According to the Bible...?

Question

Should I stop eating lobster?
Levictus 11:10
'But anything in the seas or rivers that does not have fins and scales, regard as an abomination. Do not eat their meat and regard their carcasses as an abomination.'


Why's the Bible so nit-picky? lol

to DBytz:
I'm Japanese, and personally I don't like whale meat because it tastes like iron.

Lobster=Unhealthy???

Answer 1

Apparently, they have a fin at the back or something. I guess oysters and stuff would be out.

Hey, isn't it funny that the Bible says the same thing about eating stuff without fins and scales and homosexuality? You can be as straight as you want, but stay away from that clam bake or it's the fiery pit for you!

Of course, if you ask them why they think that gays are going to hell, they will dust off that Old Testament and it gets relevant pretty quick!

Answer 2

I'm answering this under the assumption that you are serious (which I'm doubting it though). But for the sake of others who may be interested and come across this question, here goes...

In those days, this (and many other of the laws in Lev) was written to help give the children of God an identity. The way God did so was create laws that would keep them separated from those who didn't believe. There were other clans surrounding them that associated in pretty wicked things, and the Isrealites (or Hebrews) could easily get swept up in those lifestyles, thus ending with them worshipping false gods just as the Egyptians did in the past. These laws would govern them so they would know how to act and what not to go along with.
A problem arose when they became so addicted to the laws that they put those over themselves, allowing themselves to be oppressed by Rome. Jesus came to show them how to live threw the laws, and gain eternal life (for everyone), but they wouldn't listen to him - thinking that his ways would cause for the 'laws' to be broken. So they killed him. (of course he rose and ascended to heaven) But God worked through Peter (Acts 10) to get the ball rolling in spreading the word of God into the Gentile regions.

Of course this is a breif summary, but hopefully you (or whoever is interested) has gotten the picture.

Answer 3

Those Laws were put in place, along with the (some say) 612 others. That's 613 by the reckoning of some!

Why? Well there are probably more reasons than I will relate to you.

1) It was to show man, give an example of how impossible it was to be perfect and get into heaven by works of the Law.

2) Upon understanding the impossibility of keeping the Law, people who are so intuative are driven to repentance.

The need was for a sacrifice for their inability to be perfect-- a vivid picture of the sinning nature that we all carry.

Answer 4

Anciently, God's people were told to not eat the flesh of unclean animals. The reason for this is that they tend to carry more disease than other animals. Shell fish, lobster and the like are bottom feeders where they are most likely to pick up disease which could then be passed on to humans. Hepatitis is one example.

In today's world, we have learned how to properly take care to avoid these illnesses. While it certainly would not be bad to follow the ancient restrictions, it is also no longer a requirement.

Answer 5

mmmmm, I'd like some lobster!!! lol But no you dont have to stop, but then again lobstser isn't so healthy. Oh and that is in the old testament. We have a new covenant now... and the Bible isn't nit-picky.. because God isn't nit-picky. He just wants the best because of course he deserves the best and even more!

Answer 6

Leviticus only applies to those who are of the Jewish religion.

So if it applies to you, only you know!

Why is the Bible so picky? It isn't picky! It's protective.

God forbade the Israelites to eat pork and other animals because he considered them unclean - there were dangers involved in eating them.

Even today, if you cannot thoroughly cook some meats they shouldn't be eaten.

Isn't a lobster a bottom dweller? That is probably your reason right there!

Answer 7

their exoskeleton is in a series of shells and hard skeletal scales. BTW also lobsters do not eat the dead in the sea they eat live prey. But if you choose to follow this interpertation above then you must stop all shell fish....clams, oysters, mussels, shrimp, lobster, snails, crawdads & scallops.

the bible also speaks of pork as a dirty animal as well and not to eat them.

actually it makes sense these foods are not good for you and have high cholesteral counts.

Answer 8

Many of these sorts of ancient taboos have their origins in some practical concern. For instance all the concern about sexual purity makes sense in a tribal setting where property is inherited on the basis of blood relationship, where unplanned children without both parents to support them are a burden to the entire tribe and where sex with multiple partners spreads deadly diseases for which no cure exists. Sexual purity is simply common sense social and personal hygiene in that setting. I lived for some time on South Korea at a time where nearly everyone in the country had some form of intestinal parasite due to water contamination and seafood caught in the extremely shallow waters of the Yellow Sea. There are over fifty gut infections possible from fish and shellfish, but shellfish additionally can be a source of paralytic poisoning and many people are simply fatally allergic to them. It's possible that many of the people of that day became ill from eating shellfish and so "God" ordered them to avoid it. Swine are also a source of terrible illnesses like pork-bell, trichinosis, toxoplasma, all of which we control today but which they had no USDA inspectors for in 1800BCE. So it's not as silly as it seems.

Answer 9

We are no longer under the Mosaic law, so go ahead, and eat your lobster.

Also, bear in mind, many commands were passed down by God, not for arbitrary "because I said so" reasons, but rather, as a protection. For instance, burying excrement away from your camp, cleanliness, avoiding dead bodies, etc, were all part of the law. At the time, these may have seemed a random batch of restrictions, but looking back, it prevented those who followed the laws from getting sick from a number of potentially harmful sources.

Answer 10

Jesus stated that He came to fulfill the LAW and through him we have a new Covenant without the restrictions of the Old Testament purification rules.

Now please research this for yourself because even though we may eat items once deemed as "abominations" there are still many things from the Old Testament that apply today.