What are your thoughts?

[Marximus]

I was thinking about this the other day. Obviously, as SDA's, we try to stay away from meat like pork. But what if you were stranded on an island with NOTHING at all to eat? You prayed to God for food, and later that day, a pig came across your path.

Would you eat the pig, even though it is unclean?

My pastor and I spoke about this for a while. I know what I believe about it. What are your thoughts?

 

[woobadooba]

I was thinking about this the other day. Obviously, as SDA's, we try to stay away from meat like pork. But what if you were stranded on an island with NOTHING at all to eat? You prayed to God for food, and later that day, a pig came across your path.

Would you eat the pig, even though it is unclean?

My pastor and I spoke about this for a while. I know what I believe about it. What are your thoughts?

Well, if you are ever stranded on an island and have no food and this happens you will know what to do.

The kingdom of God is not about food; it's about grace.

 

[tall73]

If the island's vegetation supports a pig population it will support you!

And if it is only one pig, then starvation is going to happen anyway. Might as well wait!

Actually though, the clean and unclean laws are reflective of good health principles, but the Acts council didn't make them binding on me as a gentile, so I suppose I would just eat the pig.

 

[seangoh]

A VERY interesting question! Thanks for raising it up!

My answer would be similar to tall73's.
First thought i had was, can't you eat the vegetation over there? But more realistically, if i were stranded on an island with no food, i'll start learning how to fish. Then i'll start learning how to make a fire and have fish fillet or whatever..hey you ever seen Survivor? That's what they do anyway.

I'm also reminded of Peter's vision of the unclean creatures. Peter did not eat them as they were deemed unclean. Bear in mind that Peter was hungry! And what better time to tempt someone to eat when he's hungry! (Jesus was too!) Anyway, Peter although he was hungry, stuck to his conscience and said no to them. That vision was not about declaring all foods clean, it was about breaking down Peter's walls of separation(bias) between himself and the Gentiles. Gentiles were commonly regarded as unclean so this vision was used in his time of hunger, to make him realise that he was to be hungry for souls.

So back to the question, i won't eat the pig because Peter didn't and Jesus didn't and there's texts in the bible that are against the eating of swine and you don't see any disciple of Jesus eating swine. What i will do is trust in God to provide me food. And most probably i'll be eating fish if i were stranded on an island. Think of how Elijah was fed by the ravens! God provides.

 

[StormyOne]

I was thinking about this the other day. Obviously, as SDA's, we try to stay away from meat like pork. But what if you were stranded on an island with NOTHING at all to eat? You prayed to God for food, and later that day, a pig came across your path.

Would you eat the pig, even though it is unclean?

My pastor and I spoke about this for a while. I know what I believe about it. What are your thoughts?

kill it, pray over it, and hopefully rescue will arrive....

 

[Rhapsody]

I was thinking about this the other day. Obviously, as SDA's, we try to stay away from meat like pork. But what if you were stranded on an island with NOTHING at all to eat? You prayed to God for food, and later that day, a pig came across your path.

Would you eat the pig, even though it is unclean?

My pastor and I spoke about this for a while. I know what I believe about it. What are your thoughts?

lol! nope, no eatin the pig for me..
for one thing if i prayed to god i'm am pretty sure he'd consider his own rules (the unclean rules) and provide somthing "clean" to eat..
i'd let it pass and wait for somthing real to come along, cus obviously god didn't provide it to eat..not unless somehow he told me to!

 

[OntheDL]

Well when it comes down to survival, I think it's quite difficult situation.

Think about the movie (based on a true story I think) a plane crashed into a snow peaked mountain. The survivers had to eat the dead people to stay alive.

I'm a vegetaran. But if I get stranded on a volcano island and lobsters are all I find, either eat it to live or starve to death, I might just boil it.

 

[capnator]

What goes into your mouth and out through the bowels won't make you unclean But the things that enter your heart just might.

When talking about Health though I have seen many times people steer clear from pork/meat and yet gorge themselves on cakes, chocolate, ice-cream and all manner of Junk which is easily as bad for you as eating pork! If you are going to look at the principle that you are the temple of God and should therefore look after yourself as such, then sure, steer clear of pork because that is some narsty stuff, but why even bother if you aren't being healthy anyways.

 

[capnator]

OR

You could just pray and have a little faith that God would answer your prayer, because he says Ask and you WILL recieve, he also says dont worry about what you will eat or drink or what you will wear.... he's got your back There wasnt to much for the israelites to eat in the desert but they managed somehow.

 

[woobadooba]

If you are going to look at the principle that you are the temple of God and should therefore look after yourself as such, then sure, steer clear of pork because that is some narsty stuff, but why even bother if you aren't being healthy anyways.

Good point!

 

[Rhapsody]

What goes into your mouth and out through the bowels won't make you unclean But the things that enter your heart just might.

When talking about Health though I have seen many times people steer clear from pork/meat and yet gorge themselves on cakes, chocolate, ice-cream and all manner of Junk which is easily as bad for you as eating pork! If you are going to look at the principle that you are the temple of God and should therefore look after yourself as such, then sure, steer clear of pork because that is some narsty stuff, but why even bother if you aren't being healthy anyways.

oh i didn't mean the pig bein bad for you!
cakes and junk isn't the same as eating what god named as an unclean food..but yeah, i agree gorging yourself is not a good thing either..

 

[StormyOne]

If it comes to surviving or dying then I will eat the pig..... of course you have those folks who will say, it is better to die than to eat the pig.... I do not share that view...

 

[seangoh]

If it comes to surviving or dying then I will eat the pig..... of course you have those folks who will say, it is better to die than to eat the pig.... I do not share that view...

I think there's no point speculating on what would happen if there really was no food around except the pig. The question to ask is whether you believe God will provide for your needs without going in contrary to His word.
Keep in mind also 1 Cor 10:13 where He doesn't put us in trial if He knows there is no way out of it.

 

[StormyOne]

I think there's no point speculating on what would happen if there really was no food around except the pig. The question to ask is whether you believe God will provide for your needs without going in contrary to His word.
Keep in mind also 1 Cor 10:13 where He doesn't put us in trial if He knows there is no way out of it.

contrary to his word? God said do not kill, but asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. He also instructed the COI to wipe out whole nations, men, women, and children.... So my point, sometimes God will ask you (or has asked) to do something that is contrary to his word... for all we know he may have sent the pig....

 

[Cliff2]

If it comes to surviving or dying then I will eat the pig..... of course you have those folks who will say, it is better to die than to eat the pig.... I do not share that view...

God has said not to eat pig (unclean) so what is your take on someone who tells you to work on the Sabbath (God said not to work on the Sabbath) or you will be killed.

I am not trying to put you on the spot on this one so do not take it the wrong way.

 

[seangoh]

contrary to his word? God said do not kill, but asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. He also instructed the COI to wipe out whole nations, men, women, and children.... So my point, sometimes God will ask you (or has asked) to do something that is contrary to his word... for all we know he may have sent the pig....

hmm..that's a good thought and i may have to concede here. God is the creator of life and has every right to tell us what to do.


When abraham was called to sacrifice Isacc, he was explicitly told by God to do so. When COI was told to war with the other nations, they were explicitly told to do so.

Now this is my most probable reaction about the pig issue. When I am stranded on an island and hungering for weeks and the only thing I see is a pig coming out, my ears would be open for God's command. I wouldn't go ahead to eat it since i know that it's unclean. And when God talks to me to eat it, i will question like Peter. I believe God wants me to be true to my conscience and His revealed Word. If i'm in line with His Word, i have every right to question his commands like Peter did. Only when i'm thoroughly convinced that God wants me to eat it will i do it.

 

[honorthesabbath]

Isn't the essence of Christianity standing on God's laws and principles even in the face of death? Isn't that what martydom is all about? Looks to me that we have some "Christians" in here that practice "situational ethics". This is gravely contrary to what God has called us to do.

Mt 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Means to stand faithful to ALL of God's commands until the end of the world or the end of your life).

Re 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

It bothers me to think that so many would be willing to violate a clear command of God in order to "save" their temperal life. After all--didn't this whole rotten sin thing start because someone wanted a "forbidden morsel of FOOD??? Gee--how quickly we forget.

 

[woobadooba]

Isn't the essence of Christianity standing on God's laws and principles even in the face of death? Isn't that what martydom is all about? Looks to me that we have some "Christians" in here that practice "situational ethics". This is gravely contrary to what God has called us to do.

Mt 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. (Means to stand faithful to ALL of God's commands until the end of the world or the end of your life).

Re 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

It bothers me to think that so many would be willing to violate a clear command of God in order to "save" their temperal life. After all--didn't this whole rotten sin thing start because someone wanted a "forbidden morsel of FOOD??? Gee--how quickly we forget.

But ethics has to do with things that are by nature moral issues.

What has to be determined here is whether or not eating a pig when one is stranded on an island and has nothing else to eat, is a moral issue.

I know that it is a hypothetical scenario, and probably not a very reasonable one; but it is important to remember that it isn't what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of him is that which will either prove him to be defiled or blessed.

Just keep in mind that it was also forbidden by God for anyone else but the priests to eat the shewbread in the temple. Yet, David and his companions ate it, and were not condemned by God for doing so. Rather, it was implied that David was commended by Jesus because he was not so subject to the law that it blinded him from seeing the greater good, or purpose of it.

In other words, the law was brought into existence to promote life, not to take it away.

See Matt. 12:3-4

 

[HoneyDew]

I agree with Woobie and Tall (and whoever else)on this matter and I go with Paul in Corinthians where he says it is not that which goes inside that defiles. I think we believe that as "spiritual Jews" we must adopt all that was required of the Children of Israel in terms of food -- although not much of anything else.
If we are going to use health concerns as indicators why we eschew (that is, not chew)* certain foods, then that is fine, but we cannot in all honesty claim that these are required of us as Gentiles.



(* a little joke)

 

[StormyOne]

God has said not to eat pig (unclean) so what is your take on someone who tells you to work on the Sabbath (God said not to work on the Sabbath) or you will be killed.

I am not trying to put you on the spot on this one so do not take it the wrong way.

My part-time job at an adventist college I do work on the sabbath.... as do the cafeteria workers at that college... ..... unless I am mistaken pastors work on sabbath to as well as employees who work in adventist hospitals... so I am thinking we may need to revisit what working on sabbath means...