Christianity and the Pig

[rockytopva]

My family came from Germany, helped with the revolutionary war, and then settled what would become Merrimac Mines, Va. The people were well to do, but were what most would consider poor. When I came along I would help plant potatoes and onions this time of year with the rest of the garden going in in April, hoping we would not get the late frost. Putting up hay for the cattle was also a summer job.

Another thing was that most people raised hogs. When they were done with the swine there was little left to waste. I can remember my mother saving pork grease in coffee cans where she would fry French fries using the grease. Not to mention the finer meats such as bacon, sausage, pork chops, and ham. I have heard many say that the pig was essential for the survival of country people. When I go to eat at the local Country Kitchen restaurant they have all the pork including the sausage gravy, all of which makes the breakfast tasty.

And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase. - Deuteronomy 14:8

It is an amazing thing that the Lord made the pig with so tasty of flesh, and then goes on to declare such a creature unclean. I limit my consumption of pork, thinking God was not being a bully recommending obstaining from such meat, but will go on to eat a pork breakfast about every month, giving thanksgiving for such a meal. I cannot imagine eating at a breakfast buffet and not eating pork of some variety.

 

[Paul Christensen]

My family came from Germany, helped with the revolutionary war, and then settled what would become Merrimac Mines, Va. The people were well to do, but were what most would consider poor. When I came along I would help plant potatoes and onions this time of year with the rest of the garden going in in April, hoping we would not get the late frost. Putting up hay for the cattle was also a summer job.

Another thing was that most people raised hogs. When they were done with the swine there was little left to waste. I can remember my mother saving pork grease in coffee cans where she would fry French fries using the grease. Not to mention the finer meats such as bacon, sausage, pork chops, and ham. I have heard many say that the pig was essential for the survival of country people. When I go to eat at the local Country Kitchen restaurant they have all the pork including the sausage gravy, all of which makes the breakfast tasty.

And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase. - Deuteronomy 14:8

It is an amazing thing that the Lord made the pig with so tasty of flesh, and then goes on to declare such a creature unclean. I limit my consumption of pork, thinking God was not being a bully recommending obstaining from such meat, but will go on to eat a pork breakfast about every month, giving thanksgiving for such a meal. I cannot imagine eating at a breakfast buffet and not eating pork of some variety.

The restriction on eating certain types of food, including pork, was abolished when the curtain of the Jewish Temple was ripped from top to bottom, ushering in the New Covenant based on grace and not on Law.

The restriction on eating pork was a restriction for the Jews, and for many Jews it still is. But Christians eating pork is not a sin at all. I enjoy my ham sandwiches for lunch and wouldn't go without them!

 

[HARK!]

the New Covenant based on grace and not on Law.

(CLV) 8:10
"For this is the covenant which I shall be covenanting with the house of Israel after those days," the Lord is saying: "Imparting My laws to their comprehension, On their hearts, also, shall I be inscribing them, And I shall be to them for a God, And they shall be to Me for a people.

 

[Willie T]

My family came from Germany, helped with the revolutionary war, and then settled what would become Merrimac Mines, Va. The people were well to do, but were what most would consider poor. When I came along I would help plant potatoes and onions this time of year with the rest of the garden going in in April, hoping we would not get the late frost. Putting up hay for the cattle was also a summer job.

Another thing was that most people raised hogs. When they were done with the swine there was little left to waste. I can remember my mother saving pork grease in coffee cans where she would fry French fries using the grease. Not to mention the finer meats such as bacon, sausage, pork chops, and ham. I have heard many say that the pig was essential for the survival of country people. When I go to eat at the local Country Kitchen restaurant they have all the pork including the sausage gravy, all of which makes the breakfast tasty.

And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase. - Deuteronomy 14:8

It is an amazing thing that the Lord made the pig with so tasty of flesh, and then goes on to declare such a creature unclean. I limit my consumption of pork, thinking God was not being a bully recommending obstaining from such meat, but will go on to eat a pork breakfast about every month, giving thanksgiving for such a meal. I cannot imagine eating at a breakfast buffet and not eating pork of some variety.

My Grandmother was Pennsylvania Dutch. Your post took me home.

 

[Scoot]

My current limited understanding of this is that there were 3 types of laws in the OT.

This being Civil, Moral and Ceremonial. Civil and Ceremonial don't flow forward, but the moral law continues on today.

Remember that Israel had just come out of Egypt and was not it's own nation. They had no idea how to work as a Nation of laws except with what Egypt did - and that would have been horrible to follow, hence the Civil law.

However in saying that - note that unclean animals did not start with Israel as a nation. In Genesis 7:2 - Noah was told to take 7 pairs of every kind of clean animal, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal.

So the definition of clean and unclean predates even the Hebrew people or the Levitical laws.

Don't get me wrong - as @Paul Christensen has stated - I too have the understanding that the restriction on eating certain animals was abolished - and it's my understanding that it's not a sin to eat ham - however I also suspect that the laws were in place for our benefit - not as a rule to follow for no good reason, and there may be additional reasons that we are unaware of that God knows about.

As a result - I do find it interesting that many of the diseases we have these days comes from unclean animals. We've had swine flu, bird flu, and now the bat flu (to paraphrase) - which as I understand it (I'm open to correction) - are all unclean animals and it's something that I do consider with an open mind.

 

[lforrest]

As a result - I do find it interesting that many of the diseases we have these days comes from unclean animals. We've had swine flu, bird flu, and now the bat flu (to paraphrase) - which as I understand it (I'm open to correction) - are all unclean animals and it's something that I do consider with an open mind.

You may be onto something. Perhaps the answer lay in the genome for these unclean animals, making them more susceptible to producing dangerous viruses or transmitting them cross-species. It would explain the 7 clean to 1 unclean, as it would produce a more diverse genome for the food supply. Now I'm concerned about shrimp aquaculture.