Eating Pork

[Renton405]

I myself tend to avoid things like Pork and seafood because the OT prohibits it and because both give me stomach problems. Today I had some sausage and I felt like I was "selling out" because I had chosen a while back to try to follow the OT dietary law. Are there any Catholics here who avoid things like pork and seafoods??

Would it be a sin to eat a food like pork that you vowed would not eat anymore??

 

[Miss Shelby]

No, it would not be a sin.

But have you ever considered becoming Muslim?

 

[Rhamiel]

Would it be a sin to eat a food like pork that you vowed would not eat anymore??

did you make the vow to yourself or to God
If it was to yourself then it is not a sin, if you made it as a promise to God then it might be a sin, vows to God are very serious and should not be made over light matters.
I love lobster and crab and shrimp, I spent 4 months in an arab nation and now I get prok all the time

 

[Tea]

We are told in the OT that we are to honour a vow that we have made to the Lord. If we can't keep it, then we shouldn't make it in the first place.
People will accept it if I say that I am a vegetarian, and won't push meat products on me. But if I say that I keep the food laws, as God set down, people immediately feel that they need to push pork and seafood onto me.
As a family we strived to eat according to God laws for the last 10 years or so. If you are not convicted in your heart that this is the right thing to do, then you will never be able to abide in it.
As someone once said to me. If we can't control what goes into our mouths, how do we expect to control any other desires of our body.
It is not difficult to do, it just required reading and learning about what makes up different products.
Just my thoughts.
Tracey

 

[Renton405]

did you make the vow to yourself or to God
If it was to yourself then it is not a sin, if you made it as a promise to God then it might be a sin, vows to God are very serious and should not be made over light matters.
I love lobster and crab and shrimp, I spent 4 months in an arab nation and now I get prok all the time

It was to myself. But also out of respect for the dietary laws of the OT. Christians are constantly bombared with accusations of picking and chosing out of the OT, so Im trying to make an effort so I don't look like a hypocrite.. Pork is really unhealthy for us I believe, and seafood can cause polyps I think..

 

[Rhamiel]

we also don't stone idoleters to death anymore, Christ came to fulfill the law

 

[Foundthelight]

The the letter to the gentiles which was given to Paul at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts says that we are to refrain from eating the meat of strangled animals. I know of no other prohibition that exists for Christians.

 

[Lifesaver]

If you don't like, or have problems digesting, pork and seafood, these are good reasons not to eat them.

But if you are under the impression that we are somehow not to eat these foods because of OT laws, then you are completely wrong. All the dietary restrictions have been brought down, and there is no doubt on this.

About the vow, something like this should hardly be made without consulting a priest, a spiritual director first. To what extent is it binding on you now? It is hard to say; if I were you I'd talk to a priest and ask him about it. He will probably be able to give you a knowledgeable answer.

As a small mortification, it is a very good thing to refrain from certain foods (especially those we like the best). But to give up entirely a certain food for the rest of our lives I think is too extreme, especially for someone living in the world (and not in a monastery), and without having discussed the matter first with one's spiritual director.

Anyway, don't stress over which foods we can or not eat; they are all perfectly lawful. Just talk to a priest about the vow, if one was made.

And also keep this clear on your mind: to refrain from foods because we don't like them, because we have trouble digesting them, or because this is a small mortification, is perfectly all right. But it is wrong to refrain from them because of the OT restrictions.

 

[Lifesaver]

The the letter to the gentiles which was given to Paul at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts says that we are to refrain from eating the meat of strangled animals. I know of no other prohibition that exists for Christians.

And even this prohibition was only a matter of convenience, to avoid generating scandal at that time and place.

 

[zhilan]

Seafood is not forbidden in the OT, only shellfish.

I don't eat pork, but it's not for religious reasons, but because from what I've read pork is just not something that is good to eat. Pretty disgusting actually. So maybe the Jews were onto something.

Anyway I don't think it's a sin. But I think you're smart for not eating it.

I do enjoy seafood though. Mmmm salmon... =)

 

[Lifesaver]

It was to myself. But also out of respect for the dietary laws of the OT. Christians are constantly bombared with accusations of picking and chosing out of the OT, so Im trying to make an effort so I don't look like a hypocrite.. Pork is really unhealthy for us I believe, and seafood can cause polyps I think..

My friend, we keep only the moral teachings contained in the OT; these are valid for all people, all times. The purely disciplinary and ritualistic laws have been done with, as they were meant only for the Jews and at that time.

No-one is a hypocrite for not following OT laws nowadays. In fact, we would be hypocrites if we claimed to follow Jesus and still keep up with those laws which He has fulfilled.

And whoever tells you you are a hypocrite for not following the OT rules is either very ignorant or is just making up a reason to convince himself of how Christianity is bad.

 

[SolomonVII]

There was a time when Jews were not to share their tables with the people of the nations. They were meant to remain a priestly people apart, and dietary laws were a way of ensuring this.

The forgiveness of God through Jesus onthe cross was redemptive of even the gentile nations though, and this was according to Peter's vision. Why would we continue to reject what god has made clean?

Fellowship is best established around the table. A healthy diet is a good thing, but fellowship is a good thing too.

Pork is my favorite meat. it is much easier on my dietary track than beef for sure, and more affordable too.

Most dietary experts stress more veggies in our diet. the only place that I hear anything bad about pork is on religious forums.

It is not likely a health thing then. It is a religious thing.

And as far as the theology goes, the New Testament is quite clear that there is no religious reason why not.

 

[_Shannon_]

I think it would be sinful to live in the South and not eat pork and fish...mmmmmm.......BBQ and fried catfish......

 

[WarriorAngel]

I myself tend to avoid things like Pork and seafood because the OT prohibits it and because both give me stomach problems. Today I had some sausage and I felt like I was "selling out" because I had chosen a while back to try to follow the OT dietary law. Are there any Catholics here who avoid things like pork and seafoods??

Would it be a sin to eat a food like pork that you vowed would not eat anymore??

The Lord told Peter 3 times to get up and eat and call NOTHING unclean that He made.

So I eat whatever I want.

I particularly love seafood. And it is good for you.

BTW, the man's tradition of not eating these critters was only because of the propensity to become ill if they were not cooked properly.

Jesus called the Mosiac laws man's traditions because they were not put into law for the soul's aid for salvation, but the physical body's welfare... and they will NOT help you obtain Heaven by following them.

Hope this helps you.

And as Paul said... those laws have passed.

 

[Renton405]

My friend, we keep only the moral teachings contained in the OT; these are valid for all people, all times. The purely disciplinary and ritualistic laws have been done with, as they were meant only for the Jews and at that time.

No-one is a hypocrite for not following OT laws nowadays. In fact, we would be hypocrites if we claimed to follow Jesus and still keep up with those laws which He has fulfilled.

And whoever tells you you are a hypocrite for not following the OT rules is either very ignorant or is just making up a reason to convince himself of how Christianity is bad.

Well, for instance In leviticus, its a sin to sleep with cousins, others wives/husbands, homosexuality, etc. Then someone says "Well you follow those laws, why don't you follow the laws of eating pork and not mixing wool".. If you try to answer them, you seem like a hypocrite..


Ive have thought that the reason why pork was not allowed in the OT was because it contracted alot of bacteria and caused alot of food poisining because there were no freezers back then. And I don't think pork can be kept with just salt. There are so many worms and bacteria that It can pick up during raw handling..

Jesus called the Mosiac laws man's traditions because they were not put into law for the soul's aid for salvation, but the physical body's welfare... and they will NOT help you obtain Heaven by following them.

So is part of the OT not God's word?

 

[Rhamiel]

Then someone says "Well you follow those laws, why don't you follow the laws of eating pork and not mixing wool".. If you try to answer them, you seem like a hypocrite..

in the New Testement Jesus tells Peter don't call anything I make unclean, thus getting rid of OT dietary law, sexual imporality on the otherhand was still a big no-no

 

[WarriorAngel]

Well, for instance In leviticus, its a sin to sleep with cousins, others wives/husbands, homosexuality, etc. Then someone says "Well you follow those laws, why don't you follow the laws of eating pork and not mixing wool".. If you try to answer them, you seem like a hypocrite..


Ive have thought that the reason why pork was not allowed in the OT was because it contracted alot of bacteria and caused alot of food poisining because there were no freezers back then. And I don't think pork can be kept with just salt. There are so many worms and bacteria that It can pick up during raw handling..





So is part of the OT not God's word?

O no no no.

Not sleeping with others and so forth is under the
NO FORNICATION ACT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS...
Which is not the same as the Mosaic laws.

You have to seperate what is mans laws and God's Laws.

Anything that is done to keep the soul from breaking God's Laws are still intact.

Anything that has to do with cleanliness for the body [the flesh] profiteth nothing.

Jesus said;
It is not what you put in your mouth that corrupts you, it is what comes out. [Laymens terms...it si not what you eat that breaks the law of God... it is what you do or say]

Doing an act of adultery goes against God's Laws and is not part of the Mosiac 'menu' and hand washing.

See...how to differentiate the two....

What corrupts the soul is God's Laws, what is more a worry about the flesh is man's traditions.
[Worldly cares involving how to be clean and what to eat]

Take for instance the fact that Jesus didnt rebuke His Apostles for not washing their hands... but when the Pharisees made a note of them not doing it... Jesus called them hypocrits following mens traditions and then made it clear to them that God's Laws were being ignored [or watered down in this repsect] regarding the honoring of parents and how little they did to sustain God's Laws but keep their own.

And I suppose you arent being helped by what I am saying... because you are not responding to me.

 

[david01]

TIme for a cute story. I attended a seminar with a friend who was into keeping his version of the dietary law. The speaker went on and on about the health issues, especially eating shellfish because they live on the bottom of the ocean. I asked my friend if he ate catfish since they live on the bottom of rivers. He didn't because they don't have scales. I asked him about carp, which are actually delicious if you can get them deboned. He said they would be okay. So where's the difference in health issues? At lunch we chowed down on lasagna - made with pork sausage and milk products an I noted three distinct violations of the OT dietary law, but I guess it was okay because the speaker had blessed the food.

I think Acts 15 pretty much settled the question for the Church.

 

[Renton405]

O no no no.

Not sleeping with others and so forth is under the
NO FORNICATION ACT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS...
Which is not the same as the Mosaic laws.

You have to seperate what is mans laws and God's Laws.

Anything that is done to keep the soul from breaking God's Laws are still intact.

Anything that has to do with cleanliness for the body [the flesh] profiteth nothing.

Jesus said;
It is not what you put in your mouth that corrupts you, it is what comes out. [Laymens terms...it si not what you eat that breaks the law of God... it is what you do or say]

Doing an act of adultery goes against God's Laws and is not part of the Mosiac 'menu' and hand washing.

See...how to differentiate the two....

What corrupts the soul is God's Laws, what is more a worry about the flesh is man's traditions.
[Worldly cares involving how to be clean and what to eat]

Take for instance the fact that Jesus didnt rebuke His Apostles for not washing their hands... but when the Pharisees made a note of them not doing it... Jesus called them hypocrits following mens traditions and then made it clear to them that God's Laws were being ignored [or watered down in this repsect] regarding the honoring of parents and how little they did to sustain God's Laws but keep their own.

And I suppose you arent being helped by what I am saying... because you are not responding to me.

Sorry Warrior. You always give great advice and I always read it. It was probably more for health concerns that it was prescribed in leviticus, because they didn't have freezers back then. And pork and seafood rot fast..

 

[zhilan]

ve have thought that the reason why pork was not allowed in the OT was because it contracted alot of bacteria and caused alot of food poisining because there were no freezers back then. And I don't think pork can be kept with just salt. There are so many worms and bacteria that It can pick up during raw handling..

And this is my reason for not eating pork. God told Peter that nothing he made was unclean, so it's not sinful to eat anything anymore (except the things mentioned in Acts - so don't go sacrifice a cow to Zeus and then eat it). However it it's for health reasons, there's nothing wrong with it since those same things you mentioned still apply today, and those (along with the many other nasty things about pigs) are my reasons for not eating it. If I accidentally do eat it, which has happened, I feel gross in the same way I feel when I bite into a sandwich and then notice mold on it. Not a sin, just something I prefer not to do. If you do make the choice not to eat something, whether that is pork or meat, or chocolate or whatever, I think it's fine if it's a decision made on what you feel about your health, but it's important not to confuse a health choice with a moral choice. Otherwise you can easily get into a dangerous area of thinking yourself "more Christian" because of that, which can lead to very harmful things for your soul.

However, one thing that might be worth brining up is the promise in the first place. I remember once I made an oath to God about something trivial and my priest said that making oaths to God is a very serious thing. So if anything, I would say that's the sin.