Is It Kosher

[Naomi]

On another thread the subject of purchasing Kosher products was mentioned. In today's world we often see "Kosher" certified products: Or Passover Certified. Is the certification of "Kosher" relavant to the Christian community?

Is "ritually" clean something that should make a difference to us?

[Gregory Matthews]

It depends upon what the difference is that we are looking for.

Ritual clleanness, in my opinion, is not something that is important today.

Howver, Kosher certified tells people who want to know that the product does not contain pork products, for example. To some people it is important to know such.

[Dr. Shane]

I agree that ritual cleaness is not an issue for Christians. Many Adventists will only buy kosher cheeses and gelitan because they know they don't have any unclean animal products in them. For other Adventists, they see that as trying to strain the knats out of water.

Then there are too a group of Adventists that will only eat kosher meats becuase the blood has been removed from them. Although there are ways to remove the blood from meat that is not kosher: boiling, broiling and roasting over open flame.

Our local rabbi told me he has known many Adventists throughout the years that use kosher products.

[Dr. Shane]

The Mormons have a prespective that seems to be Biblical:

Health Is A Blessing Home

[:"blue"] The Lord also strongly forbade the eating of blood, as the following passages of scripture testify:...

This commandment was never withdrawn. Even though the apostles determined not to lay the heavy yoke of obedience to the many laws of Moses on the gentile converts to Christianity, they still warned them: "Abstain from blood and things strangled. (Acts 15:29)

The Lord here instructs that when an animal is slain its blood should be drained upon the ground. Although most of us are not likely to eat or drink animal blood, we do need to be aware of the fact that much of today's meat is not processed correctly. Many animals are shocked or electrocuted and the blood is not thoroughly drained from them before slaughter. In fact, retaining the blood makes the meat heavier, darker and redder and hence more appealing in the marketplace. So, animals are usually slaughtered deliberately in a manner that retains more of the blood in the tissues. This may be one reason why it would be wise to avoid eating very much red meat in our modern world, especially when we do not know if the animal was properly slain.

Perhaps we also need to consider carefully what the Lord meant when he said that those who partake of these things would be "cut off" from among the people. This sounds like they were to be separated or excommunicated from the congregation. However, the Lord's blessings and cursings for obedience and disobedience to law are not limited to the actions of man. It is at least probable that these passages refer to people dying due to the effects of eating these things. In other words, people who disobey the commandments of God are "cut off" from his people by disease and premature death. Also, their ability to produce healthy generations of offspring (remember Pottenger's cats) may also be impaired, so their names may be "cut off" from Israel because they have no children to receive their inheritance. [/]

[Nan]

A bit off the topic, but I have always wondered about the consistency of the Jehovah's Witnesses. They refuse blood transfusion (and I have seen a patient who died due to that decision) but do not worry about the prohibition on eating blood in the meat. The primary application of all the Mosaic commands as well as the one in Acts which they quote, has to be about not ingesting the blood of animals.

And being vegematarian, I do not worry about kosher or other forms of meat myself <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Dr. Shane]

I have studied this quite a bit as I first heard it presented in an African-American church I attended and, at the time, I was not a vegetarian.

It seems to be the prohibition against eating blood is still binding. It was given at the same time permision to eat meat was given and it was repeated by the Apostles.

I have searched for a reason. The Bible says not to eat blood because the life is in the blood. Well that can't be literal. We know we can remove small portions of blood from animals without removing their life and we can remove thier life without removing any blood. Unlike eating unclean animals, there seems to be no health issues with eating the blood that have been discovered. So I must take this as being symbolic.

In the New Testement we find Christ commanding us to drink wine which is symbolic of His blood. The wording He used is to literally drink His blood. "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." (John 6:54-56) Later we see Paul proclaiming, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) It appears that eating blood is simbolic of eating the life of something other than Christ.