Why do Orthodox Christians eat pork? What is forbidden to true Christians according to the Bible (10 photos)

The ban on eating is entirely based on their faith - . The fact is that the main holy scripture of Muslims - the Koran - contains instructions that strictly limit followers of the Islamic faith in certain actions. It is believed that a Muslim can get as close to Allah as possible only by strictly observing all of his instructions. In particular, this applies to eating pork.

Research conducted by nutritionists today explains in their own way that it is not recommended to eat it. The fact is that these animals have a complex urinary system, which leads to an excess amount of uric acid in their meat. When people eat pork, they consume about 90% of this acid. Of course, this negatively affects the human body.

The most ancient teaching - Kabbalah - claims that the ban on pork in the Bible concerns the physical, but not the spiritual world of man.

Moreover, it has been proven that pork often contains tapeworm eggs. Don't forget that pigs are omnivores. In addition, they have a striking anatomical similarity to humans: they have the same body temperature as humans, and some internal organs In general, they can be used for transplantation in humans.

In medicine, there are cases where children were born with pig atavisms (pig tails, snouts). Perhaps it was this fact that formed the basis of the sacred scriptures as a prohibition against human consumption of similar organisms. In other words, it is possible that pork should not be eaten simply for ethical reasons.

Eating pork in Islam

Muslims must unconditionally observe this prohibition, since the worship of Islam is the basis of their entire life. One can only guess that such restrictions are designed to ensure safety not only for the soul of any Muslim believer, but also for his body. Literally, the Koran says the following on this matter: “A true Muslim should eat only high-quality food. He should definitely give up blood and pork. Only then can he count on Allah’s forgiveness and condescension. Only then will he save his own life.”

There is another explanation why Muslims cannot eat pig meat; according to it, in hot countries where Islam is mainly preached, pork spoils very quickly. But this statement does not stand up to criticism.

Christian ban on pork

It is connected with the fact that Jesus Christ in the New Testament compared pigs and dogs with people who in their lives do not want to be imbued with Divine Revelation and do not honor the Almighty. Eating dogs is generally considered a sin among Orthodox Christians. There is only one exception - the forced consumption of these animals in the name of one’s salvation. In principle, the same applies to pork. It is curious that no one says anything about canine “comrades” - cats.

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A big obstacle for Christians is the belief that Jesus ate meat, and the many places in the New Testament where meat is mentioned. But a detailed study of the original Greek manuscripts makes it clear that the vast majority of the words translated as “meat” (trophe, brome and other words) simply mean “food” or “food” in the broad sense of the word. If Christ was a vegetarian, then the true meaning of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” is clear. But then the hidden deceit of those Orthodox who say in words - Christ our God! But in reality they choose which commandments they want or “can” follow, and which they cannot...

Let's look at both answers to this question:

1. Christ did not eat meat and there is no mention of the fact that he ate meat in the Bible.

God, through Moses, gave the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” Probably, if Christ himself was a vegetarian, then the true meaning of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” is clear.

But then the hidden deceit of those Orthodox who say in words - Christ our God! But in reality they choose which commandments they want, or “can” follow, and which they cannot... If Christ was a vegetarian, then the supported “theory” of fasting, or “today you can kill, but tomorrow you can’t,” is, to put it mildly, erroneous... To me It’s even scary to think that this theory is supported by the highest Orthodox clergy.

In this case, it turns out that Christ is not an example for everyone. Orthodox Church. He was wrong about some things. And the Church corrected him and is correcting him, declaring that sometimes you can eat the meat of slaughtered animals, citing as an example the statements of other Respected saints, but NEVER, without citing the words of Christ himself that he allowed the killing of animals for food .

So what is more important for the Church - the words of God, the words of the son of God, or the words of other Saints? Are they saints if they did not fully fulfill Christ’s commandment “Thou shalt not kill”?

But other questions can be raised. For example, if the Orthodox, not following the path of Christ, i.e. By killing other animals, can they sincerely fulfill the commandment “Love your neighbor”?

So today we killed a cow in the morning, wiped away the blood and went to love our neighbor? Please note, I am not talking about the falsity of the path of Christianity... I am talking about the DEPTH of understanding of this path.

By the way, you can simply go to any Orthodox monastery and find vegetarian monks there. Or watch the movie “The Island”. This is if it’s a break to go. And if you are going to choose your Spiritual Father, and sooner or later any Christian comes to this, then you probably need to choose him by asking this question. “Did Christ eat meat?” And listen to the answer. With my heart.

And most importantly, you need to decide for yourself - am I a Christian like everyone else around me, or am I just a Christian trying to collect dust from the road along which Christ walked, accepting him ALL, without reservations. And in this case, how should we relate to the scientific developments of the Orthodox, who recommend something to other people, including the choice of the spiritual path, if in their ministry they go, to put it mildly, in the wrong way... Probably for us sinners, it’s just a good filter First, it will be clarified whether this high rank of any rank fully accepts Christ, or whether something is preventing him... Choice Spiritual father extremely important for the soul. A very terrible price to pay for a mistake...

In this case, everything is in order... You just need to quote the words of Christ on this issue. And that's basically it.

There is something else. In principle, all 10 commandments are present in one form or another in all religions. This means, in principle, the main thing in all religions is the recognition of the Supreme Lord and the realization that we are His eternal servants. In assessing a society's ability to follow spiritual principles, prophets and messiahs conveyed spiritual science in a specific way.

We can understand that Prophet Muhammad had to convey the message of the Quran to a completely degraded people. Sura 16 of the Koran, for example, says: “Do not have sex with your mother and sister.”

If Muhammad had spoken about the same thing to civilized people, this instruction would have been superfluous. Muhammad, a God-realized soul chosen to be a prophet, preached to the perverted tribes of nomads for whom such relationships were common.

The Bible says, “Thou shalt not kill.” But who needs to be taught not to kill? Only the killer. Jesus preached for only three years before He was crucified. What can we say about the common people if one of them best students sold it for 30 silver coins, and the other denied that he knew Him at all!

Perhaps now a little more food for the answer to the question “Was Christ a meat eater?” In any case, every soul is endowed with the right to choose. And the soul will also be responsible for its choice.

It’s just that the commandments were not given with literal casuists in mind, otherwise the commandment would have sounded “do not kill a person.”

In this case, it must be admitted that Christ could not have foreseen then that such literal casuists would appear and misunderstand the commandment “Thou shalt not kill”?

If this is so, it means that Christ did not have the gift of foresight, otherwise he would have given the commandment exactly as you voiced it - “do not kill a person.”

I foresaw that simply literal casuists would then still begin to deny the possibility of defending the fatherland, self-defense, the admissibility of treatment, which sometimes leads to disastrous results, etc.

We are probably confusing the concepts of necessary killing and prohibited killing. If we consider the killing of animals necessary for, for example, the defense of the fatherland, self-defense, the admissibility of treatment, then this is our choice and we are responsible for it. In other words, if we believe that we cannot live without sometimes killing animals for our own gratification of the tongue - oh well. We have the right to think so.

But did Christ think so? If, due to living conditions, there is no other food (for example, in the far north), then a person can eat meat, because human life is more dear to the Lord because only in the human body is it possible to realize God. Of course, if an animal attacks a person, it is possible to defend oneself and even kill him, but this in no way implies raising poor animals in bestial conditions and then killing them in slaughterhouses for one’s own satisfaction. What do you think Christ would say if he visited a slaughterhouse?

So you still didn’t fully foresee it? If this is not so, then what prevented him from deciphering this commandment and not giving us even a chance to misunderstand it? If we nevertheless recognize the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and is endowed with a divine mind and the gift of foresight, which is indisputable for me, then maybe his commandment should be understood to the extent of one’s personal purity?

For example, a person who has not gone very far from the concept of an animal can understand this commandment as follows: do not kill a person, but you can always kill animals.

A person who has advanced a little on the spiritual path can understand this commandment this way: you cannot kill a person, but you can kill animals at certain times when the church allows it. Further, as you spiritual development a person begins to understand the VALUE of ANY LIFE and the true understanding of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.”

Thou shalt not kill means not only not to kill, but also to do so in order to help a living creature live, and live with dignity, and a person to live human life. Indeed, for a true believer - people who have not yet come to God - are certainly on the verge of death, they are close to death like no one else and spiritual person understands what “Thou shalt not kill” means.

This means - TO SAVE EVERYONE AND EVERYONE WHO IS NOT WITH GOD, for otherwise I will be guilty of his (man's) murder.

Again, I want to say that this is the level of understanding of this commandment at which I personally am now. I'm sure the depth of this commandment is much steeper.

In other words, with this wording of the commandment, CHRIST gave everyone a chance to come to him. But everyone chooses the degree of closeness to God for themselves.

With such a love for legalism, the direct road to Judaism is where the virtuosos of the letter are, capable of bringing any commandment to the point of absurdity.

All that remains is to find out who is taking the commandment to the point of absurdity?

Somehow I don’t want to turn the conversation to us sinners and to choosing the path to God. Let's leave it at that. The question was very specific - Did Christ eat meat?

Continuing the theme... God is love! It's hard to argue with that. His love is peculiar if he allows some loved ones to kill other loved ones, so that the first can quench the thirst of their tongue. Or he doesn’t allow it, but we do it ourselves... Or maybe it’s because of fear...

After all, when an animal is killed, it is afraid. DEADLY HORROR! He's not going anywhere. We absorb it with food. Fear, fear, fear. We are all increasing it. We begin to fear our neighbor, neighboring country. Wars, tears, fear... It's not difficult to see this chain. It's hard to accept her.

Perhaps we then understand this postulate differently (I mean that God is love). Or God’s love is selective, special. In short, I have questions...

On the other hand, I in no way spoke about the arithmetical unambiguous understanding of the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” Perhaps I was not precise enough in my definitions. Sorry. On the contrary, I said that every person is free to understand it to the extent of his readiness to understand it. Thank you for trying to show me a more acceptable spiritual path for me, but I have already decided on this, with God’s help.

What do these, for example, words of the Lord mean:

Where is the room in which I could eat the Passover with My disciples? (Mark 14:14)

Perhaps you want to emphasize what is meant by Easter? Yes, Passover at that time was a slaughtered sacrificial lamb. But the question “where do I eat Easter” seems to speak only about the choice of the place where Easter is eaten, and not about the fact that Christ ate Easter. Just feel the difference...

Perhaps this means that you cannot eat Easter in every place. This is spiritual food and the place where it must be eaten must also be purified. Something else is possible. It is not possible to eat Easter in every home. Perhaps it is not recommended for believers to eat in the houses of atheists, because... this will have an unfavorable effect on their spiritual path.

In any case, I understand the Holy Scriptures to the extent that I myself am ready to perceive it and as much as my dirty consciousness allows.

The fact that there are no direct references does not mean anything. Let's start with the fact that the Jews (and He was a Jew in the flesh) were not vegetarians, since they sacrificed animals and birds.

They also made a sacrifice for His Nativity: “And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present him before the Lord, as it is prescribed in the law of the Lord, that every male child who opens the womb should be dedicated to the Lord, and to bring the sacrifice, according to what is said in the law of the Lord, is two turtle doves or two chicks of pigeons.” (Luke 2:22-24)

Christ himself did not reject the sacrifices made according to the Law of Moses: “Leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matt. 5:24) or “And Jesus said to him, See that you do not tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” (Matt. 8:4).

The disciple of Christ - the Apostle Paul, like the Lord, not only does not deny meat-eating, but also talks about how to properly treat meat sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians chapter 8)

And if sacrifices were already made, then what is the point of not eating meat? And what's the difference?

After all, it is said: Rom.14:17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

And again: 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”

And also: “Food does not bring us closer to God: for whether we eat, we gain nothing; If we don’t eat, we don’t lose anything.” (1 Cor. 8:8,9)

The fact that there are no direct references personally to Christ’s meat-eating means a lot to me. In order to understand why no, you just need to imagine the time in which Christ preached. A complete collapse of morals. Sacrifice and eating meat are naturally encouraged by priests. What do you think, if Christ had said that one should not eat meat, because it brings suffering, would he have been able to preach even for 3 years? Probably at that historical moment no one would have understood him at all, given the widespread killing of animals.

There probably wouldn’t have been a REAL SERMON. Christ simply was and is PRUDIOUS! This means that he understood what could be said at a given historical moment in time, and what should be kept silent about so as not to cause harm. Whoever needs it will get it himself.

And believe me, if Christ ate meat, we would know about it. There would be a direct indication of this in the Bible.

The question is very important. An honest answer is even more important. In reality, fasting and legalized meat consumption were invented by people. And they hide behind Christ. This is unfair.

At least, if it is impossible to find direct evidence that Christ was a meat-eater, which means it becomes impossible to PROVE PERSONALLY FOR MYSELF THAT I AM DOING RIGHTLY IN KILLING ANIMALS FOR FOOD.

But I want to eat that meat. Therefore, we are looking for support from other Fathers of the Church, since we have not found it in Christ. We also say that the Old Testament has already been fulfilled, namely: 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed that is on all the earth, and every tree that has fruit yielding seed; - this will be food for you;

This means it is irrelevant. But this is a commandment of GOD! And he didn’t cancel it. People canceled. Think about it.

Maybe the most painless way out is simply not to kill? The logic is simple! It certainly won't harm our spiritual path In any case, if we accept meat-eating, then we accept the fact that it has a beneficial effect on our spiritual progress. After all, true Christians do only what helps spiritual progress and sincerely avoid what harms.

Regarding quotes about the unimportance of what you eat... This is, in principle, everyone’s business. You can, for example, switch to excrement. Well, about being born into a Jewish family... At a time when everyone around was meat-eaters... Or maybe he was born precisely for this purpose at such a time and in such a place, to show THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY. Without killing anyone and living for others and most importantly, for God? As a personal example...

In general, it is very strange that the Bible simply misses the disclosure of this issue. A very important survey. After all, the answers to the questions of how to love your neighbor, God is love, do no harm, etc., depend on the answer to it.

Is it serious to think that no one asked Jesus this question during the 3 years of his preaching? Is it serious to consider the Jews more stupid than us? I'm sure they asked. I'm sure was the answer. I don't know why it's not in the Bible. Although there is. In the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” Everyone can understand and apply it.

And I advise people who feel sorry for animals to remember how many poor, defenseless tomatoes they deprived of their lives by chopping them into salads.

About killing tomatoes

Genesis Chapter 1.29: And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed that is on all the earth, and every tree that has fruit yielding seed; it shall be for you to eat;

And we don’t kill tomatoes. We tear them down.

By the way, if Jesus, the son of God, ate meat, it means he violated the will of the Father - which directly indicates what can be eaten at the beginning of the Bible.

Famous vegetarians

Buddha
Jesus Christ
Confucius
Zarathustra
Prophet Mohammed
Pythagoras
Origen
St. Francis
Plato
Socrates
Aristotle
Plutarch
Clement of Alexandria
Empedocles
Epicurus
Hippocrates
John Chrysostom
Sergius of Radonezh
Horace
Ovid
Seneca
Leonardo da Vinci
Isaac Newton
Bacon
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Voltaire
Montaigne
Byron
Schiller
Schopenhauer
Richard Wagner
Mahatma Gandhi
Rabindranath Tagore
Thomas Alva Edison
Franz Kafka
George Bernard Shaw
Saint Germain
Dalai Lama
Helena Blavatsky
Nicholas Roerich
Helena Roerich
Yuri Roerich
Svyatoslav Roerich
Lev Tolstoy
Ilya Repin
Benjamin Franklin
Albert Einstein
Wales
Charles Darwin
Adam Smith
Albert Schweitzer
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Lamartine
Norbert Wiener
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Alexander Pope
Candace Byrne
Horace Greeley
Dick Gregory
John Wesley
John Milton
General William Bush
Paul Newman
Dr. J.H. Kellogg
Clint Walker
Upton Sinclair
James Coburn
Ivan Poddubny
Vegetarians - actors, athletes:

Carre Otis
Kim Basinger
Richard Gere
Arnold Schwarzenegger
David Duchovny
Alex Baldwin
Dustin Hoffman
Brad Pitt
Alicia Silverstone
Tom Cruise
Nicole Kidman
Brigitte Bardot
Katie Lloyd
Drew Barrymore
bodybuilder Bill Pearl
Roy Halligen and Andreas Kalling
Martina Navratilova (tennis player)
Pamela Anderson
Cindy Crawford
Claudia Schiffer
Uma Thurman
Liv Tyler Christie Brinkley
Gwyneth Paltrow
Natalie Portman
Vegetarian musicians:

Jared Leto
Sting
Madonna
Bryan Adams
The Beatles - John and Yoko Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Star
"Seal"
Leni Kravitz
Sinead-o-Conor
Ozzy Osbourne
Prince
Tina Turner
"Blur"
Montserat Caballe
Billy Idol
comedian Yankovic "Weird" Al
Brian Molko (leader of Placebo)
Darren Hayes (ex-Savage Garden)
Shania Twain Alanis Morisette
Justin Timberlake
Chrissie Hynde (“Pretenders”)
Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones)
Robert Smith (The Cure)
Melanie C (Spice Girls)
"Depeche Mode" - Martin Gore and Alan Wilder
Duran Duran - all vegetarians
"Moby"
Bob Dylan
B.B. King
Russian vegetarians:

Faina Ranevskaya
Boris Grebenshchikov
Nikolay Drozdov
Mikhail Zadornov
Georgy Vitsin
Lyudmila Gurchenko
Yulia Bordovskikh
Oksana Pushkina
Evgeniy Osin
Alexey Martynov
Shura (“Bi-2”)
A big obstacle for Christians is the belief that Jesus ate meat, and the many places in the New Testament where meat is mentioned.

But a detailed study of the original Greek manuscripts makes it clear that the vast majority of the words translated as “meat” (trophe, brome and other words) simply mean “food” or “food” in the broad sense of the word.

For example, in the Gospel (Luke 8:55) we read that “Jesus raised a woman from the dead and “ordered meat to be given to her.” The Greek word translated “meat” here is “phago,” which simply means “to eat.”

So Jesus actually said, “Feed her.” The Greek word for meat, kreas (flesh), was never used in connection with Christ.

In Luke (21:41-43) we read that the disciples offered him fish and honeycomb, and he took it (“it” in the singular, we can only guess what).

Nowhere in the New Testament is there any direct mention of Jesus eating meat.

“So the Lord himself gives you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel. He will eat milk and honey until he understands the difference between good and bad.”

This corresponds to the famous prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 7.14.15) which itself suggests that meat-eating destroys a person's ability to distinguish between good and bad.

It is very characteristic that in the Gospel of Matthew (1.23) the second part of the prophecy is omitted. He, Jesus, rebuked the Pharisees with the words: “If you knew what it means, “I want mercy, not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent.” (Matthew 12:6).

This clearly condemns the killing of animals, as does Hosea 6:6: “For I desire mercy rather than sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (note: the words of the second part of the sentence are omitted from Matthew 12:6.)

He rebelled against the Temple's animal sacrifices, forcibly expelling those who sold calves, sheep, and doves, as well as money changers, from the Temple. (John 2:13-15)

His words: “Do not make My Father’s house a house of trade” (which in earlier editions was always translated as “a den of murderers”).

We also learn from Matthew 3:4 that John the Baptist did not eat meat. (“...and his food was locusts (wild beans) and wild honey”).

There is also amazing evidence that Jesus was a vegetarian: no less than 7 of Jesus' 12 disciples did not eat meat (we don't know about the rest).

This naturally reflects the teaching of Jesus: “...a servant is not greater than his master.” (John 13:16).

The seven were:

1. Peter: “...whose food was bread, olives and herbs”;
2. James: Church Father Eusebius, quoting Hegesippus (c. 160): “James, the brother of the Lord, was holy from birth. He did not drink wine or eat animal flesh.
3. Thomas: According to early Christian documents, he “... wore only one dress in any weather, what he had, he gave to others and also abstained from eating flesh and drinking wine..”. (James Vernon Bartlett. M.A. “The Apocryphal Gospels from the History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge.
4. Matthew: “He lived on seeds and nuts, fruits and vegetables, without eating meat (Clement of Alexandria - “Clement the Mentor”)
5. Matthew, who took the place of Judas “Acts 1.21.26”. According to the Church Father Clement of Alexandria, he ate the same way as Matthew
6. Andrey
7. Judas (Andrew Peter's brother in the flesh and faith) and Judas of Bethsaida, the original follower of John the Baptist, following him in his ascetic diet.
Paul also wrote: “For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God... It is better not to eat meat, drink wine, or do anything [such] that causes your brother to stumble, or to be offended, or to faint.” (Romans 14:20,21), although his teachings seem less categorical.

In the apocryphal Acts of Thomas, which were popular among early Christians, this disciple of Jesus is described as an ascetic: “... He constantly fasted and prayed, wore the same dress in any weather, did not accept anything from anyone, but everything, what he had, he gave to others and abstained from meat and wine.”

The unnatural eating of flesh is as defiling as the pagan worship of demons with its sacrifices and unclean feasts, in which a person feasts with the devil himself.” - (2nd century BC. Clementius Gomilias).

“...It is much better to be happy than to allow the devil to dwell in us, and happiness can only be found by adhering to virtue. Therefore, the Apostle Matthew ate grains, nuts and vegetables and did not eat flesh. Isn’t this comprehensive variety of edibles enough with moderate simplicity: vegetables, roots, olives, herbs, milk, cheese, fruits?” Church Father Clementius of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens 150-200 A.D.)

"...We, Christian leaders, abstain from animal meat in the name of self-control. Unnatural meat-eating has demonic origins.” Also about the early Christians: “They did not shed streams of blood, there is no gourmet cuisine, there is no heaviness in the head. The terrible smell of meat does not emanate from them and unbearable smoke does not swirl in their kitchens..” (St. Christosomos (347-404 AD).)

“...Since Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the Messiah who restored everything to its place, it is no longer allowed to divorce or eat meat... So I tell you: if you want to be perfect, then you should not drink wine or eat meat ..”. (St. Jerome (340-420 AD), who gave the world the Vulgate, the authorized Latin Bible that is still used today.

“The steam emanating from meat darkens the light of the spirit... One can hardly find virtue by enjoying meat dishes and feasts..” (St. Basil (320-379 AD))

Beyond this: Many pagan observers reported that early Christians abstained from meat. Pilinius, the governor of Bithnia (where Peter preached), described contemporary Christians in a letter to Emperor Trojan as “infected with the superstition of abstaining from meat food...”

Seneca (BC 65 AD), a Stoic philosopher and advisor to Nero, described Christians as: “...A foreign sect that abstains from meat food..”.

Josephus said about the early Christians: “...They gather before sunrise and do not utter a single word of the world - only special prayers... They sit down together to a common dish, on which there is only one type of innocent food...”

In an ancient Aramaic scripture discovered and translated by I.M. Sichelli, Jesus says: “He who kills kills his brother... And the flesh of the slain beasts in his body will become his own grave. Therefore truly I say to you: whoever kills kills himself, and whoever eats the flesh of slain animals eats the body of death... Do not kill people, nor animals, nor the food that comes into your mouth. Life comes from life, death always comes from death. He who kills in order to feed also kills his own body. Your bodies will become what you eat, and your spirit will become the same as your thoughts.”

(E.M. Szekely “The Gospel of Peace”) Albert Schweitzer said: “Ethics applies not only to humanity, but also to the animal world. There is evidence of this in the writings of St. Francis. So we come to the conclusion that ethics applies to all manifestations of life. This ethic of universal love, this ethic of Jesus is now recognized as a necessity of thought. Only universal ethics, embracing every Living being, will lead us to power in the universe...”

Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890) said: “Cruelty to animals means a lack of love for God... They have not harmed us and they have no way of defending themselves... it is something disgusting, satanic, to kill those who have never harmed us. harm to us, who cannot protect himself, who is completely in our power..”.

Tolstoy believed that eating meat was contrary to the principles of Christianity.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of ISKCON (Krishna Consciousness Movement) concludes: “...there are many rascals trampling on their own religious principles. Even though the Judeo-Christian scriptures clearly state “thou shalt not kill,” they offer various justifications for it. Even religious leaders condone the killing of animals while at the same time trying to appear as saintly persons. This mockery and hypocrisy that reigns in human society has brought countless disasters.”

Based on materials: babyblog.ru, krishna-kavkaz.ru

Can Christians have a pig?

Peace be with you friends, God bless you. I hope that it was not idle interest that brought you to this site and that you are really concerned about not upsetting God by not observing any commandment. But first think about the fact that the whole law was given so that it would be good, first of all, for man, and not for God. Everything in the world flows and changes, and just because there is one less pig or one more cow, nothing will change globally. God is more concerned not about what a person will eat, but about what is in a person’s soul and whether he believes. Whether he offends his neighbor or does him good. And it seems to me that if you save a hungry person from death by starvation, then God doesn’t care if you feed him kebab or chicken legs. But people are like that, prone to all kinds of taboos and prohibitions. And it is very important for them people not to delve into deep meaning actions and consequences, but simply to know that they are doing the right thing. People are prone to rules, traditions, prohibitions and do not understand that what is not allowed is sometimes necessary, and what is allowed is sometimes not allowed.

The issue of pork arose for a reason. From the very beginning of scripture we see that animals were divided into pure and impure. And take seven of every clean animal, male and female, and two of the unclean cattle, male and female;
Genesis 7:2

From the very beginning of the world, animals that were suitable for food and sacrifice and those that were not were known to mankind. And Noah knew this system of distinctions, which Moses later wrote down in the Law. But did Noah’s descendants retain knowledge of this? Far, far from all. Blessed be the God of Shem, may he dwell in the wide tents of Japheth, and may Canaan be cursed. So in in brief Noah's blessing sounds, in which we see the future of the whole world and our present. The Simites (I write this on purpose) Jews followed God, Japheth (European peoples) also joined the faith through Christ, and the Canaanites are all bad there (Africa).

We have already understood that Jews (Jews who do not believe in Christ) cannot eat pork, can those who believe in Christ eat it? Is it possible for Jews who believe in Christ to eat pork? What does the Bible say about this?

And although Jesus did not eat pork, and even destroyed a herd of pigs, as if hinting through the centuries, Jesus said that many people would come to the Kingdom of God not from the Jews, because the Jews would reject Him.

Gospel of Matthew 8:11. I'm talking same to you, What many will come With east And

westAndwill lie downWithAbraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven;

And what happens when this happens? When do the apostles preach to the pagans and they turn to God?

A story happens among believing pagans that ends up on the pages holy scripture. And let's read everything.

1 Some, Those who came from Judea taught the brothers: unless you are circumcised according to the rite of Moses, you cannot be saved.

2 When there arose a disagreement and considerable contention between Paul and Barnabas and them, they decided that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go to the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem regarding this matter.

3 So, having been accompanied by the church, they passed through Phenicia and Samaria, telling about converting the pagans, and brought forth great joy in all brothers.

4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, the apostles and elders, and they announced everything that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the pagans.

5 Then some of the Pharisees rebelled heresies believed and said that should trim pagans and command to keep the law of Moses.

6 Apostles and elders gathered to consider this matter.

7 After much discussion, Peter stood up and said to them, “Men and brethren! you know that from the first days God chose from us me, so that from my mouth the Gentiles may hear the word of the Gospel and believe;

8 And God, who knows the heart, gave them testimony, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave us;

9 and made no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10 What are you doing now? you tempt God wanting to place on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we could bear?

11 But we believe that By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved, just as they were.

12 Then the whole congregation fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul telling what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13 After they were silent, Jacob began speaking and said: Men and brethren! listen to me.

14 Simon explained how God originally looked upon the pagans to form of them people in His name.

15 And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

16 “Then I will turn and rebuild the fallen tabernacle of David, and what is broken in it I will rebuild and repair it,

17 so that other people may seek the Lord and all nations among whom My name will be proclaimed, says the Lord who does all these things.”

18 Known to God from eternity are all His works.

19 Therefore I do not intend to make it difficult for those who are among the Gentiles to turn to God,

20 and write to them so that they abstained from being defiled by idols, from fornication, strangulation and blood, and so that they do not do to others what they do not want for themselves.

21 For law Moses from ancient generations has preachers in all cities and is read in synagogues every Saturday.

22 Then the apostles and elders with the whole church decided, choosing men from among themselves, to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, exactly: Judas, called Barsaba, and Silas, men who were rulers among the brethren,

23 having written and given them the following: “Apostles and elders and brethren, to the Gentile brethren who are in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: rejoice.

24 For we have heard that some who went out from us troubled you their speeches and shook your souls, saying what should circumcise and comply law what are we they were not assigned,

25 Then we were assembled and unanimously decided to choose men to send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 people who gave up their souls for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 So we have sent Judas and Silas, who will explain the same things to you verbally.

28 For it pleases the Holy Spirit and us not to place any more burden on you than these things that are necessary:

29 to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and blood, and things strangled, and fornication, and not to do to others what you do not want to do to yourself. By observing this, you will do well. Be healthy."

30 So those sent came to Antioch and, having gathered people, handed over the letter.

31 When they read it, they rejoiced at this instruction.

Acts of the Apostles Chapter 15

This is the story, friends. Look what the Apostles say! The salvation of the soul does not come from food! Salvation by faith in God! God cleanses the hearts of the pagans through faith in Christ! And the Apostles, looking at the root, realizing that eating pork or not eating pork does not play any role in the salvation of their souls, send a letter to them, which says that you cannot drink blood, eat something strangled, and sin fornication and not do to others what you do not want to yourself.

With these words, not to do to others what you do not wish for yourself, they replace the law, and moreover, they avoid blind, stupid following of the commandments without reflection. After all, with this approach, you will need to delve into yourself and think about whether I want to be stolen from me, do I want to be beaten, do I want to be saved from death by taking away a dangerous thing from me?

The point is that they were allowed to eat pork. What else does the Bible say about this?

Did God say to eat unclean animals, which includes the daily pig?

9 The next day, as they walked and approached the city, Peter, about the sixth hour, went up to the top of the house to pray.
10 And he felt hungry and wanted to eat. While they were preparing, he went into a frenzy.
11 and he saw the heavens open and a certain vessel descending towards it, like a large sheet, tied at the four corners and lowered to the ground;
12 were in it all four-legged creatures of the earth, animals, reptiles and birds of the air.
13 And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter, kill and eat.
14 But Peter said, “No, Lord, I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15 Then another timethere was a voice to him:

What God has purified, you do not consider unclean.

16 This happened three times; and the vessel rose again to heaven.
What God has cleansed, you do not consider unclean, it is written in the Bible.

And it is also written:

1 Now the Spirit clearly says that in last times some will depart from the faith, listening to seducing spirits and teachings of demons,

2 through the hypocrisy of false talkers, seared in their consciences,

3 prohibiting marriage And eat what God created so that those who believe and know the truth may eat with thanksgiving.

4 For every creation of God is good, and nothing is to be condemned if it is received with thanksgiving,

5 because sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

1 Timothy chapter 4

We see that the prohibition to eat what God created does not come from God, but from evil spirits and demons.

And at the very beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis there is permission for all nations

everything that moves and lives will be food for you; I give you everything like green herbs;
Genesis 9:3

You can eat everything. The main thing is faith in the Savior and the Lord God Jesus Christ, who died and suffered for our sins and rose from the dead.

And finally, from the letters of the apostles, which says that you can eat anything, but so that with our freedom in food we do not lead another person into sin.

“For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is pure, but it is bad for the man who eats because he is tempted.” Rom.14:20

“To the pure all things are pure.” Titus 1:15

“Do not get carried away by different and alien teachings; because it's good grace to strengthen hearts, and not food from which those who eat them did not benefit.” Hebrews 13:9

“Having destroyed the handwriting that was against us, which was against us, and He took it out of the way and nailed it to the cross; having taken away the strength of the principalities and powers, he imperiously subjected them to shame, having triumphed over them with Himself. So Let no one judge you for your food or drink" Col.2:14-16

“For some are confident that they can eat everything, but the weak eat vegetables. He who eats, do not disparage the one who does not eat; and whoever does not eat, do not judge the one who eats, because God has accepted him... He who eats eats for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat does not eat for the Lord, and gives thanks to God.” Rom.14:2-3,6

Here we are talking about freedom of conscience, and whoever is free, let him eat, but if someone thinks that this is a sin and is not free, then there is no need to condemn him or force him, everyone should move away from blind obedience to laws to reasonable service on their own.

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A lot of people are interested in whether Christians can eat pork. What does it say about this? In fact, the answer is very simple, let's figure it out. We will first look at the practice for the people of Israel, and then we will look at the teaching. Thus, we will look at all the teachings of the Bible regarding whether modern Christians can eat pork.

Pork in the Old Testament

The Old Testament contained instructions for the people of Israel regarding what foods they could and could not eat. The book of Deuteronomy talks about this, for example:

“You can eat any animal that has cloven hooves and chews the cud, but do not eat camels, hares and jerboas, because although they chew the cud, their hooves are not cloven, and therefore this food is unclean for you. And don’t eat pigs either: although their hooves are cloven, they don’t chew the cud, pigs are unclean food for you; Do not eat swine’s flesh or even touch the carcass of a swine” (Deuteronomy 14:6-8).

In fact, there are not many passages in the Old Testament that talk about eating pork. However, they all prohibit its use. In the book of the prophet Isaiah there is a speech of God, where God speaks in a negative way about those people who eat pork:

“They always provoke Me to anger, offer sacrifices and burn incense in their gardens. They sit among the graves and wait for news from the dead, they live among the dead, they eat pork, their knives are dirty with rotten meat" (Isaiah 65:3-4).

Thus, according to the Old Testament, pork meat could not be eaten by the Jewish people. Pork could not be sacrificed to God. You couldn't even touch the pork. This food was considered unclean.

Why couldn’t the people of Israel eat all these types of food (for more details, see the passage from Leviticus chapter 11, verses 1 to 47)? Israel was to obey God's absolute standards. The second reason for this diet was to make it difficult for the people of Israel to eat food near or in the presence of nations that worshiped idols. The food laws served as a barrier to the mingling of the Israelite people with idolatrous nations. Proper nutrition and the health benefits were obvious, but this was only a secondary concern of God after obedience and separation.

Pork in the New Testament

The word Covenant means “agreement” or “contract.” When you have one contract and then you are going to enter into a new one, then new agreement becomes the basis of current relationships. This way New Testament(new agreement) replaced the Old Testament (old agreement). This is how the writer of Hebrews describes the need for a new agreement:

“If that first agreement had been flawless, then there would have been no need for another agreement. But God found them guilty and said: “The days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will enter into a new agreement with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. And this agreement will not be the same as the one I made with my ancestors on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, for they did not remain faithful to My agreement, and I turned away from them, says the Lord. This is the agreement I will make with the people of Israel after these days, says the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds, write them in their hearts, and I will become their God, and they will become My people. And there will be no need for anyone to teach his fellow tribesmen or fellow citizens, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest. I will be merciful to their misdeeds and forget their sins.” By calling this agreement “new,” He made the first one obsolete, and whatever becomes obsolete and useless soon disappears” (Hebrews 8:7-13).

Thus, we now understand why that agreement became outdated and “useless”, and it was replaced by a new agreement - the New Testament.

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There is a ban on pork for Jews, but Christians can eat pork, the priest answers

For Jews, a pig is an unclean animal, and eating it for a devout Jew is a sin. The ban on pork also applies to Muslims. Can Christians eat pork?

The priest’s answer to this question will be clear:

“You can eat the meat of any animal.”

Christians can eat pork. This does not contradict the Gospel.

Before the emergence of the Seventh-day Adventist sect, pork was not taken seriously in Christianity. The arguments in this article regarding the consumption of pork concern a misinterpretation of the Holy Letter.

According to the Old Testament, you cannot eat certain animals, including horse meat.

Read the Old Testament, and you will see that there are many animals forbidden to eat. These are not only pigs, but also camels, horses, rhinoceroses, tapirs, hares, rabbits, and jerboas.

You can only eat

“every livestock that has cloven hooves and a deep cut in the hoof, and chews the cud.”

(Leviticus 11.3)

You should not eat seafood (crabs, crayfish, shrimp, shellfish, etc.). Of birds and fish - those without feathers or scales.

You should also not eat birds: eagle, vulture, kite and falcon, any raven, ostrich, owl, seagull and hawk, eagle owl, fisherman and ibis, swan, pelican and vulture, heron, zoe, hoopoe and pipistrelle. All reptiles, winged, walking on four legs.

All the signs that Old Testament people should not eat meat are defined in the texts Leviticus 11:3-47, Deuteronomy 14:3-20. They indicate the characteristics of clean and unclean animals, which include all creatures living on earth.

Why is the question focused on pork meat? The Bible says that you cannot eat the horse meat from which Moscow sausage is made. The meat of ostriches, nutrias and other prohibited animals is sold.

In the Gospel, the Lord lifted the ban on pork and allowed us to eat the meat of any animal.

Strictness Old Testament in relation to food and other conventions, it is determined by the tendency to the temptations of the Old Testament man, and by the constant fascination with paganism. The restrictions were educational in nature so that the People of God would not deviate from the One God.

This isolation from paganism achieved results, and the Savior was born among this people. He not only declared food clean, but also equated all people with Jews.

He constantly irritated the Jews by neglecting the Sabbath. Misunderstanding of these truths was one of the reasons for the execution of Christ and his followers.

Christ tried in vain to convey to the Jewish people that all uncleanness lies in the heart and thoughts, and not in non-observance of rituals and food. This idea was repeated many times by the apostles.

“To the pure all things are pure; but for the defiled and unbelieving there is nothing pure, but their mind and conscience are defiled.”

Jesus said that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill

This thesis of Christ is the main argument of supporters of the prohibitions established in the Old Testament.

However, the Savior’s attitude towards the Sabbath, which for the Jews is higher than circumcision, makes one think and reveals another meaning of these words. He points out that

“The Sabbath is for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

To clarify this, Christ violated the most valuable thing in the eyes of the Jews - the Sabbath, which caused the fury and anger of the lawyers.

The contradiction about the fulfillment of the law by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ can be explained

All the Law and the Prophets spoke of the coming Messiah. When Jesus put an end to the completion of this Law with the sacrifice of the cross, then it was completely fulfilled. In other words, He fulfilled the Law by Himself.

The fullness of the Law is Christ Himself.

The apostles also pointed out the meaninglessness of fulfilling the Old Testament decrees.

“...we heard that some who came out from us

they confused you with their speeches and shook your souls,

saying that one must be circumcised and keep the law,

which we did not assign to them.”

(Acts 15:24)

In the New Testament, the question “what meat should not be eaten” has lost its meaning

Direct evidence of the abolition of established gastronomic restrictions was a vision to the Apostle Peter.

“Peter, about six o’clock, went up to the top of the house to pray.

And he felt hungry and wanted to eat.

While they were preparing, he went into a frenzy and saw the sky open and a certain vessel descending towards it,

like a large canvas tied at the four corners and lowered to the ground; in it were all four-legged creatures of the earth,

beasts, reptiles and birds of the air.

And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter, kill and eat.

But Peter said: No, Lord, I have never eaten anything bad or unclean.

Then another time a voice came to him: what God has cleansed, do not consider unclean.

This happened three times; and the vessel rose again to heaven.”

(Acts 15:24)

Slaughter and eat - a direct instruction from God to the Apostle Peter regarding any animal.

The Apostle Peter thought about this vision before the time. Subsequently, Peter declared at the Apostolic Council that you can eat everything.

The First Council of the Apostles decreed that pagan Christians are not under the Law

Peter's vision of the abolition of Old Testament restrictions on meat. Wood engraving. By Julius Schnorr. Germany, Dresden 1860

The Apostle Peter, speaking to the council of the apostles, convinced them not to impose the burden of the Law on the pagans who had converted to Christianity.

“Why are you now tempting God, wanting to place on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we could bear?

Therefore, I decide not to make it difficult for those of the pagans who turn to God.”

(Acts 15:10,19)

As a result, the apostles decreed:

“For it pleases the Holy Spirit and us not to lay any more burden on you,

besides this necessary thing: to abstain from things sacrificed to idols and blood,

and strangulation, and fornication, and not to do to others what you do not want to do to yourself.

By observing this, you will do well.

Having read it, they rejoiced at this instruction.”

(Acts 15:25-31)

The argument of supporters of fulfilling the primitive Law, contrary to the decree of the apostles, is the words:

“For the law of Moses from ancient generations has had those preaching it in all the cities and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

(Acts 15:21)

According to an erroneous explanation, if the pagans listen to the decrees of the Law, then they must fulfill it. But listening does not mean doing, as the Apostles decreed.

A Christian should not care about food, but about a clear conscience and love

The Apostles repeatedly repeat that love for one's neighbor is above any provision of the Law. If food tempts your neighbor, then eat everything.

This follows from the texts of the New Testament:

“Accept him who is weak in the faith without arguing about opinions.

For some are confident that they can eat everything, but the weak eat vegetables.

He who eats, do not disparage the one who does not eat; and who doesn't eat,

do not judge the one who eats, because God has accepted him.”

(Rom. 14:1-3)

“So, if you died with Christ to the elements of the world, then why are you,

as those who live in the world, adhere to the regulations: “thou shalt not touch,”

“do not eat”, “do not touch” [that everything decays from consumption],

according to the commandments and teaching of men?

(Col. 2:20-22)

“Everything that is sold at the market, eat without any research,

for peace of conscience; For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it.

If one of the infidels calls you and you want to go, then

what is offered to you, eat without any examination, for peace of conscience.”

Eat pork, but do not offend your neighbor and pray before eating.

The apostles clearly indicate that Christians cannot “eat” each other, but any meat can be eaten. Old Testament dogmas destroy the love that Christ commanded.

“Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother is a liar:

For he who does not love his brother, whom he sees, how can he love God,

Which one doesn’t he see?”

(1 John 4:20)

Supporters of the Old Testament prohibitions, ignoring direct Divine decrees, rape their neighbors, forcing them to follow the rules according to the Bible. They pull quotes from texts to justify their “truth.”

Christ said that food does not defile a person

Christ declared all food pure

“He said to them: Are you really so slow-witted?

Don't you understand that nothing that enters a person from outside can defile him?

Because it does not enter his heart, but his belly,

and it goes out, whereby all food is purified.”

With these words, the Savior emphasizes that any food is permissible, and nothing will defile a person if he is holy.

Neither pork nor food sacrificed to idols. Preserving the purity of conscience and loving your neighbor as yourself is the crown of fulfilling the Law.

“Love does not harm one’s neighbor; So love is the fulfillment of the law.”

(Rom. 1310)

Do not offend anyone, do not irritate anyone, do not spoil the mood of others - this is what holy people recommend.

Many Christians, while observing the letter of the Law, do not adhere to these tips. They force their neighbors to fulfill the Law, forgetting about love.

“Above all, have fervent love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.”