Why is it a sin to eat pork?

Question

my grandparents are Messianic Jews (they believe Jesus is the Messiah, but follow a lot of the Jewish ways and customs). They say the Bible says not to eat pork. But when Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, didn't that mean that all of the old customs didn't need to be followed anymore, like the sacrafices and stuff. and doesn't it say in the new testament somewhere not to judge people because of what they eat? can someone clear this up for me, i'm confused. thanks!!!!

Answer 1

it is considered unclean....religiously, both in Christianity and Islam.

Answer 2

Yes, the old customs of the Old Testament were done away with when Jesus was crucified. As the New Testament declares, it was nailed to the cross. If you are going to keep part of the old law, you've got to keep all of it, according to the letter to the Hebrews. You can't pick and choose, though most of us do.

It is not a sin to eat pork any longer, as per Peter's vision in Acts 10. It was a sin because those things are just nasty, and if not cooked right could give you some bad diseases. They were unclean, and scavengers. So, it has a health issue. Under the New Testament, all things are made clean.

However, in accordance with Romans 14, if a person feels that it is sinful, then to them it is a sin, and they should not eat it. It is not something that we should argue and debate about. If more folks would apply Romans 14, there would be a lot less division, and a whole lot more love in christendom.

Answer 3

Because orthodox jews have certain d ietary restrictions based on what they think were God's instructions about what was healthy, or unhealthy to eat. In the matter of meat, the ruling was that they could eat from the meat of any animal that had the cloven hoof and chewed the cud, which cut out the g ood ole pig because pigs don't chew the cud, even though they have cloven hooves. They were supposed to only eat any fish that had fins and scales, and of the foul of the air, no bird that fed off the flesh of dead animals (scavengers such as hawks, eagles etc.)
But as a jew myself, I grew up, wised up, and recognised that everything is open to interpretation, times have changed. Foods that used to not be healthy to eat because people didn't know anything about infections and their cause; are now perfectly ok because in this day and age, we do know. Therefore, I d ecided it was only a "sin" to eat pork or any other "traife" (unclean food) if that was still what you believed. I no longer believe that, and as a result, I never let the fact that I am Jewish stand between me and a good pork chop LOL.

Answer 4

The only things that were nailed to the cross were the blood sacrifices and the Mosaic law, or the ceremonial law. God's health laws are not part of the ceremonial law. God made a distinction between clean and unclean animals all the way back at Noah; he brought seven of every clean animal and two of every unclean animal on board. This was so that there could be 3 breeding pairs of the edible animals (so you could have more) and one sacrifice. This was at least 500 years before the first Jew ever appeared.
God made a distinction between clean and unclean animals to the Jews as a reminder, since they had been under the control of pig-eating pagans for 400 years and may have forgotten. It is still good common sense to follow God's health laws; even science today tells us that pork is one of the least healthy meats you can eat. Even the FDA says "eat it at your own risk." God already told us that 2500 years ago!
The part in the Bible (Romans 14:6) that people try to use to excuse pork-eating, was actually referring to (clean) meat sacrificed to idols, because an idol is "nothing at all in the world". Some people think they just need to ask for a blessing over it; but why would God bless something that He has specifically forbidden? God changes not. Paul was telling them not to judge people who eat meat sacrificed to idols.
Some people also like to use the example of Peter's dream in Acts 10, where three times God brings a sheet down with all kinds of unclean food and says, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat". When Peter finally figured out what the dream meant, he said "And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." Notice he said "any MAN common or unclean", not "any PIG common or unclean". God also said, "what I have cleansed, do not call unclean". People will use this to assume that God cleansed pigs. God wasn't talking about pigs; He was talking about human gentiles, which the Jews had formerly thought of as "unclean". Pigs are still very much unclean today. That has never changed. In fact, today, about 1 out of 7 people have trichinosis and don't even know it. So many diseases that exist today that science can't find a diagnosis for are actually symptoms of an infection of Trichina larva. You may have heard that a pig can be bitten by a rattlesnake and survive; this is because their flesh and fat are so toxic that they have a natural immunity to the venom. Pork contains, aside from trichina larva, carcinogens and other toxins. This is not an animal that God intended for us to eat. It is nature's "garbage collector". You can eat pork all your life, but you won't live long.

Answer 5

And don't forget Paul's rooftop experience (or was that Peter)?? At any rate, four doves brought down a big sheet with all of the foods and God declared "what I have made clean, do not call unclean"...Eat whatever you want, preach to others' that they may also.

There was a prohibition about foods that came from cloven hoofed critters. God did not want His people eating it. I understand (anecdotal) that this is the why of our depiction of satan with cloven feet.

Now, here's a question. Why are muslims sooo frightened of and against pork?? IF Jesus was a prophet BEFORE moh...and is honored..(which is not so, He is tolerated, in order not to be inflammatory and to disguise their rejection of Him) THEN, why didn't the muslims 'learn' from Jesus that all foods are now ok?

Did you know that General Pershing (think of ICBM missiles with that name) quashed the muslim revolt, in the Philipines by capturing about 50 rebels, having his men slaughter pigs, dip their bullets in pigs blood and then shoot all but one of the muslims....They turned him loose, to tell what happened and the revolt was OVER.

My intuition is: because islam is a rival of Christianity; and, therefore, there are wicked forces orchestrating it....'They' probably abhor the consumption of animals that are symbolic of them and their uncleanness. Did you know that once the dragon of Revelation is killed.. It will be cooked, carved up and eaten by the Lord and His saints. You know that has got to be a bitter pill. LOL I'll bet the 'meat' is better than the best fillet mignon....mmmmmmmmm (homer simpson voice)

Answer 6

In the Bible u may notice that they use the word "swine", this is a word used for pigs or hogs. It's just a Jewish tradition that pigs or "swine" are thought to be unclean & unfit to eat for God's chosen people (Jews). I'm not sure how this thought originated though. Christians however, are no longer obligated to follow Jewish Law, as of about 2,000 years ago.

Answer 7

In the OT, pork was forbidden to eat because it contained germs, and the pigs ate unhealthy things. It was God's way of keeping the Israelites healthy. He also forbade shellfish, because shellfish eat the refuse of the sea, and gave special guidelines on what was best to eat.

In the NT, Paul (inspired by God), says that all things are fine to eat. Peter was shown a vision by God (in Acts 10), how a great sheet was let down from heaven and all sorts of animals were inside, and God told to him "Kill and eat". Peter protested, of course, and said, "Of course not, I've never eaten anything unclean!" This happened three times, and finally the sheet was lifted back up. God also said, "What I have created, you shall not call unclean." This helped when he went to Cornelius's (sp?) house, and ate with him, when he was still a Gentile.

Everything now is fine to eat, because we are not bound by the OT laws, and because Paul and Peter both say not to worry about food. In 1st Corinthians (I think, might be 2nd), Paul talks about food offered to idols and such things. They are okay to eat, but not if it causes another Christian to stumble. I.e., become worried and become doubtful of Christ and his teachings.

I do hope this clears up for you. Enjoy your pork! :D

Answer 8

Does nobody in your family study science at all? It's a sin because pork flesh can have trichinosis work eggs that can pass through your digestive system and hatch in your body and infest you *if the pork is not properly prepared*. That's it. It's not because swine are cute or cuddly or favored by god or reviled by god, it was simply that at that time that rule was put down on payrus, science was religion. We chose, in those days, to simply take the priests or shamans word on what was good or bad for us and in this case we know why he said it (from a biological perspective).

Answer 9

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND, their must be a separation between clean & Unclean foods. The lord don't place things in his word for nothing. Leviticus 11 the chapter gives a commandment for man not to eat certain beast, and their is no where in the bible where Jesus or any of the apotles or disciples ate anything unclean. The same law yesterday, today and forever.

Answer 10

It is not a sin to eat pork. It is not an abomination to eat shell fish, nor to wear clothes made of two cloths. The "laws" of Leviticus fell long ago. Pigs taste good. Enjoy your pork.

Answer 11

PLEASE READ: Romans chapter 14 & 15

SAMPLE:

Romans 14:14-16 (NLT)
14 I know and am perfectly sure on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be condemned for doing something you know is all right.

ALSO READ: 1Corinthians Chapter 8

SAMPLE:

1 Corinthians 8:7-13 (NLT)
7 However, not all Christians realize this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated. 8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t miss out on anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do. 9 But you must be careful with this freedom of yours. Do not cause a brother or sister with a weaker conscience to stumble. 10 You see, this is what can happen: Weak Christians who think it is wrong to eat this food will see you eating in the temple of an idol. You know there’s nothing wrong with it, but they will be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been dedicated to the idol. 11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak Christian, for whom Christ died, will be destroyed. 12 And you are sinning against Christ when you sin against other Christians by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong. 13 If what I eat is going to make another Christian sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to make another Christian stumble.

Hope this helps, if I can be of more help email me.