It keeps coming up, so I thought we should have a thread for it, and other threads can quit getting sidetrached by it. Here are some little clips from another thread to get us started- (ME)- I have always loved visiting various churches, to see how different people believe and worship, and was not sataisfied that the Church in which I was saved and baptised had all the answers. I remember once reading that Jesus (as I called Him at the time) had spoken a parable about a foolish man who built his house on sand, and a wise man who built his house on a rock. The Christian interpretation tends to be that Jesus is the Rock. For me, it made me think of the foundation of Jesus' religion.. I thought of the prophecies in Revelations regarding antichrist, and the powers he will have, and realized that it is not enough to believe that Jesus is the Messiah based on the miracles he performed... Antichrist will have powers too, even over death. I needed more, and I realized the only way to prove to myself and to any naysayers that Jesus IS the Messiah is to look at the Messianic prophecies.... thus my love of Torah was born. Deuteronomy 6 is one bit of scripture that really showed me that I had a lot of work to do, and better get started... If I am to teach Torah to my children (someday when I have kids), I will have to study it when I rise and when I go to bed in the meantime. Not that I'm perfect at this, at ALL... I had a hard enough time keeping one-a-day bible studies on schedule. But I think Yeshua will forgive me.. It's the sort of thing he's known for Soldier_in_Christ- So, would you say that meats like pork are still tabboo? Just wondering, because in the NT several things that had once been sin are "made clean", in a sense, and are allowed. (ME)- I don't generally eat pork. I think G-d knew what He was doing when He gave us that rule. Pigs are not discriminating consumers, and they do not have the ability as other animals (and people) to sweat out any toxins. Not to mention it is about the fattiest meat out there, and we in America (as well as me personally) need to watch that kind of stuff. I just think everything G-d wants for us is really in our best interests, it's not just arbitrary rules just to have a bunch of rules. Besides, the way I interpret the corresponding passage (Mark 7, if memory serves?) Jesus was asked about His disciples not participating in ritual washing, and his response was simply that "It is not what enters a man's body that defiles him, but what comes from his heart." Most translations end the quote there (after the examples of things that come from the heart), and it is the author, not the Messiah which then interprets "Thus he declared all foods clean" mgarsteck- I believe you have misinterpreted why God had them not eat certain kinds of meats. It wasnt because that it was unhealthy. The reason for the restrictions on food was so that they would be a holy nation. The other nations around them ate that stuff and God wanted them to be Holy. (ME)- HaShem didn't exactly specify why we were to do this, or not to do that. We can guess, but it's all speculation. In the end, I think the important thing is to remember that it is just speculation, regardless of why we believe He gave us certain instructions. What is NOT speculation is that He did tell His people not to eat it. FiberglassButterfly- Actually...from what I have read everything God said not to do in the old testament he said because the things were unhealthy. Look at all the rules that were laid out about mold in a home, and look at how we know today that mold is bad for us. I believe God laid those things out to protect us. Just my opinion. IceTrey3- but the second part of the verse says"or print on your body" which applies to tattoos, but i think that since it is a leviticus law and can be said as irrelevent to todays times, like the one that talks about if u disobey ur parents u should be killed or the one that talks about a peace offering and if you don't eat it in three days ur and abomination (ME)- Right.. we don't need to worry about what the OT says because a) G-d was just kidding b) G-d isn't really infallible after all, and He changed His mind OR c) Despite what Paul says, there really IS a double standard depending on if you're Jewish or not ??? Soldier_in_Christ- im not objecting to what you say because im arguementative, but rather to increase my own understanding of the Gospel and the Lord. Now, continuing with the discussion on pork and meat, in Romans 14 it states: 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. and 6 Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honour the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. Does this not mean that we can eat any kinds of food and still honour the Lord and obey Him? DHfan - doesnt it make sense that standards would change with circumstances? (i.e. OT times, saved by works, vs. NT and present times, saved by grace)

Post edited by: MattBob_SquarePants, at: 2006/12/26 12:57