798 when John Adams proclaimed May 9, 1798 as a day of fasting. 

We'll talk about the spiritual legacy of fasting in American religions on today's show with an interfaith panel of experts. 

You can join the convesation. Do you fast? Email colin@wnpr.org or tweet us @wnprcolin.

Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Colin can be reached at colin@ctpublic.org.

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