Depart From Me! I Never Knew You, Eaters of Bacon!

Houston - Hair Balls ^ | Feb. 23 2009 | Katharine Shilcutt

[Pyro7480]

You never have watched Man vs. Wild have you? ;-)

[TheThirdRuffian]

But Noah took on board seven of each the clean animals.

[Tax-chick]

No, we don’t have cable.

[Scotswife]

“Peter’s vision was actually representative of three “unclean” men who were coming to visit him and whom he would have ordinarily not associated with (as a devout Jew), so the sheet was lowered three times in his dream to represent these three men.”

I understand that - but it is also an analogy and a statement that God can make the unclean - clean.

[Alex Murphy]

I made the “Bacon Explosion” for Sunday country breakfast. It was just awesome. It was the perfect combination of flavors. It was.....unforgettable.

You're making me hungry. What's in the “Bacon Explosion”?

[SnakeDoctor]

So I guess the bacon cheeseburgers and hot dogs served at our church barbecue were a bad idea?

Were our cheeseburgers satanic?

SnakeDoc

[Pyro7480]

You may want to watch this on an empty stomach. Fair warning! ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSw7uwx3Mrc&feature=related

[Zionist Conspirator]

Since the Hebrew Bible is considerably to the right of the "new" (at least when it comes to things like killing one's enemies as opposed to "turning the other cheek") one can only hope he follows his logic to its ultimate conclusion. Maybe he'll stress the Shabbat as a witness of how G-d created the world in six days.

However--just to clear things up, non-Jews are not, and have never been, required to abstain from pork or seafood (that's part of the covenant with Israel). The only area where non-Jews are to observe the distinction between clean and unclean beasts is qorbanot (offerings), as our father Noach offered clean rather than unclean beasts as qorbanot after the Mabbul.

Unless one eats kosher meat slaughtered for Jews, non-Jews are required to abstain from meat taken from an animal while it was still alive (ie, while parts of the body were still moving, not counting nervous twitches). Seafood and insects are not subject to this restriction. However, this is only a capital offense if the meat is consumed while the animal is still alive. After the animal has died any meat taken from it while it was still living is still forbidden, but it is no longer a capital offense (note that in the absence of competent Halakhic courts G-d Himself reserves the right to execute the sentence). I have read that non-Jews are held accountable for this whole category (`ever min hachay) only for intentional violation, but I am unfortunately not an expert in this.

As for the "new testament," it's always struck me as strange that chr*stians invoke a vision that was an allegorical reference to the erasure of the distinction between Jew and non-Jew (G-d forbid!) as somehow overturning the laws of kashrut, but that's not any more tortured than most chr*stian reasoning.

[safisoft]

The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. - Acts 10:9-16

Can all the "New Testament" experts here tell me what the word "unclean" means - and what the word "uncommon" means. Please do not make assumptions. Please do some research into the usage of those words in the First Century (start with the Greek and then the Hebrew if you can).

Then, please all you "New Testament" experts here - tell me what Peter said the VISION meant. He says in Acts 10 and in Acts 11.

Lastly, if you heard a "voice from heaven" telling you to commit adultery, would you? - And, tell me in Acts 10... did Peter "rise and eat"?

[Ping-Pong]

I don't recall Jesus's mentioning good nutrition practices at any time ... although the provision of 150 gallons of great wine is suggestive of something ... Anyone may choose to eat or not eat whatever he likes, but for a Christian to claim there's a religious meaning one way or another is contrary to the clear statements of Jesus, the evangelists, and the apostles.

There are many things Jesus didn't mention, nor did He need to for they were already written. Remember, He didn't change one jot of the law. And I agree, we can certainly eat whatever we want, drink all the liquor we can before throwing up or passing out, or smoke three packs a day, or swear like a sailor, or watch all the porn the web offers, or not wear our seat belts....if we are so inclined. But none are good ideas. LOL.

To me, it isn't like breaking the ten commandments but nevertheless they are written for a reason. I will say again, the more important message given is the spiritual reason. Unclean foods are symbolic of unclean doctrine and they will poison us spiritually.

[Scythian]

Lastly, if you heard a "voice from heaven" telling you to commit adultery, would you? - And, tell me in Acts 10... did Peter "rise and eat"?

I'm very interested in what you have to say, can you say it? I'm not sure what you are saying, what is the meaning of his Vision then?

[safisoft]

Jesus ate the things prescribed by Jewish law

I am looking for the intro to Leviticus 11, where it says it is "Jewish law." Instead, as I read Numbers 15:15, it says that not only native born Israelite, but also those that have been joined to them (Rom 11) are given the SAME LAW.

[topcat54]

I think he did this cuz everyone knows that BBQ in Texas means beef. Only a moron from North Carolina or Tennessee would cook a P-I-G and call it BBQ.

“Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. ... They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” (Matt. 15:11,14)

[TheThirdRuffian]

You forgot non-Jews should not eat “blood.”

This is both Noahdic and expressed clearly in Acts (for Christians, like me).

The no-go list for non-Jewish Christians is: meat sacrificed to idols (which would include Halal meat, which is sacrificed to the Islamic “god”), blood, and (if I recall) part of an animal that remains alive (i.e., can’t eat Bessie one leg at a time).

The no-go list for Christians of Jewish origin remains the same as it always has (I believe).

[topcat54]

From those verses I understand that He is saying, what we eat physically won't defile us spiritually...but in no way does he say it won't hurt us physically. There is a reason certain foods are restricted. For, just as they taste delicious...so do the words of false teachers. Both harm us.

There is absolutely nothing in the Bible to suggest that the reason God implemented certain food restrictions for old covenant Israel was for health reasons.

Citing illusory health concerns is a rationalization. The same God who wrote Leviticus 11 also told Israel that eating fat was a blessing.

[Allegra]

There was chicken-fried bacon being sold on the Midway at the rodeo. In baskets full of bite-sized pieces. Just FYI.

[safisoft]

The real problem is that people will find any excuse (even theological if need be) to NOT do something that seems "too Jewish." They slice and dice the Almighty's instrutions of life and think that they have peace in doing so. Think of it:

Moral Law = "Stuff that we should do, because it won't make us look Jewish - after all, the Almighty's Word is eternal."
Ritual Law = "Stuff only Jews should do - good thing the eternal Word thing doesn't apply to us NOW."

Civil Law = "Stuff that we don't want to do because even though it doesn't seem Jewish, it seems old fashioned."

It is remarkable that "Christianity" is the only religion/faith that negates the front 3/4 of their Scriptures with the back 1/4.

[safisoft]

(Thus he declared all foods clean.)

Dirty little secret the translators don't want you to know. The phrase is ABSENT in the Greek.

As well, if you will look at the context to this and the Matthew compliment, you will see the disagreement was over EATING BREAD - not meat. This relates to the word "common" in Peter's dream. There is no "unclean" here as it relates to Leviticus 11. Jesus is speaking about the rabbinic decrees that involved eating with unwashed hands. Leviticus 11 is not only at issue - to make it an issue would have led to Jesus' being stoned... as a false prophet. So tell me, was Jesus a false prophet or not. Only a false prophet would tell the people that the Almighty's commandments were not valid... A Perfect (sinless) Lamb? By your explanation, He would not have been.

[Zionist Conspirator]

The laws of the consumption of blood are somewhat complicated, since it specifically refers to “blood which contains the life.”

[RobRoy]

>>But when God commanded his children not to eat them, he wasn’t just being arbitrary. I eat pork, but if there’s a choice I’d choose beef every time<<

Two things:

1. I’m with you on beef over pork except for one thing: ribs.

2. This really is old testament stuff and completely changed in the NT. There are lots of places it is mentioned, but the most clear and unambiguous is here:

1 Corinthians 10:25,26
Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” (the quotes refer to Psalm 24:1)

Actually, all of 1 Corinthians 10 is pretty instructive.