Am I correct in saying that whereas a Jew would rather eat pork than starve to death, a Muslim would starve?

Question

You might also be interested in my Question about drinking alcoholic beverages.

Obviously--a human being with all his foibles is a human being! I've made my point: Muslims are NO better than Christians, Jews, Bhuddists, Bahais, etc., and ISLAM IS NO BETTER THAN ANY OTHER RELIGION! Had I said this without asking the Question, I would have been stoned to death in Muslim society! Islam is NOT the "be all and end all" it believes itself to be!

There was an instance when during WWII Russian agronomists DID STARVE TO DEATH rather than eat (certain strains) wheat seeds entrusted to them. The inferred/ implied question I've posed is: Where do religions differ which has real rather than theoretical relevance? I would expect and hope that my ethics are the same as those of another faith!

Answer 1

In ngeneral- a jew can break any law in order to save a life (including his own) with the exception of 1) murder, 2) Idoltary, 3 sexual immorality (incest, sodomy, adultery)

So generally yep- pork or any other food can be eaten if you would other wise die. However- this is not true in all circumstances- if by eating the food you will be doing a "chilul Hashem'- desecration of God, you must die before eating it. When could such a situation arise? Think on it like this- if you are placed before a group of people that know you are obersvant and told to eat food so they will be enticed into it- or you will be taken out and shot- you have to let yourself be shot since otherwise you are leading the people to believe you are abandoning God's law. If the people know you are being threatened, you can eat, since they will know you are being threatened and thus not abandoning Judaism. An example of this is found in the Tanach (what non-Jews call the bible)- where the children of Hannah refuse to bow before the idol, even though the king throws a ring down- sauing pick up the ring and we know you have not bowed to the idol. Because the observers would not have known they were not involved in idoltary, and would have been enticed into idoltary by their action- they had to die rather than bend to pick up the ring.

As for Muslims- while I am not an expert in the Quran- I am pretty sure they are allowed to eat haram food in a life or death situation

Answer 2

The question should be worded differently -not a 'jew would rather eat pork' -- a jew is allowed to eat non kosher food - in dire circumstances - for example a pregnant women is considered to be in a different category - if she craves something not kosher - and will not be persuaded to eat anything but that non kosher food and will be ill from that she is allowed to for her health.

Or during the holocaust when jewish people were starving they were allowed to have non-kosher food.

The idea is called "Endagering Life" - if that is the case and someone's life is in danger then non-kosher food can be consumed.

FYI: but you see even in history that it is the last resort - even in the holocaust jewish people would try any other means possible to find something else - for example - potato peelings for the kitchens of a nazi concentration camp (taken without the knowledge of the SS guards) etc.

Answer 3

if the question is simply the options are:

1) die.
2) eat pork, survive.

then yes, unquestionably, by Jewish Law, Custom, and Tradition, the only option would be eating it.

Preservation of life before almost all else. and eating kosher is way down the list compared to not dying.

dunno about the muslim side though.

Answer 4

Most religious people ignore what their religion says should it become inconvenient so the average Muslim would not starve regardless of whether the religion put not eating pork ahead of saving their life or not.

Answer 5

No you aint right. Moslem may eat pork in certain condition where there is no food left ie war etc. Islam is a flexible religion afterall.

Answer 6

No that isnt correct, a muslim IS allowed to eat pork if he/she cant find ANYTHING to eat to survive. Islam is an easy religion in which human life is sacred.

Answer 7

it depends really, if the was no other food to eat than a muslim might eat it...I would but it'll taste kinda funny to me

Answer 8

That cannot be generalised. It is up to any individual.