Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: drew@anucsd.anu.edu.au (Drew Corrigan) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Food Laws (was Biblical Sexual Morality) Message-ID: Date: 1 Apr 91 07:29:32 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 40 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Jenni writes: >This is generally understood to mean the Gentiles, and that >Peter should minister to them as well. But I have not seen any reason >to not take it literally as well. Does anyone know of any? --Jenni Um, what about getting sick? I mean that quite seriously. All the categories of animals, birds and sea creatures forbidden in Leviticus 11 have been shown through modern medical research to be causally linked to various illnesses and diseases in humans, if consumed. I'm writing this at work and don't have a list of the references (chiefly from The Lancet, a medical journal) to demonstrate this, but would be happy to summarise and post if anyone is interested. Pork for example, has been linked to sclerosis of the liver, quite apart from issues of tape worms etc. Many of the sea animals are either at the top of the food chain (eg sharks) or scavengers (eg oysters) and as such tend to accumulate toxins in their tissues. There are three approaches to dealing with these Laws: a) they were simply rituals given to Israel; b) they "evolved" through tradition; c) they are Laws given by God because he created us and knows best what should and should not be eaten in order for humans to function well and live healthily. I maintain approach c) is the correct one. Just as we now know that eating too much salt, fat, not enough fibre, etc, is bad in the long run, so I believe the same applies for the animals listed in Leviticus 11. The argument "why did God create them then", is fatuous. One may as well ask, "why did God create poisonous plants?" Just a further note with respect to Peter's vision: read it carefully. It doesn't include any sea animals! And note what it does include: "every manner of creeping things" (KJV). Just think of it; spiders, beetles, worms, ants, cockroaches, scorpians etc. So, if the vision is to be literal, then spiders are on the menu, but oysters are off! Drew. -- Drew Corrigan (drew@anucsd.anu.edu.au)