How do Christians justify eating pork and other "Unclean Foods"?

Something I've never understood is these christians somehow reading over the hundreds of references the bible has condemning the eating of pork. Old and new testament say don't do it. It goes as far as saying anyone with swine between his teeth can never enter the kingdom of God. Yet, just across the street from me there is a church having a pig picking. WTF? Sure, people say bacon is great or whatever, I wouldn't know. But is it that great? Anyway, if you're a christian and believe it's ok to eat that crap, tell me where you get it from. And don't try to pass off the vision peter had on the roof in which God told him to eat unclean foods. That was clearly stated later to have meant nothing about food and only about gentiles not being unclean.

Originally posted by long pig
But is it that great?

The Bible solidly states that we shouldn't eat unclean foods such as pork, shell fish, certain hoofed animals, and certain kinds of fish (scaleless, I think) . Pretty much the bottom feeders and predators of the world.

Maybe they, Christians, feel since Jesus died for all sins that they could eat it and still be forgiven? I know that the SDA church doesn't condone eating it.

I, myself, love shell fish!
✅

IIRC Jesus said that the old laws should be discarded but never specified which ones, leaving lots of wiggle room for later Christians.

He also said the complete opposite, that absolutely no laws would be changed...

Jesus said that what comes out of your mouth defiles you, not what goes into it. I imagine that is the justification.

I'm an atheist vegetarian who calls himself a Catholic vegetarian because I eat fish, but I call myself that just to mess with people.

And I find meat delicious, and will wolf it down to freak the sh*t out of people who think being vegetarian means abhorring meat, people who eat it, etc. etc. and all that other hippy crap. Not often, mind you, but it's happened a few times.

Eat yer damn meat if you want, religion or not.

...

Obviously my response had nothing to do with religion really. I don't really care about this discussion.

Originally posted by Digi
I'm an atheist vegetarian who calls himself a Catholic vegetarian because I eat fish, but I call myself that just to mess with people.

And I find meat delicious, and will wolf it down to freak the sh*t out of people who think being vegetarian means abhorring meat, people who eat it, etc. etc. and all that other hippy crap. Not often, mind you, but it's happened a few times.

Eat yer damn meat if you want, religion or not.

...

Obviously my response had nothing to do with religion really. I don't really care about this discussion.

I agree: the reasons behind those "meat" rules were more about health and sanitation than they were about something spiritual.

Also...if I understand you correctly, you say you are a vegetarian JUST so you can mess with people when you go to eat meat?

That's not only funny, but I'm going to steal that and start punking people.

Originally posted by King Kandy
He also said the complete opposite, that absolutely no laws would be changed...

Jesus said that what comes out of your mouth defiles you, not what goes into it. I imagine that is the justification.

You heard it here first.

Originally posted by dadudemon
I agree: the reasons behind those "meat" rules were more about health and sanitation than they were about something spiritual.

Also...if I understand you correctly, you say you are a vegetarian JUST so you can mess with people when you go to eat meat?

That's not only funny, but I'm going to steal that and start punking people.

Actually, no, I'm a legit vegetarian. Health reasons, primarily. But I don't give a damn about eating meat occasionally to prove a point, especially if it's hilarious.

😉

Originally posted by Digi
Actually, no, I'm a legit vegetarian. Health reasons, primarily. But I don't give a damn about eating meat occasionally to prove a point, especially if it's hilarious.

😉

That makes sense, actually. A single session, spread out over many meals, is not bad for you.

because stupid rules are stupid (no offence)

But is it that great?

Originally posted by Digi
Actually, no, I'm a legit vegetarian. Health reasons, primarily. But I don't give a damn about eating meat occasionally to prove a point, especially if it's hilarious.

😉

Many people would argue that the proscriptions of the kushrat related to such foods (e.g., pork, shellfish) have no place in a modern world in which we understand the concepts of disease and illness much more clearly and can properly prepare them.

Besides, they taste good.

Originally posted by King Kandy
IDK if i'd call that vegetarian or just "doesn't eat much meat".

Well. it's been for about 4 years and I can count the exceptions on probably both of my hands, so it's fairly close to legit vegetarianism. But I don't really care about the label, I'm good either way.

Originally posted by Digi
Well. it's been for about 4 years and I can count the exceptions on probably both of my hands, so it's fairly close to legit vegetarianism. But I don't really care about the label, I'm good either way.

Originally posted by King Kandy
But don't you eat fish?

No no, I do. And I realize that actual vegetarianism doesn't include fish. It's just, I hate saying all that most of the time, or getting into the "ovo-lacto" whatever-the-hell labels for the various veggie levels. It's much easier to say "I'm a vegetarian" and let people form whatever conclusions they want. Then, like I said, I can sometimes use those assumptions to hilarious ends, and other times it's just a convenience thing.

Anyway, the "exceptions" comment was referring to chicken, pork, red meats, etc. Sorry for the confusion.

Originally posted by King Kandy
He also said the complete opposite, that absolutely no laws would be changed...

Jesus said that what comes out of your mouth defiles you, not what goes into it. I imagine that is the justification.

Thanks for posting that.
I heard it somewhere that Jesus said that, but I thought I might have mixed it up with some other ideology.

Originally posted by long pig
Something I've never understood is these christians somehow reading over the hundreds of references the bible has condemning the eating of pork. Old and new testament say don't do it. It goes as far as saying anyone with swine between his teeth can never enter the kingdom of God. Yet, just across the street from me there is a church having a pig picking. WTF? Sure, people say bacon is great or whatever, I wouldn't know. But is it that great? Anyway, if you're a christian and believe it's ok to eat that crap, tell me where you get it from. And don't try to pass off the vision peter had on the roof in which God told him to eat unclean foods. That was clearly stated later to have meant nothing about food and only about gentiles not being unclean.

That is so trivial - what I've never understood is those who are so obsessed with what they eat as to not offend their God because it's ''dirty''.

I've eaten snake, rabbit, pork, beef, pickled chicken feet, all kinds of sea food, horse meat, pigeons (unconfirmed - i've been told it's chicken, but in the back of my head I always suspected it being a pigeon). I'll try scorpion too, one of these days.

I even know people who've eaten human placenta, cats and dogs.
God knows how many bugs I've eaten and didn't even know.

God must be really pissed.

Originally posted by Digi
No no, I do. And I realize that actual vegetarianism doesn't include fish. It's just, I hate saying all that most of the time, or getting into the "ovo-lacto" whatever-the-hell labels for the various veggie levels. It's much easier to say "I'm a vegetarian" and let people form whatever conclusions they want. Then, like I said, I can sometimes use those assumptions to hilarious ends, and other times it's just a convenience thing.

I posted about that in another thread a while ago:

Originally posted by dadudemon
It's far easier to say "vegetarian except for fish" than to say "pescetarianism."

However, it is even better to say, "I'm a pescetarianism which means I'm a vegetarian except for fish. 🙂 " The "ignorant" learn something new, that way.

Whadduya think? You like the idea or think it's still too confusing?

Originally posted by dadudemon
I posted about that in another thread a while ago:

Whadduya think? You like the idea or think it's still too confusing?

I think that's a good idea as long as I'm in an altruistic mood, and don't mind taking the time to teach someone the term and have the inevitable ensuing conversation. I don't always feel like that though.

srug

Christians tend to take the New Testament more seriously.

Eating pork/beef/chicken/meat is okay for most Christians, although there are some denominations that have some rules.

Like, Seventh Day Adventists don't eat pork, nor do they eat meat on Fridays.

It's the Jewish faith that has the most clean/unclean eating rules, some to the extent that they have two kitchens and two sets of plates and such, so that kosher foods can be sure to be cooked and served completely separately from other foods. After all, the Torah is the first five books of the bible - Genesis, Exodus, Judges, Deuteronomy, and Numbers. Three out of five of those books list rules upon rules upon rules regarding every aspect of life, every sin that could be committed and what you're supposed to do about indentured servants.