What is the reason for certain religions not eating pork?

Answer 1

Leviticus chapter 11 lists the dietary restrictions God gave to the nation of Israel. The dietary rules were never intended to apply to anyone other than Israel. Jesus later declares all foods clean (Mark 7:19). God gave the apostle Peter a vision in which He declares concerning formerly unclean animals, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15). When Jesus died on the cross, He put an end to the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:24-26; Ephesians 2:15). This includes the laws regarding clean and unclean foods.

Answer 2

1) The most important reason: God said not to. The Torah calls eating pork "an abomination to you". God's reason is a matter of speculation. Some say it's because there were no refrigerators in the ancient Middle East. Others say it's because pigs are nature's garbage collectors and are therefore metaphysically associated with death. In other words, they are spiritually unhealthy.
2) The cannibalism quip isn't that far from the truth. A pig's tissues are actually very close to human. That's why the Mythbusters always use a pig carcass to bust myths regarding dead human bodies.
3) Pigs are swarming with parasites. It's almost impossible to kill them all even by cooking.

-yk

Answer 3

In the ancient times, many Near Eastern religions prohibited or restricted the consumption of pork. There is evidence that even in ancient Egypt, there were severe limitations on eating pork -- at the very least, the priests could not consume it.

The most interesting explanation for the pork ban that I've come across is the SOCIAL one. To raise pigs in a desert climate, you have to feed them grain -- i.e., pigs would thus compete with humans for the most basic foodstuffs. This would be particularly unacceptable in lean years (which occurred regularly, even in Egypt), when people would die of starvation while rich people's pigs ate. This explanation is elegant, but it is belied by the fact that ancient Near Eastern societies were not exactly socialist. It was not uncommon for pets and horses to eat better than people and to be better provided for during the times of famine than many human beings. So really, there is nothing in this explanation to indicate how pigs were different.

The MEDICAL explanation, that pork is banned because it carries parasites is bolstered by the fact that in Judaism, the consumption of blood (such as in the form of pudding) is also forbidden, blood being another meat product that spoils very quickly and causes horrendous poisonings. However, that does not account for the fact that liver of ritually clean animals is allowed (though it too is very prone to parasites and quick spoilage. In fact, in a hot climate without refrigeration, any meat consumption is a dicey proposition -- so from a medical standpoint, it would make more sense for Middle-Eastern religions to prescribe a vegetarian diet.

The GARBAGE explanation (i.e. you can't eat pigs because they are filthy) makes little sense in light of the fact that chickens are okay to eat. Chickens are quite filthy too, and will eat virtually anything.

I have seen an ASCETIC/CULINARY explanation which suggests that because pork is so incredibly versatile when it comes to curing and sausage-making, and yields such incredibly good products (indeed, pork absorbs herb and spice flavors better than any other meat) -- the prohibition against the eating of pork is really a prohibition against epicurianism. That sounds interesting, except the ban originated thousands of years before European haute cuisine and its zillion pate's and sausages, and there is no evidence for much variety in pork delicacies in the ancient Middle East.

Putting aside the RELIGIOUS explanation (pork is forbidden because G-d forbade it) that leaves us with the reality that we don't know how the ban on pork originated and we will never know. Most likely, the prohibition originated with one cult and spread to its neighbors, but how -- it's a mystery. Perhaps that original cult's founding myth revolved an evil pig god. Perhaps it was started by a shaman or chieftan who had put all his money in lambs. Or perhaps there is a very good reason for this that we just cannot grasp. It could be anything, really.

Answer 4

It's a commandment from God. It's unclean meat to the Israelites. Pigs are considered dirty. Pigs are fat, lazy and dirty. They waddle around in mud and often eat their own feces. They sometimes eat their own young. They eat garbage, hold many diseases, and if they taste flesh they often become mean and vicious. (Think Wizard of Oz. Why was Dorothy so scared when she fell in the pig sty? Because the pigs might have tried to eat her. I'm serious about this too! My grandparents tell me stories about mean pigs all the time.)
Read these passages in the Bible:

Leviticus 11:1-47

Deuteronomy 14: 3-20

Deuteronomy 14:2 says:
For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

From this verse I gather that God was not talking about EVERYONE. God was speaking specifically to the Israelites and it does not forbid anyone else to eat pork. However, pork really isn't all that healthy for us. So yea, I hope that helped.

Answer 5

"Cause God said so".

However, in that day and age, it was not a bad idea to avoid pork. There are a number of diseases (for which we have antiobiotics today) that could enter an animal through the hoof, if the animal has a split (a.k.a. "cloven") hoof, like a pig does. Of all your possible meats, pork was the most likely to carry diseases that could infect men.

I have kind of wondered if this played a part too. Most animals used for meat are prey. They eyes are on the sides of their heads (like say cows, deer, etc.). This is so they can more easily scan the horizon and see a preditor coming. Pigs eyes are on the front of their heads, like all other preditors have (lions, wolves, humans, bears, etc.). This is to better help them triangulate and calculate the distance to the target. Wild boars aren't that removed from the "domesticated" pig.

Answer 6

Pigs are scavengers and harbor parasites. The same is true for Catfish, Shellfish, Pigeons and Wild Boars. However, Pork is the most consumed animal meat on the Globe. Oink Oink.

Answer 7

Because, historically, pigs are known for eating garbage. It is a health things. Pigs eat meat, fruit, feces, anything. In ancient times and I'm sure even today, it would probably be possible to get tryconosis (sp.?) from pork.

Answer 8

Because the Bible is a guide to our health and God told us not to eat pork for a reason. We are now finding out the reason is because pork is bad for people. It is a garbage eater , which makes it dirty. ( would you eat your garbage disposal waste?) It can be the cause of getting pin worms, or other ailments. It takes longer than any other meat to digest. God knew it was not healthy and so he forbade his people from eating it.

Answer 9

Pigs cannot be herded, are very difficult to contain by fencing, are smart and surly. Combine that with the fact they carry a parasite called Tricana (sp?) and you realize why early peoples had taboos against eating them.

Answer 10

Leviticus 11:26 "'Every animal which parts the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor chews the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean.