Food and the Bible

[BetheButterfly]

All of this is complete assumption and that is not what the bible says. It says plain and simple dont eat those things.

The Tanakh, which is the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, says that, but the New Testament of the Bible does not say that.

 

Most Gentile Christians follow the commands of the New Testament, because we believe that Jesus fulfilled already many of the commands of the Old Testament.

 

For example, the Tanakh (or Old Testament) commands animal sacrifices. However, most Christians (I should hope!) do not sacrifice animals. Why? Because we believe that Jesus fulfilled that commandment when he sacrificed himself once for all, as the "Lamb of God."

 

About food, it is true that that the Tanakh has very strict guidelines for food. That actually helped the Jewish people throughout their history. However, the following is what most Christians (particularly Gentile Christians) believe concerning food and what is ok to eat:

 

Mark 7 (I boldened some.)

Mark 7 NIV - That Which Defiles - The Pharisees and - Bible Gateway

 

"14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [f] 17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

 

 

Acts 10 (I boldened some.)

Acts 10 NIV - Cornelius Calls for Peter - At Caesarea - Bible Gateway

 

 

 

"9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven."

 

 

Now, Messianic Jewish people argue that this is only concerning that God has accepted Gentiles as well as Jewish people, which makes sense, but many Christians also consider this to mean that all food is now "clean" or acceptable to eat.

 

Acts 15 (I boldened some... please see all of Acts 15 for context.)

Acts 15 NIV - The Council at Jerusalem - Certain - Bible Gateway

 

"9 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

 

Basically, the idea is that Gentile followers of Jesus do not have to become Jewish and conform to all the requirements of the Law of Moses (including circumcision) in order to believe in Jesus. Interestingly, the apostles of Jesus did command to stay away from food "polluted" by idols, meat of strangled animals, and blood. I don't know how many Christians do that today... However, please notice that the Gentile followers of Jesus were not required to adhere to the strict guidelines for the Jewish people. Now, there has been for centuries a debate with Jewish Christians concerning if they should continue to follow the strict guidelines of the Law of Moses (excluding animal sacrifices) or if they are "free" from them. I have friends in both sides who are passionate about their side. It is very interesting.

 

 

People have had the ability to cook food well done since they have been using fire to cook. Also people still against certain precaution eat thier food whatever way they want. Raw, barely cooked or even well done. So that really makes no sense at all. Also food was alot healthier back before our modern world started messing with it. Hormones, preservatives, chemicals and alot of other things.

During the days of Moses, the descendants of Israel were traveling in the desert. It is possible they did not cook pork as well as should be cooked. Thus, it is actually best that they didn't have herds of pigs with them and eat bacon and sausage for breakfast...

 

As for all animals being vegetarian that also makes no sense.

Because I hate bloodshed and cannibalism, it makes sense to me. It makes me sad of hearing other animals killing and eating each other, including in their same species. Maybe other people are immune to that though.

 

 

Animals, humans included have teeth to suit what they eat.

teeth

They have adapted or evolved you could say. However, some things are not the best in evolving. For example, though many people consider humans to be the most "evolved" species, many humans do downright horrible and cruel things to other humans and/or animals. In that case, their evolution has not helped the earth be a beautiful place.

 

 

Your not going to find a shark able to survive on eating plants and just the oposite.

I wonder if it's possible for a shark to "evolve" to becoming omnivorous and later on, a herbivore? Of course, the anatomy would change, but is that necessarily a bad thing?

Animals are suited to eat exactly what they eat and that how thier digestive systems work for them.

I agree with that. However, adaption is possible. By the way, one of my vegetarian friends feeds her dog only veggie dog food. Now, it's possible that her dog would LOVE to eat meat, but she survives just fine on veggie dog food...(If I would bring chicken and give her a piece, I'm sure she would love it... I don't do that though cause I don't want to get into trouble with my friend... that'd be rude and disrespectful on my part.)

 

I believe its because of evolution, you believe god created every animal.

I believe God used evolution, though I also believe God created life on earth. Thanks by the way for the collected and courteous way you expressed our differences in beliefs.

 

But if thats true than he gave carnivores canines and inscisors not for eating plants but to do exactly what they do, stab and tear flesh. There are animals that are omnivorous but they have the best of both worlds. Like humans.

I believe the account of Noah and the flood is true (and it really interests me that a huge flood is noted with different versions of the idea around the world). However, I don't think all the species of animals that exist today were on the ark. It is possible that some of the animals that have been extinct for awhile were on the ark. I also think that many species of animals did not exist at that time. For example, I think that possibly, only 2 wolves were on the ark and no foxes, no coyotes, no hyenas... However, later on, many species came from those wolves, including the ancestors of my darling Yorkie Sheila!!!

 

Anyways, back to food, the Old Testament and the New Testament are a bit different in their guidelines, especially concerning to the Gentiles. Regardless, my personal preference is to only eat fish and chicken... fish because Jesus is recorded eating fish, and chicken because I love the taste.

 

However, it makes me sad about killing other animals to eat them. That makes me a hypocrite since I'm fine with killing fish and chicken. Killing any creature is sad, in my opinion.

Edited September 22, 2012 by BetheButterfly

[BetheButterfly]

Im just going to put what I orginally had.

 

Thanks for quoting it with the quotation wraps stating your screenname. I didn't know if you wanted me to do that or not though.

[Hawaii50]

The earth is flat and at the center of the universe.. these are other beliefs held circa biblical times. AWESOME!

[BetheButterfly]

(over millennia we have evolved, in our facial physiognomy, due to our gradual change in diet. We used to eat far more vegetables than meat, purely and simply because catching vegetables was less time consuming and energetic....

 

Hi TaraMaiden,

 

I hope you don't mind me copying and moving your quote to this thread.

 

I agree, though I also think there's something much more pure, beautiful, and innocent to eating plants than to killing and eating animals.

 

For example, when I eat grapes, I feel so happy and natural, but when I eat chicken and allow my mind to drift back to spending time on my best friend's grandparents' farm as a child, I remember the adorable little chicks and then how I witness the chickens dying. Not fun. My husband when he was a boy refused to eat chicken after he saw a lady kill one and cook it. Nowadays, it only bothers us when we think about it... have we grown immune to death?

 

 

Also, 'vegetation' of old was far tougher and more fibrous, and initially, we used to eat it raw, so our jaws were stronger and more pronounced.

A lot of the vegetable we buy in modern times, started life far more differently in colour, texture, size and composition, than we know them today.

Furthermore, as farming became commonplace, and meat became more available, due to raising livestock, over time, our jaw structure and dentition changed.

True. Do you think that was for the best?

 

Pork is considered to be 'unclean' meat, due to the way pigs are raised and what they eat.

Pork, badly kept, cooked or prepared, still presents an incredibly high risk.

It can be more dangerous than raw chicken.

Yep

But having spoken to Muslims, pork meat is not entirely forbidden to them. If they are starving and have no other choice but to kill a wild pig and eat it, then that's acceptable....

Yeah, though most Muslims have other options. For example, one of my Muslim friends from India eats vegetarian food if there is only pork and no other meat. It's only in extreme conditions (like if there was no vegetarian food or bread or anything else around) do sincere Muslims actually decide to eat pork.

 

The taboo of eating certain foods was an introduced religious caveat, not a God-given one.

I disagree, because both the Jewish people and the Muslims believe God ordered them not do eat certain things. If they had thought it wasn't a God-given mandate, I think the sincere believers would be much more lenient.

 

And logically, it made sense.

When you consider that the majority of Theist religions originated in hot countries, with few means of refrigeration, logic played a big part.

Agreed.

 

In the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, she talks about salting down pig meat and also the cold winters. That helped a lot in protecting the people, but in the Middle East, cold winters don't reach so much and yeah, in the times of Moses and Jesus and Muhammad, they didn't have the nice refrigeration means that we have today.

[TaraMaiden]

Hi TaraMaiden,

 

I hope you don't mind me copying and moving your quote to this thread.

Not at all. I think it's an excellent idea....

 

I agree, though I also think there's something much more pure, beautiful, and innocent to eating plants than to killing and eating animals.

Being vegetarian, I'd have to agree.

I'm not one of those "punch the air" 'meat is murder!' merchants, though. As with personal choices, I respect that. Hate having any form of personal dogma shoved down my throat, so I try to resist doing it to others...

 

For example, when I eat grapes, I feel so happy and natural, but when I eat chicken and allow my mind to drift back to spending time on my best friend's grandparents' farm as a child, I remember the adorable little chicks and then how I witness the chickens dying. Not fun. My husband when he was a boy refused to eat chicken after he saw a lady kill one and cook it. Nowadays, it only bothers us when we think about it... have we grown immune to death?

Only because we're not exposed to it.

I think if we had to actually hunt, kill, skin, gut and prepare our own meat, people would have more respect for life. Maybe we'd have a more selective and discerning populace.... Everything is presented in a very sanitised way, so we have difficulty connecting the meat in the plastic packaging with a living, breathing being. A child i know actually refuses to believe the chicken in the supermarket was ever on two legs.... He's never seen or been exposed to what goes on between 'chicken run' and table....

 

 

True. Do you think that was for the best?

In some ways, yes, in some ways no.

we've become very 'soft' and prone to infection. Our immune defences are lower, but food hygiene is better.

I still believe that if we had to do our own food gathering, we'd be fitter indiviuals.

 

 

 

In the Laura Ingalls Wilder books,

"Little House on the Prairie"! one of my youth-time favourites!

 

...she talks about salting down pig meat and also the cold winters.

 

Salting, brining and drying meat was a staple emthod, before ice boxes made their entrance... Salame, parma Ham and salt cod all have their origins in needs, rather than luxury foods!

 

That helped a lot in protecting the people, but in the Middle East, cold winters don't reach so much and yeah, in the times of Moses and Jesus and Muhammad, they didn't have the nice refrigeration means that we have today.

No, and every bit of the animal was used, for all kinds of things, not just a juicy steak on sunday night....!

[BetheButterfly]

Not at all. I think it's an excellent idea....

 

 

Being vegetarian, I'd have to agree.

I'm not one of those "punch the air" 'meat is murder!' merchants, though. As with personal choices, I respect that. Hate having any form of personal dogma shoved down my throat, so I try to resist doing it to others...

 

 

I'm a wannabe vegetarian, though I'm also a hypocrite in that I don't like eating some animals, but others I do eat. I wish I didn't though.

 

I understand about the personal dogma stuff, but when I think of an innocent animal dying, it makes me really sad.

 

Only because we're not exposed to it.

I think if we had to actually hunt, kill, skin, gut and prepare our own meat, people would have more respect for life.

 

I 100% agree with you!!!

 

Maybe we'd have a more selective and discerning populace.... Everything is presented in a very sanitised way, so we have difficulty connecting the meat in the plastic packaging with a living, breathing being. A child i know actually refuses to believe the chicken in the supermarket was ever on two legs.... He's never seen or been exposed to what goes on between 'chicken run' and table....

 

He would freak out on a farm that has chickens running around, witnesses their deaths and helping pluck their feathers, that's for sure.

 

 

 

In some ways, yes, in some ways no.

we've become very 'soft' and prone to infection. Our immune defences are lower, but food hygiene is better.

I still believe that if we had to do our own food gathering, we'd be fitter indiviuals.

 

I agree that it'd be best for us to do our own food gathering and be more involved in the process, instead of just going to the markets and restaurants.

 

 

 

 

"Little House on the Prairie"! one of my youth-time favourites!

 

Me too!!! Wow, it's amazing all they could do. I don't know how (by experience) to do much of what they did long time ago!!!

 

 

Salting, brining and drying meat was a staple emthod, before ice boxes made their entrance... Salame, parma Ham and salt cod all have their origins in needs, rather than luxury foods!

 

 

No, and every bit of the animal was used, for all kinds of things, not just a juicy steak on sunday night....!

 

Yeah. That's one of many things I very much admire about the Native Americans... I love how some people in different cultures respect the animals and even talk to them, as well as use all of the animal, not just killing for sport or for using 1 part of the animal.

 

This article is very cool... Thanking the Animals We Eat

 

Here is a quote which I love; I boldened some.

 

"He waits. His breath slows, his gaze never swaying. Finally, he spots the antlers and counts: One, two, three, and, yes, four. Four points. A true foe and provider. He steadies his hand, following the movement in the brush. “Creator, give me a sure arrow.” Minutes pass. His muscles begin to quiver slightly under the strain. His eyes blur and he blinks several times to regain his focus. “Creator, give me a sure arrow.” At last the deer moves into plain sight. The arrow leaps from the bow, whipping the air. The man now rushes to the animal. He must get there quickly. He checks the small leather pouch at his waste. The tobacco is ready.

When he arrives, the deer is not moving, but his breath has not left him. He kneels at his side, and places his hands upon the animal’s neck. The arrow has pierced his heart. A sure arrow. He leans his face into the deer’s soft ears. “Thank you brother. Thank you for giving my family food to eat.” He then drops tobacco on the earth and sits. He comforts the animal, as he leaves the Land of Man for the Land of Spirit. “Pass peacefully, brother. You are honored.”

Elise McMullen

Sheep at Lasting Legacy Farms, New Hampshire

 

I may not be a leather-footed man, as my Native American ancestors were before the 21st century, but they still whisper in my ears,..."

[mercy]

I don't eat anything that's had a head. Or has been in the body of something that's had a head. Though I do eat honey.

 

I eat vegan, mostly raw. Though the bible tells me all food is clean, that's no longer true. Chemically engineered vegetables, meat with more drugs in them than an addict, no thanks.

[Hawaii50]

A little side note for the spiritual-foodies.. Most these rules have very commonsensical roots.

 

Pork, aside from being the fattest common meats, also carries more parasites as well. It's not an economic animal to raise. IT WILL EAT YOUR FOOD, and anything else it happens across to. Also, a pig won't **** where he's eats, if it had a F#$%$#% choice. lol

 

The Kosher Jews.. Just one example from their rule book. No mixing of meat/dairy with in 4 hrs of each other. Why?! hmmm.. using common sense the dairy is going to neutralize your stomach acids taking the meat longer to digest. common sense people.