What's God's problem with shrimp?

Question

"Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you." (Lev. 11:12)

But they're so cute!
http://www.pacificu.edu/as/biology/faculty/DavidScholnick.cfm
Look at his little legs run on that treadmill!

What type of cruel god thinks these cuddly little creatures are abominations?

Answer 1

And why don't we see "godhatesshrimp.com" websites?

Praise...Me! There is a godhatesshrimp website!

Glory!

Answer 2

Probably that same old cruel God who really doesn't want people getting sick... I like shrimp, but I know the dangers of eating them and my other S. Louisiana delicacies. I referenced the following from a wesite, (if you're really intersted).

Public health officials have..." historically recognized that the meat of shellfish-shrimp, crabs, lobsters, etc.-is dangerous. Many illnesses, including instant paralysis, devastate some people every day as a result of eating shellfish.

"The largest cholera outbreak in the United States occurred in Louisiana from August through October 1986.

(The symptoms of cholera are explosive diarrhea, leading to rapid dehydration, unconsciousness, hypotension and death.)

"Shellfish can be placed in a body of water that is contaminated with cholera bacteria, and they will purify the water. Shrimp, oysters, crab, scallops and mussels are particularly efficient at this. They filter large volumes of water every day. Sewage laden with chemicals, toxins and harmful bacteria, parasites and viruses become concentrated in those shellfish. The cause of cholera outbreaks in several areas has been traced to contaminated shrimp, crab, oysters and clams.

". . . Reading all this, you might not be surprised to learn that the state Legislature of California proposed a law requiring the food industry to label shellfish with a message warning: 'This food may be dangerous to your health.' Why? In a single year, 50 deaths and many hospitalizations were found to have been caused by eating shellfish" (Russell, pp. 78-79).

Answer 3

Okay, so those FIRST two answers are impossible to top so let me just say that shrimp and shellfish are among the more common food allergies. In the time before epinephrine injections food allergies could be fatal. If your shaman or priest sees people dying of shrimp consumption he's likely to just give up and put it on that banned foods list. That seems to have been the case for the Israelites.

Answer 4

You think that shrimp are cuddly little creatures?
whatever..............
I would like to see your scriptures to back up the abomination
quote. The Jews were told not to eat it, but not for that reason.

Answer 5

back in biblical times, there must have been some disease related to shrimp, so the people who wrote the bible/"spoke for god" decided to forbid it. Simple. Just like homosexuality was forbidden because gay couples don't increase the size of the tribe. It's all about practical reasons.

Answer 6

see there were these people who were starving back then and they'd literally eat anything. and back then refridgeration wasn't so great. so you had these people eating rotten shrimp and other shellfish and dieing of this thing called trichinosis. naturally, people began to think that the shrimp were evil because so many people were dieing from eating them. so they hypothesized that god must not want them to eat it, and thus the story of eating shellfish being an abomination to god got written into the bible.

Answer 7

I don't know who "God" is, but YHWH never said a word about shrimp, or that he had a problem with anything.

Conversely, YHWH indicated that the children of Yisrael would have a problem if they broke his commandments (Lev. 11:12. as you so aptly pointed out).

As far as "Shrimp" goes, there is no evidence that the Israelites ever hear of, or saw one, seeing as it is an anglicized German word (schrempen).

Shalom

Answer 8

They are cute, but they are the vacuum cleaners of the ocean and God wanted to give you a diet for long life. There are many foods you can eat but not all very beneficial. Its not a sin to eat them but Gods diet of clean foods are very healthy for living a long life that is good for avoiding some future food related illness. If God was cruel He would say you should eat whatever you want....fried and processed foods included. But this shows us that He is loving to care about our health and well being.

Answer 9

An illogical one. Actually, this crap is made up by people acting out their ignorance or seeking to dominate and subject others (a self-serving agenda).

Answer 10

Notice it says “you”? He probably devours the things day & night (notice how in the flood he spared all the creatures in the sea?) He always was a grudger you know.

Answer 11

Shrimp and oysters are not kosher. They are scavengers that eat off the bottom of the ocean.