In cooking, the process of clarification entails straining out extraneous muck from liquids so that they might be pure, clear and ideal for consumption. With this series on the world's dietary tribes, we're attempting to do the same. Future installments will explore the foodways, politics and beliefs of vegans, raw foodists, pescetarians and other culinary collectives.
Today, we're delving into the dietary restrictions of twelve religions in the hopes of cooking up a little interfaith understanding. Learn which group looks to yogurt and fresh vegetables for enlightenment and whose holy men eschew the digestive effects of legumes and crucifers.
Bahá’í Off the menu: Alcohol Why: While they're not strictly forbidden, practitioners maintain that living a simple life, free from alcohol and mind-altering drugs is beneficial to spiritual development. Many Bahá’ís are vegetarians. Also: During the holy month of Ala, Bahá’ís abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset to more fully focus upon their spirituality and love of God.
Buddhism Off the menu: It varies, but many Buddhists are vegetarians and refrain from the use of alcohol. Why: Buddhists, like Hindus, believe in reincarnation and that the soul may at some point inhabit an animal. Thus, they abstain from killing living creatures. Buddhism also calls for a constant awareness of the body and mind, and it is thought that alcohol dulls this focus, and increases the possibility of negative karma while under its influence. Also: The Buddha exhorted followers to stay away from the "five pungent spices" - onions, garlic, scallions, chives and leeks - as cooked, they are said to intensify sexual desire, and raw, increase anger.
This flows from the Buddha's "Five Contemplations While Eating," in which followers ask themselves,
1. What food is this?.
2. Where does it come from?
3. Why am I eating it?
4. When should I eat and benefit from this food?
5. How should I eat it?
Catholicism Off the menu: Meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays in Lent - and for Catholics in some dioceses, meat on any Friday. Animal products such as fat, eggs, dairy and broth are permissible, as is fish. Why: These acts of self-denial and penance are in observance of divine law that each person should turn from sin and make reparation to God for their sins. Also: Fasts from solid food on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are required of Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59. The intent is spiritual focus, penance and imitation of Christ.
Hinduism Off the menu: Meat, for many Hindus, and especially beef Why: Hindu beliefs emphasize the importance of living in harmony with nature, and having mercy, respect and compassion for all creatures. Contrary to popular belief, Hindu do not worship cows, nor are they considered sacred by all Hindus. They are, however, "Aghanya" – that which may not be slaughtered. Also: Hindus divide food into three categories, based on how they enhance or hinder physical and spiritual development.
- Tamasic foods are considered heavy, dull and depressive and include meat, heavy cheese, onions, garlic, and mushrooms among others. The category also includes old and stale food.
- Rajasic foods are hot, spicy and salty and said to irritate and stimulate, often to a state of high agitation, anger and hate.
- Sattvic foods, like many fruits, fresh yogurt and leafy greens, are supposed to bring clarity and perception and help unfold love and compassion in the consumer.
Islam Off the menu: Alcohol, pork or pork products, birds of prey, carnivorous animals, blood, meat that is not slaughtered in the name of Allah, gelatin from non-Halal animals Why: It is commanded by God (Allah), who decreed some foods halal (allowed) and some haram (forbidden). Obedience to this is a matter of faith. Also: Followers of Islam recite the name of Allah before eating and offer thanks upon finishing, thus achieving a prayer-like state. Overeating is heartily discouraged and healthy, naturally grown food is ideal.
In order for a slaughter to be considered Halal, the following conditions must be met:
- The slaughterer must be Muslim (though some of the devout allow for a Christian or Jewish slaughterer)
- Allah's name must be invoked at the time of slaughter.
- The throat, windpipe and jugular veins are cut with a sharp blade.
Jainism Off the menu: Meat, fish, eggs, butter, honey, alcohol and figs. Strict practitioners eschew root vegetables, garlic and onions. Why: Vegetarianism is a way of life for Jains, who practice nonviolence and peaceful, cooperative coexistence with all living beings. Roots and some fruits are seen as containing more living beings than other, owing to the environment in which they develop, so their consumption is excluded. Most dairy, other than butter, is permitted. Also: Some Jains avoid eating after sunset or before sunrise to avoid harm to insects that appear after dark.
Judaism Off the menu: Pork and pork products, shellfish, meat and dairy at the same meal, birds of prey Why: Short answer – the Torah says so. These are some of the most complex dietary laws of all religions and reasons for and degrees of devotion vary from community to community. Also: Animals that do not have cloven hooves and which don't chew their cud are also considered unclean. Forbidden foods are called "treif." Adherence to kosher practice varies from community to community and this is just the tip of the iceberg, but basic tenets of kashrut include:
- Avoidance of the aforementioned foods
- Slaughter of permitted animals in accordance with Jewish law – a quick, deep stroke across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade with no nicks or unevenness
- Total drainage of blood
- Consumption of permitted animal parts only - the sciatic nerve and surrounding blood vessels are disallowed, as is the "chelev" fat surrounding vital organs and the liver
- Fruits and vegetables must be washed to ensure a lack of insects
- Three hours must be allowed between eating meat and dairy
- Utensils, pots and pans for dairy and meat must be kept separate, and those used for non-kosher food may not come into contact with kosher supplies
- Grape products made by non-Jews may not be consumed
Mormonism Off the menu: Coffee, tea, alcohol and large amounts of meat Why: Caffeine and alcohol are considered to be addictive and lead to poor physical and emotion well being. Also: Some Mormons avoid all hot drinks and some avoid all caffeinated beverages like soda. Meat is not forbidden, but excessive consumption is discouraged due to health concerns.
Rastafarianism Off the menu: Red meat, fish over 12", chemically modified food or that which contains artificial additives or excessive salt Why: "Ital" food food, pure and from the earth, is said to increase the eater's Livity, or life energy conferred by the Almighty. Also: Strict practitioners also avoid shellfish which, like pigs, are seen as scavengers. While marijuana is used extensively to bring the faithful in closer communion with Jah, coffee, other caffeinated beverages and strong alcohol are frowned upon.
Seventh Day Adventism Off the menu: Alcohol. Caffeine is to be avoided but is not strictly prohibited. Many of the devout are strict ovo-lacto vegetarians. Why: Seventh Day Adventists believe in a healthy and wholesome diet and adhere to a food doctrine taken from Leviticus. Also: This doctrine divides meat and fish into categories of "clean" and "unclean," sharing much in common with Jewish custom. Pork and shellfish are considered unclean while fish with fins and scales are clean.
Sikhism Off the menu: Alcohol is discouraged. Meat, in some sects. Those who do eat it may not consume halal or kosher meat. Why: Sikhs are expected to be active and alert, and alcohol consumption is counterproductive. Also: They do not believe in ritual halal or kosher slaughter as they do not consider it to ennoble the flesh. Rather, Sikhs practice "jhatka," which severs the animal's head with a single blow, causing the minimum amount of suffering. There is no implied sacrifice or ritual.
Yazidism / Yezidism Off the menu: Legendarily, lettuce, cabbage and butter beans Why: There is no clear answer, and the Yazidis numbers and frequency of contact with the rest of the world are in serious decline. Reportedly, one elder ties it to mass slaughter of their people in the lettuce fields by 18th and 19th century Ottomans. Another claims that the corpse of an early Yadizi saint was taunted and pelted with lettuce. Still another cites a Noah's Ark-like cabbage that once protected the group, and theories abound that the taboo may have to do with either the leaves' resemblance to the human ear or contamination with human waste. Also: The Baba Sheik, in an April 2010 interview with the BBC told the reporter that despite many claims to the contrary, ordinary Yadizi were free to eat what they like, but holy men like himself refrain from some vegetables because "they cause gases."
The posting wrote "Buddhists, like Hindus, believe in reincarnation and that the soul may at some point inhabit an animal." Not true. Orthodox Theravadin Buddhism does not posit a soul, much less one that reincarnates. The soul–atma or atta in Hinduism–was a belief that some later sects of Buddhism incorporated.
Buddhism section states that adherents refrain from eating meat due to the possibility that the "soul may at some point inhabit an animal"; however, one of the Three Marks of Existence is "anatman" or "non-self". This means that there is no permanent, unchanging self-nature. All phenomena is impermanent. The oldest school of Buddhism, Theravada, does not hold vegetarianism as an imperative – it merely excludes killing the animals, or having animals killed for your food. Mahayana Buddhism, however, holds that the protection of life and compassion for all sentient beings is a high moral practice that fosters correct action and a meritorious lifestyle. Rather than worrying about the "soul", the Mahayanists try to reduce the suffering that they cause in the world, and to cultivate an example for others to follow so that collectively, our environment becomes more and more conducive to the realization of complete and perfect enlightenment.
I do wish that people would actually do some research before writing such pieces. Yet again more misinformation here about Buddhism. For example, most Buddhists let alone many Buddhists are vegetarian and Buddhism does not teach reincarnation. It teaches rebirth, which is very different. Also, Justin, Buddhism teaches that there is no soul. It's one of the cornerstones of the Buddha's teaching and is called Anatta or Anatman.
Many Jewish food laws are not Biblical, they are Talmudic laws interpreted by rabbis.
For example, the Biblical law does not forbid eating dairy and beef at the same meal nor does it require 2 sets of dishes, one for meat and one for dairy.
Stupid? Yes, you are. If you look at how science proves that there is a reason why the Bible specifically decrees some meats clean and others unclean. The original diet in the Garden of Eden was completely Vegan-based – fresh fruit and veggies. If you consider how many years people lived for back then in comparison to today, then you'll soon come to a rational conclusion that there is actually something to what the Bible says, even if we don't understand it.
Science doesn't prove that, it proves why it was a good idea to follow these rules when they were made, nothing more. "The original diet in the Garden of Eden ..." Ok, you're talking about a fictional place, I could just as well ask you about the diets and longevity of people in the Star Wars movies or Harry Potter books.
Tammy was right, it is stupid, but you're even more so, and I find it hillarious how someone like you would have the gall to call someone else stupid as the first thing they do when you obviously have no batteries in your calculator if you know what I mean...
What makes a "man/people" unclean is not the same thing that makes an animal unclean. God is God and He either knows what people should/should not eat for their health, or He doesn't. Paul explains his vision of the sheet with the unclean animals in it. Just read a few verses past. It is symbolism for taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. As a Jew, Paul thought that was not allowed. God corrected him. It was not about eating at all. Paul says so, himself. We need not criticize our brothers and sisters. The Gospel is about love and brotherhood. Love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Even if your neighbor is a little different from you. If ALL religions would keep these Greatest Commandments in their minds and hearts, there would be so much more peace in the world.
This seems pretty superficial and pointless. most of it is "why can't this religion allow it?" : "because its holy text doesn't allow it" like the real reason why Catholics still could eat fish was because The apostles were fisherman as well as many early Christians, why put themselves out of business for a few days? This could be elaborated on a lot and its what I should have expected from cnn
He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'" Mark 7:20-23
Interesting that Evangelical Christians were not listed in the groups above. And, here's why: Jesus said: "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")
Mark 7:18-19
Random Reader, Yes!! And since world peace is far more important then whether or not the slaughterer of a goat is Muslim, Jewish or Christian, perhaps the focus of all Muslims should be to stop the madness amongst those who call themselves Muslim so that all people of the world can live in peace, eat happily, and not have to worry about these menaces to society. I think who slaughters a goat is less important than actually being alive to consume that goat without having life abruptly taken away because someone decides he wants to slaughter humans for Allah instead. Other religions breed extremist, very true, but none has become as prolific as the Muslim extremist and those who applaud their deeds while claiming they wouldn't hurt a fly because they are muslim, pray and don't eat pork!
I encourage you to read the position of the Seventh-day Adventist church (a Christian denomination) on diet and nutrition. For over 150 years the members of this church have advocated Biblical guidelines and sound medical advice concerning food and nutrition. Here's more information: http://www.sdada.org/sdahealth.htm
I would think that any worthwhile religion, i.e. one that actual had a connection to something supernatural, wouldn't just have guidelines but would provide real rules and reasons for healthy eating. For example, many religions forbid pork, but i have never heard of a religion stating, 'thoroughly cooked pork is good, but uncooked or undercooked pork is, well, unclean and may cause disease."
I may be mistaken but I don't know of any religion that instructs people to:
- boil water to kill bacteria
- wash hands before cooking and eating
- eat salt but not too much because of high blood pressure
- stay away from partially hydrogenated oils (this can be ignored until invented in the 20th century)
- not eat certain parts of a puffer fish
- not use poison ivy/oak as a salad
Yvette, a small but dangerous and vocal minority consider that to be acceptable. As most people of faith know, they are wrong.
Political circumstances have created violent extremists of all stripes in all the worlds religions at various times. Its the job of Muslims today to end that and return their religion to the love based religion it once was.
How about we all just skip the eating section on these religious doctrines and just get the part of treating people right correct first. In this world, food is the least of our worries. We have so much more work to do with being kind to one another, whatever the religion may be.
There are many Muslims who believe that the Quran forbids drunkenness, but not alcohol per se. Some Muslims view moderate alcoholic consumption as permissible.
Just pointing out that not all Muslims share the same view on this point.
Cow is considered a sacred animal in Hinduism. Cow is worshipped. Although there is no restrictions on eating or not eating anything, most of the Hindus refrain from eating beef.
The picture used for the article looks very inappropriate.
Dietary guidelines would make sense in any worthwhile religion. Religion is not just a list of arbitraty rules, but a means of becoming your best self. I would expect that God would help us achieve the greatest potential in all ways, physically/emotionally/spiritually/intellectually. Any real religion would be a lifestyle, not some Sunday/holiday activity.
Initially Sikh was not eating meat at all. As time goes, more people join sikhi in south and they belong to Hindu religions started eating Meat. This is controversial when this start in past. South people says Guru Gobind Singh ji was eating this, but question arises that Guru Gobind singh was also living in North and did lots of war by staying empty stomach without eating meat?
This is true that now sikh started eating meats with restriction, but only if Punj (means numeric 5) Payaras (saints) allowed during Amrit Ceremony.
Guru Sahib jee was beyond human necessities to fulfill hunger, Guru Sahib jee eating meat is a preposterous accusation. Eating meat was never allowed. Hinduvta forces and governmental tactics have creeped into mainstream Sikhism resulting in weak leaders and weak directions for the Sikh masses. True Sikhism does not allow for any such thing. It is written in our Guru Granth Sahib jee time and time again.
As a Sikh, any sort of intoxicant (drugs/alcohol) are forbidden as well as ANY sort of meat. No matter how it is killed, Sikhs are to refrain from eating any flesh. A devout Sikh must also only eat from other devout Sikhs i.e. no restaurants, eating food made from non-Sikhs etc. This is a part of the Sikh lifestyle: Bibek. All of these rules and regulations aid in a Sikhs spirituality and meditation.
I don't really have a religion, but I'm highly allergic to pork in any form, so I've considered following a kosher or halal diet. Whenever I buy processed meat (like hot dogs or sausages), I always buy kosher, just so I can be sure that I won't get sick.
Alcohol is not forbidden at all in Sikhism !!! Smoking is the big no-no. Makes me doubt the other stuff in the article, though it seems mostly correct.
Please check your facts.... As a Sikh, ANY sort of intoxicant (drugs/alcohol) are forbidden as well as ANY sort of meat. No matter how it is killed, Sikhs are to refrain from eating any flesh. A devout Sikh must also only eat from other devout Sikhs i.e. no restaurants, eating food made from non-Sikhs etc. This is a part of the Sikh lifestyle: Bibek. All of these rules and regulations aid in a Sikhs spirituality and meditation.
There is strong argument among Jewish scholars that dietary laws favor vegetarianism. As someone who kept kosher as a meat-eater first and now as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, I can say that it's MUCH easier – and I've lost weight and feel fantastic on top of that!
The Hindu section clarifies a common myth but yet propagates others –
- Cows are considered sacred, yes, but so are every other living creature. That is the nature of Hinduism. However, that does not preclude us for eating them. So sacred cow != do not eat them. In fact, there are specific religious events that have you sacrifice a certain animal and eat it. Gomedh Yagna requires you to sacrifice a cow and eat it. And there is no mention anywhere in the Hindu religious texts that you should not eat beef
- In the same vein, Hinduism does not propagate vegetarianism. When you read the Shyam Veda, which is the biggest tome of religious practices, you find no mention of being a vegetarian. You will find references to food chains and circle of life which points towards a non-exclusionary diet.
Its ironic that a religion that was remarkably liberal and tolerant has devolved to a collection of superstitions and social vices. And that is a direct result of most Hindus not reading the Vedas.
Very interesting article. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm Catholic, I follow the ways of my Catholic ancestors (fasting on certain days, no animal protein on others) to feel closer to God, not to make Him happy. God don't play that way in my world.
Ok, some guy below said "I don't see Christianity... This article is obviously severely biased." Uh, dude, most Christian denominations don't HAVE dietary laws, rules or even suggestions. GOOD GRIEF. Some people are sooooooo paranoid.
Several do actually, many with larger followings than some of the other religions listed (which many are branches or off-shoots of other main religions as well). It just feels like a half-arsed done job to me.
Why don't I see Christianity? Catholics are a sect of Christianity, not the whole, and many people simply follow the teachings of the Holy Bible, not the Catholic Church and its own separate rules from the bible. This article is obviously severely biased.
Well, I know the liturgical denominations like Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Methodists give up meat for Lent. I thought that other denominations considered it unbiblical.
I do not eat meat because I LOVE LOVE animals. I am not going to kill and eat if simply for my 10 minutes of pleasure. NO THANKS.
I do not need a religious extreme text to tell me this. I much prefer to be at one with nature, than allow some rules, regulations, etc. to dictate my life on how to live. Nature is spontaneous, beautiful, and therapeutic. We all just need to go out among the trees or wherever nature is near to you and try to quite our minds for a few minutes. You will realize you do not need extreme doctrine to rule your life. Just follow your inner compass.
Nature, where I live, consists of Mesquite trees with thorns the size of 10 penny nails, Cacti to impale yourself on, and rattlesnakes and scorpions who will bite and sting you until you are a quivering mass, dying on the ground. Thanks, no thanks.
Thats what sikh do. They love nature, animal even evils or bad guys. In past, one sikh called Bhai Khanya Ji was offering water to opposition army who want to kill sikh, and when complaints was registered against him to Guru Gobind Singh ji, he told that he saw God in everybody, then Guru Gobind Singh ji gave him anti-biotic also.
The writer of this article did not research the topic well. Seventh-day Adventistism is not a religion, but a denomination of the Christian religion, just like Baptists, Lutherans, and Episcopalians. National Geographic magazine published a wonderful article in 2005 about healthy centenarians and featured a group from the Seventh-day Adventist church in Loma Linda, California, highlighting how their vegetarian lifestyle contributed to their longevity and well-being.
Actually, as much as you want to dress it up, Catholics not eating meat started off as a purely political move to improve standing with the fishing industry. As such it became a rule, complete with an explanation of needing to deny oneself for piety, and it's been followed to this day. This was in the early days of the Catholic church, a time in which things were common which would surprise us today. Popes gained power and lost it through political arrangements, subterfuge, murder and questionable practices. It's really utterly fascinating, and makes for some excellent reading material. Many traditions currently taken for granted have come about for reasons of political positioning. There are also many others that aren't observed today for the same reason.
This also makes you want to research the reasons behind traditions of other religions. They really are interesting.
Many of the foods restricted to Judaism were notoriously hard to keep free from disease in ancient times. In a way, it makes sense for a once nomadic people to restrict foods like pork or shelfish, which if not properly prepared could really do some damage.
no, it was due to Jesus. when He and the Twelve Disaples were at the body of water. and they needed to feed them. all they had was a few fish and bread.
the eating of the fish during Lent is to try and get closer in religion to how it was that day.
Thank goodness someone said that. I was about to say the same thing. Alcohol is strictly forbidden, being vegetarian is encouraged but by no means enforced.
Any so-called religion that tells you what you can eat, how you can dress, what books you read, what music you can listen to, what friends you can have is a cult. Plain and simple.
Religions have rules, plain and simple. If you don't like those rules or won't follow them, you stop practicing that religion. Just like a job. Most jobs tell you what you can or can't wear/listen to/do while you are employed there. You don't like it? Find another job.
The only time it's a cult is when you can't get out.
Some Muslims (Shi'a) only eat fish with "scales" and avoid shellfish. And let's not forget RAMADAN - no food or water from Sunrise to Sunset for 30 days.
A Muslim, most traditional schools of thought believe the slaughterer must be Muslim. The Wahaabis and some Sunni Arabs believe it can be "Ahle-Kitab" or people of the Heavenly Books (i.e., Zoroastrian, Jews, Christian, or Muslims).
I would disagree. Most traditional schools allow "Ahle Kitab (Jews and Christian)" as long as the other conditions are met especially since most traditional schools are of Arab origin. The concern of it being other than a Muslim is usually with people from Pak/Indo origin.
A Muslim, if you take the 4 traditional schools:
(in order of popularity)
Imam Hanafi = Persian
Imam Hanbal = Persian
Imam Shafee = Syrian
Imam Malik = Arab (Madina)
So you're notion of Islam being "Arab" or having Arab origins is a bit tribal nature - and Islam came to unite and destroy tribalism. In fact most Muslims aren't even Arabs they are non-Arabs.
"The slaughter itself must be done by a sane (mentally competent) adult Muslim." However, some Saudi Wahaabis and Egyptians who follow M. Abduh believe that verse 5 of chapter Maa'idah gives the green light for Ahle Kitab to be slaughterers as well. Which is fine if that's their belief. Islam has room for differences in opinion.
Dhulfiqar, thanks for the clarification. I am very aware that it came to destroy tribalism. And the wahabies you are referring to are actually Hanbali so they would fall under the "Sunni Arab" title since most of the Saudis are considered Hanbalis. So I don't know why you are differing b/w "wahabies" and sunni arabs. And yes Islamic law does allow flexibility as I happen to follow the opinion that it can be a Muslim, Jew, or Christian
P.S. The scholars of Islam agree unanimously (ijmaa) that it is permissible to eat the meat of the Jews and Christians, if the other conditions are met at the time of slaughter so I dont' know who this M. Abduh is whom you are referring to as having such an opinion alone. This is a consensus and not an opinion of one figure.
Dhulfiqar – what a self-serving, ridiculous statement that is. Religion was invented by uneducated ancient peoples who didn't understand the world at all. We understand lots about the world now. Anyone who is intellectually honest will conclude, based on our increased understaanding, that much of what is peddled by religion is bizarre nonsense. That was the point of Jude's post. Your response is simply to say that he has been “distracted.” That is not a refutation. That is condescension from a person who has no real argument.
God cares about what we eat BECAUSE He cares about us and wants us to be healthy and happy. Seems to me you have a better shot at happiness if you stay healthy.
God, I love being a Lutheran. Everything, provided it's not in excess or damaging to your body, is on the table.
I assumed the Jewish dietary laws to be some arbitrary, Trust God Or Else deals, but some of them would have been common sense for the age in which they were enacted. Pork, for example, is one of the most dangerous meats. If not cooked properly, it's swimming in bacteria, and Yahweh, apparently, wasn't willing to risk salmonella outbreaks among his chosen people.
Thank goodness He dropped that blanket on Peter, or we'd still be depriving ourselves of bacon.
One theory as to why Kosher law exists is that is a health code. The animals they do not eat tend to carry more disease. Thousands of years ago it would have been much more difficult to ensure that an animal was healthy. As for not mixing milk and meat one of my conservative Jewish friends told me that the Pagans used to boil a calf in its mother's milk and the Jews found this disturbing. I'm not sure if thats true or if there is some other reason.
Me too! Love that freedom from the law that the reformation brought us back to. That said, I'd always believed that many of the acient jewish food restrictions were related to either health or cultural issues – for example, eating meats that would typically be offered to other deities or to be part of that religious process, also, for basic heath reasons, or because their was some historical and cultural symbolism connected with eating or not eating something like not eating yeast or leavining at passover in remembering the flight from Egypt, eating bitter herbs, etc.
However, as Christians we shouldn't be a stumbling block to other Christian's faith so if it helps you connect with God to fast or not eat meat or to otherwise eat more consciously I'm going help and support you if you want. And of course, we should never allow food to become our idol or the focus of our lives as that would be truly sinful. So, I can kinda see the whole caffieine and other addictive/mind altering substances as potentially problematic. Tea and coffee were intitally hailed as spiritually beneficial as well as significant boones to productivity and work the work ethos as previously much of europe and Americal spent lives in a semi-drunk stupor due to iffy water supplies. Well, worshiping at the alter of workaholism is just as bad as any other "aholism" So that one also makes sense in that context too. Moderation in all things.
You forgot that Seventh Day Adventism dont eat fish that are closer to the bottom of the ocean like crab, lobster,Squid, clams, oysters, and octopuss because if the fish is closer to the bottom of the ocean its more satanic. And Squids and Octopusses are considered to be spawns of satan anyway. My friends mom told me this when I said I could go for some clams.
Shellfish such as crab, shrimp, lobster, oysters, clams, etc, as well as other bottom feeding sea creatures, are scavengers and are basically the gargabe disposals of the sea. They can contain many toxins and are generally considered unhealthy along with pigs and the other "unclean" meats mentioned in the Bible. This is why Adventists and many other religions avoid these unhealthy meats. It has nothing to do with any animal being more "satanic" than another.
I was raised Catholic but am now Agnostic. Meat is still forbidden for certain holy days and Fridays? I thought that rule went away in the 80's sometime. According to what I read eating meat on Friday became Taboo during World War II. During that time products were rationed so the Vatican came out with a decree saying meat should not be eaten on Friday in order to sacrifice for Christ. In reality since almost 1/2 of america was Catholic the Vatican came up with this to help in the rationing meat so the troops would have enough. Anybody else read/hear this?
I've never heard that before. As far as I know, the Friday fast has been observed since the early church until it was relaxed in the 20th century, and Lent specifically goes back to the 5th century Latin church (Latin term for Lent is Quadragesima).
It seems that the writer has some sort of a negative bias against Judaism and Islam. While for other religions he/she explained the reasoning behind the "why", for Judaism and Islam the answer to the "why" was simply put as: cuz the Torah or Allah says so! Judaism and Islam have somewhat similar dietary laws and if you look more deeply into the reasoning behind these laws, you'll find these laws can be supported by scientific benefits and harms.
"... scientific reason..."
One might argue that there was originally a putative "reason" for these dietary restrictions, but I don't think one could support "scientifically," restrictions such as, "three hours must be allowed between eating meat and dairy."
Often, following religious taboos to their origin and studying the way of life at the time shows us why these taboos came into existence. For example, not only was milk very important in India as a food source, cow dung is flammable and was then and still is used for cooking fires, so cows not being used commonly as meat kept them around for dairy and cooking fires, nourishing the populace by other than direct means (their meat). The food taboos in Leviticus are pretty easy to understand, since refrigerated transport had not been invented yet and raw shellfish kept at room-and-higher-temperatures is extremely unhealthy. If you eat unhealthy foods and die, you cannot reproduce, effectively preventing yourself and your future generations from tithing to the church. Many of the often-cited Leviticus taboos come from a reproductive standpoint. Basically, the less children you have (through dying before reproduction or engaging in non-reproductive sexual acts) leads to less followers and money for the church.
Some Hindus worship cows also. Hinduism is too big and complex a religion to generalize. There is a thing called go-puja which means Worship of the Cows.
I really liked this article and learned some things too! I myself am Catholic, and we are Traditional Catholics, and abstain from meat every Friday, not just during Lent......
Jainism is probably the only relegion that has not exclusion or exception between different forms of life or way to eat them by allowing certain procedure. All are treaded equally.
For Mormons, caffeine should be taken out and replaced by coffe. There is nothing in our doctrine that mentions caffeine. Our only guidance is to not drink "hot drinks", which has been defined by our leaders as coffe and tea. Many Mormons have have adopted this idea to include soda with caffeine, but this is a personal choice and not a part of our doctrine.
Well Tim, Gordon B. Hinckley is dead and Thomas S. Monson is now the LDS President and Prophet. A dead prophet's former teachings hold little weight in Mormonism and are often discarded in favor of the views of the current, living prophet. Hence the ban on polygamy overriding earlier prophet's statements that polygamy was essential to salvation, the lifting of the ban on men with black skin holding the priesthood, etc. And besides, rumor has it that Monson loves Pepsi. I have no idea though if he drinks decaf! ;-)
Okay, I am trying to understand your mormon faith. Is the following statement true or false: When an old prophet dies and a new prophet takes his place any laws, rules (whatever you want to call them) created or amended by the old prophet can be overridden by the new prophet, who can also create new laws, rules etc.
Nate,
False, Commandments are Commandments. There are some practices that have changed since Joseph Smith restored the Church, but never any commandments.
Mormons see the Word of Wisdom (law of health) as a commandment. It contains good practices (eat wholesome grains, fruits in their season, etc.) and things to avoid (strong drinks (alcohol), tobacco, etc.)
It's left to the practice’s discretion in the grey areas. ‘Hot drinks’ being updated to our day as Tea and Coffee, leads some to the question as to what about them is bad. The most obvious answer is the caffeine, and so some members of the church choose to avoid all caffeinated products.
My opinion on Gordon B. Hinckley’s statement on Larry King Live was that rather than correcting Larry’s error in stating caffeine, he directed it to the actual forbidden products, coffee and tea.
The Church encourages healthy habits in all aspect of member lives, giving basic suggestions and lets the members decide for themselves exactly what it means in the greyer areas.
Mormons are always (I am one by the way) trying to justify why we don't drink coffee and tea for logical reasons. Section 89 of our Doctrine and Covenants (part of our canon of scriptures) contains what is known as the word of wisdom. It explicitly forbids consumption of alcohol, use of tobacco, and drinking of "hot drinks" – this revelation was given in 1833 and at the time the most common hot drinks were "coffee and tea" subsequent prophets and church leaders have clarified that the prohibition of hot drinks is only intended to include coffee and tea.
Here's a link to section 89: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/89
You cannot explain religious dietary restrictions in a sentence or two. To say that Judaism follows restrictions because the Torah says so is wrong. It goes much deeper than that as I am sure... I know it does for other religions. What could have been an interesting article is a bad article with irresponsible writing.
Hindu do not worship cows, nor are they considered sacred: Though we (Hindus) do not worship cow but do consider them sacred.
Reason: Lord Krishna was an orphan and a cow herder; so cows were his source of milk which one would normally get from the mother and that is why cows are considered sacred in Hinduism.
I never knew that! That explains it! So funny, I have always heard that Hindus worshipped cows, but even when I was a kid, I knew that didn't sound quite right!
I am vegan, and was born and raised in a Hindu home. I am not practicing, so I do not consider myself Hindu. But I am still a vegan for ethical reasons. I do not think people should not eat meat or whatever because "God" says so. I do not think God would put such stipulations. And if you need a religion to tell you what and what not to eat, your intellectual freedom is hindered by such fairytales.
We all have our own inner compasses. We don't need some religious doctrine to tell us whether we should eat this or that, remain pure before marriage, etc, etc. blah blah. If you need rules and regulations to keep you in "check" then you have not exactly reached the ultimate spiritual state and attainment. I thank God every day for my blessings and only ask to make me a better person to humanity. I will do eat whatever I want, be with whoever I want, do whatever I want. I do not need some religious zeal placing judgment.
based on what you wrote, I wonder how are you different from a Hindu? Or is there any such doctrine which defines what a Hindu is like and how s/he should behave and eat? I am a Hindu, and most of the decisions aren't based on any doctrines ( more so I hardly know any, though have read a lot of scriptures) except the basic commonsense rules: be good, respect others, try being truthful, generous, etc.
Umm....The thing about Hinduisim. What shows up as religion is quite a distace from the vedic parameters. Most of the things people practice under the name of Hinduisim is cultural, social with a heavy influence from the old tribal customs. Vedic scriptures do not prohibit beef eating. Consider the following conversation between Saudahataki and Dandayana (two rishis)
S: What is the name of the guest who has arrived today with a big train of women?
D: Stop joking. It is no less a person than the revered Vasishta himself.
S: Is it Vasishta, eh?
D: Who else?
S: I thought it was a tiger or a wolf. For, as soon as he came, he crunched up our poor tawny heifer.
D: It is written that meat should be given along with curds and honey. So every host offers a heifer, a big bull, or a goat to a learned Brahmin who comes as a guest. This is laid down in sacred law.
This is a translation of one of the the versions of the Ramayana written by Bhavabhuti in the 8th century AD.
So I find the articles author to be much more accurate than most of the Hindus. Hinduism, in fact says nothing bout worshipping cows. But hindus do worship cows. Weird..I know.
In many Hindu religious ceremonies and festivals cows are worship and are treated scared. Hindus seeks cows blessing for prosperty and wealth. Various Hindu text has treated cows as household wealth.
thats right, cows are absolutely sacred to hindus and thats why a lot of hindus abstain from eating beef purely for religious reasons....whoever has heard of the Bhagvad Gita, would know that Lord Krishna himself explained the whole Gita to Arjuna during the holy war.
and Lord Krishna was a shepherd and considered cows sacred..so hindus totally consider cows sacred....
Hindus do worship cow – The Nandi Bull holy site at Madurai and the Shiva temple at Mahabalipuram are couple of examples of the temples dedicated to cow worshiping. Having said that there is no Hindu Holy scripture recommends the cow-worshiping.
It's not only worshiping. When I was in India, daily a few cows would be at my doorstep and my mother would feed them, which was a regular routine. They would come daily and shake their head and ring the bell around their neck. I was so used to seeing them daily, feeding them, sometimes pouring water on them due to excessive heat in summer, that the idea of killing them/other cows is unthinkable and repulsive. Now when I am in USA, I haven't seen a cow, and I completely understand that the same feeling can't be experienced by the kids here. Visiting a farm twice a year is a different case than what I described. However to give the same effect, "Would you eat your pet dog?" is absurd to you as "Would you eat a cow?" is to me.
I am not talking about “eating cows” my point is about worshiping cows. Even though lots of people (mainly Hindus) worship cows in India but that has nothing to do with their Holy Scriptures, it’s kind of a tradition passed by generation to generation without any authentic religious text to support it. I have nothing against worshipping cows, it’s probably better than worshipping some idiotic Swami or BabaJi.
And as far as talking about consuming your pet- I have a friend from Manipur, India who slaughtered his pet dog for a community gathering, similarly in various community in north India people keep pet goats and the slaughter them for their community gatherings. My point is there are several things which are taboo in my culture are completely normal in someone else’s.
Lord Krishna was not at all orphan. His parents were kings and queen of Mathura who put in to jail by his uncle Kans. He was brought up by Nand and Yashoda.
Gunjan,
Was Krishna really an orphan? I remember hearing/reading stories about his Mother Yasoda and his brother Balaram and stealing butter when they were small children.
Pretty neat article, a small correction: Mormons don't abstain from caffeine specifically, they abstain from coffee and tea. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Mormon that doesn't enjoy chocolate every now and then.
I don't think that there's an official stance on any particular caffeinated drink (coffee and tea are expressly forbidden). However, substances that can be physically addictive and/or harmful are discouraged. The "Word of Wisdom" contains the health commandment. Phrases like "hot drinks" have been defined to be specifically coffee and tea.
I completely agree that things like Red Bulll, Monster, caffeine pills can't be good for anybody! Thanks Kat for looking to reader comments!
Thanks for your reply. I've amended. A Mormon friend in college stayed away from ALL caffeine, but that may have been a personal interpretation. And yeah - Red Bull is clearly not emanating from heaven.
Interesting thing is, when I lived in Salt Lake City back in the late 60's, the Mormons not only owned the largest coffee producing company, but their most famous hotel in the city served that coffee on Sunday.
My Catholic husband does the no meat on Fridays during Lent thing... I prefer to think that if there were a God, he'd have better things to do than worry about what I'm eating. Only my opinion, of course. To each their own.
"I prefer to think that if there were a God, he'd have better things to do than worry about what I'm eating."
I disagree. That's like saying that a doctor has better things than worry about what you're eating. Eating and health is a major part of life, and it affects everything. If you're not healthy, you will have a harder life and you'd be complaining that God is mean and not loving. Since we so often ask God for an easy life, He has a say in what lifestyle will produce a better life. If you got seriously sick, you'd be praying to God for healing. You can't eat burgers and then complain that God is mean when you get some major illness. God has a say in what lifestyle produces health and happiness.
Isn't that basic nutrition though, and not religious belief? And I was only referring to meat on Fridays during Lent for Catholics, so that would mean they could pretty much be eating burgers 'round the clock from Saturday until Thursday. Again, my statement was pretty much my own feelings... I'm an Agnostic, and therefore, eating based upon my own health and nutrition and not a religion or deity.
Good points, Rebeka, but I wonder: God worries about the health effects of diet on our bodies as a doctor would, yet never decries war for its deleterious effects on our bodies. In fact, God actually encourages war in several parts of the bible. Until God decides he should micro-manage us out of war, I won't listen to any religion (or the bible) about what I put in my body.
Just my two cents: I was raised Catholic and have participated in Lenten fasting since I was young. I don't know that giving up meat is supposed to be so legalistic. Fasting is tied to the whole larger purpose of Lent, that is, a period of time to atone, cleanse, and renew one's Christian purpose. By the end of Lent, we're in a better head-space to comprehend and celebrate Christ's Passion and Resurrection. Also, we usually give up something personal for the whole 40 days (this year, it was Facebook). Part of that involves observances that get one to think of others and not be self-indulgent. When I'm hungry, I think of other people who don't have food to eat. I try to be more mindful of what my body is for and my relationship with it. Hope that makes sense. :)
Many Wiccans encourage such: it's not a formal prohibition against junk food, just a general acknowledgment that if you eat healthy, you'll tend to be healthier.
If you want to find a religion that speaks about what the body needs, research Seventh Day Adventists (Adventism). It is no accident that one of the few so called "Blue Zones" in the world is an Adventist community in Loma Linda, CA. They show extraordinary longevity and quality of life.
For Judaism, you didn't mention that some holidays like Passover have other food restrictions. Some holidays have traditional foods like honey for the New Year. There are also fast days over the course of the year like Yom Kippur and the 9th of Av (commemorates the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies like the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492).
Thank you for posting this question. It lets you know how much we Orthodox have to do to let people know there is a large population of Christians that the Western world seems to just ignore.
I have never heard of a Orthodox Christian before Greek Orthodox yes. Where are you located? How is your doctrine different from other Christians? Its nice to find out about other sects of Christianity:)
Thank you, Genevieve, for posting this. Generally, we – Christian Orthodox- follow the same rules with Christian Catholics.Maybe more restrictions: no animal products on any given Fridays. At least 4-5 short fasting periods across the year, in addition to Crhistmas -30 days- and Easter- 40 days. Traditionally, the Easter meal will contain eggs and lamb. When remembering the relatives who passed away, we bake a traditional cake made of wheat germs and walnuts. Fasting is regarded as a chance to meditate, abstain from mundane deeds and be humble before God.Thanks!
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
I voted "YES" but was raised Baptist and we eat anything, anytime, anywhere. lol
Yes there should realize the opportunity to RSS commentary, quite simply, CMS is another on the blog.
The posting wrote "Buddhists, like Hindus, believe in reincarnation and that the soul may at some point inhabit an animal." Not true. Orthodox Theravadin Buddhism does not posit a soul, much less one that reincarnates. The soul–atma or atta in Hinduism–was a belief that some later sects of Buddhism incorporated.
Buddhism section states that adherents refrain from eating meat due to the possibility that the "soul may at some point inhabit an animal"; however, one of the Three Marks of Existence is "anatman" or "non-self". This means that there is no permanent, unchanging self-nature. All phenomena is impermanent. The oldest school of Buddhism, Theravada, does not hold vegetarianism as an imperative – it merely excludes killing the animals, or having animals killed for your food. Mahayana Buddhism, however, holds that the protection of life and compassion for all sentient beings is a high moral practice that fosters correct action and a meritorious lifestyle. Rather than worrying about the "soul", the Mahayanists try to reduce the suffering that they cause in the world, and to cultivate an example for others to follow so that collectively, our environment becomes more and more conducive to the realization of complete and perfect enlightenment.
I do wish that people would actually do some research before writing such pieces. Yet again more misinformation here about Buddhism. For example, most Buddhists let alone many Buddhists are vegetarian and Buddhism does not teach reincarnation. It teaches rebirth, which is very different. Also, Justin, Buddhism teaches that there is no soul. It's one of the cornerstones of the Buddha's teaching and is called Anatta or Anatman.
That should read – many Buddhists are not vegetarian. There should be an edit option here.
Very interesting article. :) I Stumbled Upon it. I always love reading things like this. Thanks
Many Jewish food laws are not Biblical, they are Talmudic laws interpreted by rabbis.
For example, the Biblical law does not forbid eating dairy and beef at the same meal nor does it require 2 sets of dishes, one for meat and one for dairy.
Just stupid
Stupid? Yes, you are. If you look at how science proves that there is a reason why the Bible specifically decrees some meats clean and others unclean. The original diet in the Garden of Eden was completely Vegan-based – fresh fruit and veggies. If you consider how many years people lived for back then in comparison to today, then you'll soon come to a rational conclusion that there is actually something to what the Bible says, even if we don't understand it.
Science doesn't prove that, it proves why it was a good idea to follow these rules when they were made, nothing more. "The original diet in the Garden of Eden ..." Ok, you're talking about a fictional place, I could just as well ask you about the diets and longevity of people in the Star Wars movies or Harry Potter books.
Tammy was right, it is stupid, but you're even more so, and I find it hillarious how someone like you would have the gall to call someone else stupid as the first thing they do when you obviously have no batteries in your calculator if you know what I mean...
What makes a "man/people" unclean is not the same thing that makes an animal unclean. God is God and He either knows what people should/should not eat for their health, or He doesn't. Paul explains his vision of the sheet with the unclean animals in it. Just read a few verses past. It is symbolism for taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. As a Jew, Paul thought that was not allowed. God corrected him. It was not about eating at all. Paul says so, himself. We need not criticize our brothers and sisters. The Gospel is about love and brotherhood. Love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Even if your neighbor is a little different from you. If ALL religions would keep these Greatest Commandments in their minds and hearts, there would be so much more peace in the world.
Halal is the healthier alternative.. http://www.eathalalonly.com
Eastern European Jews must wait 6 hours between meat and dairy.
This seems pretty superficial and pointless. most of it is "why can't this religion allow it?" : "because its holy text doesn't allow it" like the real reason why Catholics still could eat fish was because The apostles were fisherman as well as many early Christians, why put themselves out of business for a few days? This could be elaborated on a lot and its what I should have expected from cnn
... and from the equally deadly folly of atheism / agnosticism. :)
I thank Jesus that He freed me from the dogma and false-humility of man-made religion. Thank You!, Lord.
He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'" Mark 7:20-23
Interesting that Evangelical Christians were not listed in the groups above. And, here's why: Jesus said: "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")
Mark 7:18-19
This does sound rather self-defeating. If everything has been declared "clean", faeces and urine also becomes food thats allowed.
Well, that is if you consider those "food"
More proof that religitards are morons.
An entry about Catholic dietary customs and no mention of fish fries!?
Random Reader, Yes!! And since world peace is far more important then whether or not the slaughterer of a goat is Muslim, Jewish or Christian, perhaps the focus of all Muslims should be to stop the madness amongst those who call themselves Muslim so that all people of the world can live in peace, eat happily, and not have to worry about these menaces to society. I think who slaughters a goat is less important than actually being alive to consume that goat without having life abruptly taken away because someone decides he wants to slaughter humans for Allah instead. Other religions breed extremist, very true, but none has become as prolific as the Muslim extremist and those who applaud their deeds while claiming they wouldn't hurt a fly because they are muslim, pray and don't eat pork!
I encourage you to read the position of the Seventh-day Adventist church (a Christian denomination) on diet and nutrition. For over 150 years the members of this church have advocated Biblical guidelines and sound medical advice concerning food and nutrition. Here's more information: http://www.sdada.org/sdahealth.htm
I would think that any worthwhile religion, i.e. one that actual had a connection to something supernatural, wouldn't just have guidelines but would provide real rules and reasons for healthy eating. For example, many religions forbid pork, but i have never heard of a religion stating, 'thoroughly cooked pork is good, but uncooked or undercooked pork is, well, unclean and may cause disease."
I may be mistaken but I don't know of any religion that instructs people to:
- boil water to kill bacteria
- wash hands before cooking and eating
- eat salt but not too much because of high blood pressure
- stay away from partially hydrogenated oils (this can be ignored until invented in the 20th century)
- not eat certain parts of a puffer fish
- not use poison ivy/oak as a salad
Wow! Very informative. I am not eating meat not because of any religious belief but because I know it will not be good for my health.
And thank goodness not all Muslims share the same view on killing innocent people in the name of Allah or we'd really be in deep doo doo!
Yvette, a small but dangerous and vocal minority consider that to be acceptable. As most people of faith know, they are wrong.
Political circumstances have created violent extremists of all stripes in all the worlds religions at various times. Its the job of Muslims today to end that and return their religion to the love based religion it once was.
How about we all just skip the eating section on these religious doctrines and just get the part of treating people right correct first. In this world, food is the least of our worries. We have so much more work to do with being kind to one another, whatever the religion may be.
The purpose of ritual fasting is to be mindful of those for whom food and survival is the greatest of worries.
There are many Muslims who believe that the Quran forbids drunkenness, but not alcohol per se. Some Muslims view moderate alcoholic consumption as permissible.
Just pointing out that not all Muslims share the same view on this point.
Cow is considered a sacred animal in Hinduism. Cow is worshipped. Although there is no restrictions on eating or not eating anything, most of the Hindus refrain from eating beef.
The picture used for the article looks very inappropriate.
Does picture posted in article have any link with religion dietary. it seems more appropriate for sanitary subject. how moron publisher is ?
Dietary guidelines would make sense in any worthwhile religion. Religion is not just a list of arbitraty rules, but a means of becoming your best self. I would expect that God would help us achieve the greatest potential in all ways, physically/emotionally/spiritually/intellectually. Any real religion would be a lifestyle, not some Sunday/holiday activity.
Initially Sikh was not eating meat at all. As time goes, more people join sikhi in south and they belong to Hindu religions started eating Meat. This is controversial when this start in past. South people says Guru Gobind Singh ji was eating this, but question arises that Guru Gobind singh was also living in North and did lots of war by staying empty stomach without eating meat?
This is true that now sikh started eating meats with restriction, but only if Punj (means numeric 5) Payaras (saints) allowed during Amrit Ceremony.
Guru Sahib jee was beyond human necessities to fulfill hunger, Guru Sahib jee eating meat is a preposterous accusation. Eating meat was never allowed. Hinduvta forces and governmental tactics have creeped into mainstream Sikhism resulting in weak leaders and weak directions for the Sikh masses. True Sikhism does not allow for any such thing. It is written in our Guru Granth Sahib jee time and time again.
i think it's all religilous.
As a Sikh, any sort of intoxicant (drugs/alcohol) are forbidden as well as ANY sort of meat. No matter how it is killed, Sikhs are to refrain from eating any flesh. A devout Sikh must also only eat from other devout Sikhs i.e. no restaurants, eating food made from non-Sikhs etc. This is a part of the Sikh lifestyle: Bibek. All of these rules and regulations aid in a Sikhs spirituality and meditation.
I don't really have a religion, but I'm highly allergic to pork in any form, so I've considered following a kosher or halal diet. Whenever I buy processed meat (like hot dogs or sausages), I always buy kosher, just so I can be sure that I won't get sick.
Alcohol is not forbidden at all in Sikhism !!! Smoking is the big no-no. Makes me doubt the other stuff in the article, though it seems mostly correct.
Please check your facts.... As a Sikh, ANY sort of intoxicant (drugs/alcohol) are forbidden as well as ANY sort of meat. No matter how it is killed, Sikhs are to refrain from eating any flesh. A devout Sikh must also only eat from other devout Sikhs i.e. no restaurants, eating food made from non-Sikhs etc. This is a part of the Sikh lifestyle: Bibek. All of these rules and regulations aid in a Sikhs spirituality and meditation.
There is strong argument among Jewish scholars that dietary laws favor vegetarianism. As someone who kept kosher as a meat-eater first and now as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, I can say that it's MUCH easier – and I've lost weight and feel fantastic on top of that!
The Hindu section clarifies a common myth but yet propagates others –
- Cows are considered sacred, yes, but so are every other living creature. That is the nature of Hinduism. However, that does not preclude us for eating them. So sacred cow != do not eat them. In fact, there are specific religious events that have you sacrifice a certain animal and eat it. Gomedh Yagna requires you to sacrifice a cow and eat it. And there is no mention anywhere in the Hindu religious texts that you should not eat beef
- In the same vein, Hinduism does not propagate vegetarianism. When you read the Shyam Veda, which is the biggest tome of religious practices, you find no mention of being a vegetarian. You will find references to food chains and circle of life which points towards a non-exclusionary diet.
Its ironic that a religion that was remarkably liberal and tolerant has devolved to a collection of superstitions and social vices. And that is a direct result of most Hindus not reading the Vedas.
Very interesting article. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm Catholic, I follow the ways of my Catholic ancestors (fasting on certain days, no animal protein on others) to feel closer to God, not to make Him happy. God don't play that way in my world.
Ok, some guy below said "I don't see Christianity... This article is obviously severely biased." Uh, dude, most Christian denominations don't HAVE dietary laws, rules or even suggestions. GOOD GRIEF. Some people are sooooooo paranoid.
Several do actually, many with larger followings than some of the other religions listed (which many are branches or off-shoots of other main religions as well). It just feels like a half-arsed done job to me.
These are the same people that bathe in urine.....so
Why don't I see Christianity? Catholics are a sect of Christianity, not the whole, and many people simply follow the teachings of the Holy Bible, not the Catholic Church and its own separate rules from the bible. This article is obviously severely biased.
Well, I know the liturgical denominations like Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Methodists give up meat for Lent. I thought that other denominations considered it unbiblical.
I do not eat meat because I LOVE LOVE animals. I am not going to kill and eat if simply for my 10 minutes of pleasure. NO THANKS.
I do not need a religious extreme text to tell me this. I much prefer to be at one with nature, than allow some rules, regulations, etc. to dictate my life on how to live. Nature is spontaneous, beautiful, and therapeutic. We all just need to go out among the trees or wherever nature is near to you and try to quite our minds for a few minutes. You will realize you do not need extreme doctrine to rule your life. Just follow your inner compass.
Nature, where I live, consists of Mesquite trees with thorns the size of 10 penny nails, Cacti to impale yourself on, and rattlesnakes and scorpions who will bite and sting you until you are a quivering mass, dying on the ground. Thanks, no thanks.
Thats what sikh do. They love nature, animal even evils or bad guys. In past, one sikh called Bhai Khanya Ji was offering water to opposition army who want to kill sikh, and when complaints was registered against him to Guru Gobind Singh ji, he told that he saw God in everybody, then Guru Gobind Singh ji gave him anti-biotic also.
I LOVE LOVE animals too- they're quite tasty =)
The writer of this article did not research the topic well. Seventh-day Adventistism is not a religion, but a denomination of the Christian religion, just like Baptists, Lutherans, and Episcopalians. National Geographic magazine published a wonderful article in 2005 about healthy centenarians and featured a group from the Seventh-day Adventist church in Loma Linda, California, highlighting how their vegetarian lifestyle contributed to their longevity and well-being.
Agreed! very poor research indeed. The writer missed the mark on many religions.
Same goes for Catholic. it too is a Christian Sect. just as much as Protestant.
Actually, as much as you want to dress it up, Catholics not eating meat started off as a purely political move to improve standing with the fishing industry. As such it became a rule, complete with an explanation of needing to deny oneself for piety, and it's been followed to this day. This was in the early days of the Catholic church, a time in which things were common which would surprise us today. Popes gained power and lost it through political arrangements, subterfuge, murder and questionable practices. It's really utterly fascinating, and makes for some excellent reading material. Many traditions currently taken for granted have come about for reasons of political positioning. There are also many others that aren't observed today for the same reason.
This also makes you want to research the reasons behind traditions of other religions. They really are interesting.
Many of the foods restricted to Judaism were notoriously hard to keep free from disease in ancient times. In a way, it makes sense for a once nomadic people to restrict foods like pork or shelfish, which if not properly prepared could really do some damage.
no, it was due to Jesus. when He and the Twelve Disaples were at the body of water. and they needed to feed them. all they had was a few fish and bread.
the eating of the fish during Lent is to try and get closer in religion to how it was that day.
Correction: Bahá'ís are strictly forbidden to use alcohol.
Debra, what about shell fish?
@ Debra - I was just about to write the same thing.
@ Dhulfiqar - Shellfish are fair game.
Thank goodness someone said that. I was about to say the same thing. Alcohol is strictly forbidden, being vegetarian is encouraged but by no means enforced.
Any so-called religion that tells you what you can eat, how you can dress, what books you read, what music you can listen to, what friends you can have is a cult. Plain and simple.
Majority of us mankind are going to follow this "cult" way of life. :-)
Religions have rules, plain and simple. If you don't like those rules or won't follow them, you stop practicing that religion. Just like a job. Most jobs tell you what you can or can't wear/listen to/do while you are employed there. You don't like it? Find another job.
The only time it's a cult is when you can't get out.
Some Muslims (Shi'a) only eat fish with "scales" and avoid shellfish. And let's not forget RAMADAN - no food or water from Sunrise to Sunset for 30 days.
... I should add - some Sunni Sufis Muslims.
You made a mistake for Islam. Under the section for, "In order for a slaughter to be considered Halal, the following conditions must be met:"
The first condition is that the slaughterer MUST be a Muslim, Jew, OR Christian.
A Muslim, most traditional schools of thought believe the slaughterer must be Muslim. The Wahaabis and some Sunni Arabs believe it can be "Ahle-Kitab" or people of the Heavenly Books (i.e., Zoroastrian, Jews, Christian, or Muslims).
I would disagree. Most traditional schools allow "Ahle Kitab (Jews and Christian)" as long as the other conditions are met especially since most traditional schools are of Arab origin. The concern of it being other than a Muslim is usually with people from Pak/Indo origin.
A Muslim, if you take the 4 traditional schools:
(in order of popularity)
Imam Hanafi = Persian
Imam Hanbal = Persian
Imam Shafee = Syrian
Imam Malik = Arab (Madina)
So you're notion of Islam being "Arab" or having Arab origins is a bit tribal nature - and Islam came to unite and destroy tribalism. In fact most Muslims aren't even Arabs they are non-Arabs.
"The slaughter itself must be done by a sane (mentally competent) adult Muslim." However, some Saudi Wahaabis and Egyptians who follow M. Abduh believe that verse 5 of chapter Maa'idah gives the green light for Ahle Kitab to be slaughterers as well. Which is fine if that's their belief. Islam has room for differences in opinion.
Dhulfiqar, thanks for the clarification. I am very aware that it came to destroy tribalism. And the wahabies you are referring to are actually Hanbali so they would fall under the "Sunni Arab" title since most of the Saudis are considered Hanbalis. So I don't know why you are differing b/w "wahabies" and sunni arabs. And yes Islamic law does allow flexibility as I happen to follow the opinion that it can be a Muslim, Jew, or Christian
P.S. The scholars of Islam agree unanimously (ijmaa) that it is permissible to eat the meat of the Jews and Christians, if the other conditions are met at the time of slaughter so I dont' know who this M. Abduh is whom you are referring to as having such an opinion alone. This is a consensus and not an opinion of one figure.
Religions are so bizarre. If there really is some deity out there, why does he care what we eat so much? Why does he make this stuff so tasty?
Materialism has distracted people from spirituality. So as a materialist, your statement makes perfect sense.
Spirituality distracts people from rationality.
Dhulfiqar – what a self-serving, ridiculous statement that is. Religion was invented by uneducated ancient peoples who didn't understand the world at all. We understand lots about the world now. Anyone who is intellectually honest will conclude, based on our increased understaanding, that much of what is peddled by religion is bizarre nonsense. That was the point of Jude's post. Your response is simply to say that he has been “distracted.” That is not a refutation. That is condescension from a person who has no real argument.
God cares about what we eat BECAUSE He cares about us and wants us to be healthy and happy. Seems to me you have a better shot at happiness if you stay healthy.
God, I love being a Lutheran. Everything, provided it's not in excess or damaging to your body, is on the table.
I assumed the Jewish dietary laws to be some arbitrary, Trust God Or Else deals, but some of them would have been common sense for the age in which they were enacted. Pork, for example, is one of the most dangerous meats. If not cooked properly, it's swimming in bacteria, and Yahweh, apparently, wasn't willing to risk salmonella outbreaks among his chosen people.
Thank goodness He dropped that blanket on Peter, or we'd still be depriving ourselves of bacon.
Turkey bacon is always an option. ;)
There is no bacon on a turkey.
One theory as to why Kosher law exists is that is a health code. The animals they do not eat tend to carry more disease. Thousands of years ago it would have been much more difficult to ensure that an animal was healthy. As for not mixing milk and meat one of my conservative Jewish friends told me that the Pagans used to boil a calf in its mother's milk and the Jews found this disturbing. I'm not sure if thats true or if there is some other reason.
Me too! Love that freedom from the law that the reformation brought us back to. That said, I'd always believed that many of the acient jewish food restrictions were related to either health or cultural issues – for example, eating meats that would typically be offered to other deities or to be part of that religious process, also, for basic heath reasons, or because their was some historical and cultural symbolism connected with eating or not eating something like not eating yeast or leavining at passover in remembering the flight from Egypt, eating bitter herbs, etc.
However, as Christians we shouldn't be a stumbling block to other Christian's faith so if it helps you connect with God to fast or not eat meat or to otherwise eat more consciously I'm going help and support you if you want. And of course, we should never allow food to become our idol or the focus of our lives as that would be truly sinful. So, I can kinda see the whole caffieine and other addictive/mind altering substances as potentially problematic. Tea and coffee were intitally hailed as spiritually beneficial as well as significant boones to productivity and work the work ethos as previously much of europe and Americal spent lives in a semi-drunk stupor due to iffy water supplies. Well, worshiping at the alter of workaholism is just as bad as any other "aholism" So that one also makes sense in that context too. Moderation in all things.
You forgot that Seventh Day Adventism dont eat fish that are closer to the bottom of the ocean like crab, lobster,Squid, clams, oysters, and octopuss because if the fish is closer to the bottom of the ocean its more satanic. And Squids and Octopusses are considered to be spawns of satan anyway. My friends mom told me this when I said I could go for some clams.
Amen mah boi.
Shellfish such as crab, shrimp, lobster, oysters, clams, etc, as well as other bottom feeding sea creatures, are scavengers and are basically the gargabe disposals of the sea. They can contain many toxins and are generally considered unhealthy along with pigs and the other "unclean" meats mentioned in the Bible. This is why Adventists and many other religions avoid these unhealthy meats. It has nothing to do with any animal being more "satanic" than another.
I was raised Catholic but am now Agnostic. Meat is still forbidden for certain holy days and Fridays? I thought that rule went away in the 80's sometime. According to what I read eating meat on Friday became Taboo during World War II. During that time products were rationed so the Vatican came out with a decree saying meat should not be eaten on Friday in order to sacrifice for Christ. In reality since almost 1/2 of america was Catholic the Vatican came up with this to help in the rationing meat so the troops would have enough. Anybody else read/hear this?
I've never heard that before. As far as I know, the Friday fast has been observed since the early church until it was relaxed in the 20th century, and Lent specifically goes back to the 5th century Latin church (Latin term for Lent is Quadragesima).
What would be the "birds of prey" prohibited by Islam and Judaism? I'm drawing a blank on "birds of prey" that would be considered edible by humans.
Birds of prey examples are eagles, hawks...etc. Basically, birds that hunt and feed on other animals.
... I would also add scavengers as well (like vultures and crows) are not allowed.
All of this is utterly ridiculous......as if the fake god that doesnt exist that you all pray to cares what you eat.
Eagles and ostriches. Duh.
@Mike Mazzla – even if you don't believe in a deity, there are many benefits to eating with discipline.
I couldn't have said it better myself!
It seems that the writer has some sort of a negative bias against Judaism and Islam. While for other religions he/she explained the reasoning behind the "why", for Judaism and Islam the answer to the "why" was simply put as: cuz the Torah or Allah says so! Judaism and Islam have somewhat similar dietary laws and if you look more deeply into the reasoning behind these laws, you'll find these laws can be supported by scientific benefits and harms.
"... scientific reason..."
One might argue that there was originally a putative "reason" for these dietary restrictions, but I don't think one could support "scientifically," restrictions such as, "three hours must be allowed between eating meat and dairy."
Often, following religious taboos to their origin and studying the way of life at the time shows us why these taboos came into existence. For example, not only was milk very important in India as a food source, cow dung is flammable and was then and still is used for cooking fires, so cows not being used commonly as meat kept them around for dairy and cooking fires, nourishing the populace by other than direct means (their meat). The food taboos in Leviticus are pretty easy to understand, since refrigerated transport had not been invented yet and raw shellfish kept at room-and-higher-temperatures is extremely unhealthy. If you eat unhealthy foods and die, you cannot reproduce, effectively preventing yourself and your future generations from tithing to the church. Many of the often-cited Leviticus taboos come from a reproductive standpoint. Basically, the less children you have (through dying before reproduction or engaging in non-reproductive sexual acts) leads to less followers and money for the church.
Some Hindus worship cows also. Hinduism is too big and complex a religion to generalize. There is a thing called go-puja which means Worship of the Cows.
I really liked this article and learned some things too! I myself am Catholic, and we are Traditional Catholics, and abstain from meat every Friday, not just during Lent......
Of course, now you'll have to do a penance for telling us all about it (totally kidding). Good on you for your commitment and example for your kids.
Thanks for listing Jainism there. It is probably the smallest of major world religions with only around 10 million followers.
Rakesh Jain
Jainism is probably the only relegion that has not exclusion or exception between different forms of life or way to eat them by allowing certain procedure. All are treaded equally.
For Mormons, caffeine should be taken out and replaced by coffe. There is nothing in our doctrine that mentions caffeine. Our only guidance is to not drink "hot drinks", which has been defined by our leaders as coffe and tea. Many Mormons have have adopted this idea to include soda with caffeine, but this is a personal choice and not a part of our doctrine.
He is a transcript from G.B. Hinkley's interview with Larry King where he said "No caffeine"
Larry King: No to caffeine?
Gordon B. Hinckley: No to caffeine, coffee and tea.
http://www.lds-mormon.com/lkl_00.shtml
Well Tim, Gordon B. Hinckley is dead and Thomas S. Monson is now the LDS President and Prophet. A dead prophet's former teachings hold little weight in Mormonism and are often discarded in favor of the views of the current, living prophet. Hence the ban on polygamy overriding earlier prophet's statements that polygamy was essential to salvation, the lifting of the ban on men with black skin holding the priesthood, etc. And besides, rumor has it that Monson loves Pepsi. I have no idea though if he drinks decaf! ;-)
Okay, I am trying to understand your mormon faith. Is the following statement true or false: When an old prophet dies and a new prophet takes his place any laws, rules (whatever you want to call them) created or amended by the old prophet can be overridden by the new prophet, who can also create new laws, rules etc.
Nate,
False, Commandments are Commandments. There are some practices that have changed since Joseph Smith restored the Church, but never any commandments.
Mormons see the Word of Wisdom (law of health) as a commandment. It contains good practices (eat wholesome grains, fruits in their season, etc.) and things to avoid (strong drinks (alcohol), tobacco, etc.)
It's left to the practice’s discretion in the grey areas. ‘Hot drinks’ being updated to our day as Tea and Coffee, leads some to the question as to what about them is bad. The most obvious answer is the caffeine, and so some members of the church choose to avoid all caffeinated products.
My opinion on Gordon B. Hinckley’s statement on Larry King Live was that rather than correcting Larry’s error in stating caffeine, he directed it to the actual forbidden products, coffee and tea.
The Church encourages healthy habits in all aspect of member lives, giving basic suggestions and lets the members decide for themselves exactly what it means in the greyer areas.
What is behind the proscription on "hot drinks" if I may ask?
Mormons are always (I am one by the way) trying to justify why we don't drink coffee and tea for logical reasons. Section 89 of our Doctrine and Covenants (part of our canon of scriptures) contains what is known as the word of wisdom. It explicitly forbids consumption of alcohol, use of tobacco, and drinking of "hot drinks" – this revelation was given in 1833 and at the time the most common hot drinks were "coffee and tea" subsequent prophets and church leaders have clarified that the prohibition of hot drinks is only intended to include coffee and tea.
Here's a link to section 89: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/89
So, in other words, "Because I said so".
You cannot explain religious dietary restrictions in a sentence or two. To say that Judaism follows restrictions because the Torah says so is wrong. It goes much deeper than that as I am sure... I know it does for other religions. What could have been an interesting article is a bad article with irresponsible writing.
To each his own. That was way more than I ever knew before.
Hindu do not worship cows, nor are they considered sacred: Though we (Hindus) do not worship cow but do consider them sacred.
Reason: Lord Krishna was an orphan and a cow herder; so cows were his source of milk which one would normally get from the mother and that is why cows are considered sacred in Hinduism.
I never knew that! That explains it! So funny, I have always heard that Hindus worshipped cows, but even when I was a kid, I knew that didn't sound quite right!
I am vegan, and was born and raised in a Hindu home. I am not practicing, so I do not consider myself Hindu. But I am still a vegan for ethical reasons. I do not think people should not eat meat or whatever because "God" says so. I do not think God would put such stipulations. And if you need a religion to tell you what and what not to eat, your intellectual freedom is hindered by such fairytales.
We all have our own inner compasses. We don't need some religious doctrine to tell us whether we should eat this or that, remain pure before marriage, etc, etc. blah blah. If you need rules and regulations to keep you in "check" then you have not exactly reached the ultimate spiritual state and attainment. I thank God every day for my blessings and only ask to make me a better person to humanity. I will do eat whatever I want, be with whoever I want, do whatever I want. I do not need some religious zeal placing judgment.
based on what you wrote, I wonder how are you different from a Hindu? Or is there any such doctrine which defines what a Hindu is like and how s/he should behave and eat? I am a Hindu, and most of the decisions aren't based on any doctrines ( more so I hardly know any, though have read a lot of scriptures) except the basic commonsense rules: be good, respect others, try being truthful, generous, etc.
Umm....The thing about Hinduisim. What shows up as religion is quite a distace from the vedic parameters. Most of the things people practice under the name of Hinduisim is cultural, social with a heavy influence from the old tribal customs. Vedic scriptures do not prohibit beef eating. Consider the following conversation between Saudahataki and Dandayana (two rishis)
S: What is the name of the guest who has arrived today with a big train of women?
D: Stop joking. It is no less a person than the revered Vasishta himself.
S: Is it Vasishta, eh?
D: Who else?
S: I thought it was a tiger or a wolf. For, as soon as he came, he crunched up our poor tawny heifer.
D: It is written that meat should be given along with curds and honey. So every host offers a heifer, a big bull, or a goat to a learned Brahmin who comes as a guest. This is laid down in sacred law.
This is a translation of one of the the versions of the Ramayana written by Bhavabhuti in the 8th century AD.
So I find the articles author to be much more accurate than most of the Hindus. Hinduism, in fact says nothing bout worshipping cows. But hindus do worship cows. Weird..I know.
In many Hindu religious ceremonies and festivals cows are worship and are treated scared. Hindus seeks cows blessing for prosperty and wealth. Various Hindu text has treated cows as household wealth.
thats right, cows are absolutely sacred to hindus and thats why a lot of hindus abstain from eating beef purely for religious reasons....whoever has heard of the Bhagvad Gita, would know that Lord Krishna himself explained the whole Gita to Arjuna during the holy war.
and Lord Krishna was a shepherd and considered cows sacred..so hindus totally consider cows sacred....
Lord Krishna was not orphan. His birth parents were in Jail and he was living with Nandalal and Jashoda.
Hindus do worship cow – The Nandi Bull holy site at Madurai and the Shiva temple at Mahabalipuram are couple of examples of the temples dedicated to cow worshiping. Having said that there is no Hindu Holy scripture recommends the cow-worshiping.
It's not only worshiping. When I was in India, daily a few cows would be at my doorstep and my mother would feed them, which was a regular routine. They would come daily and shake their head and ring the bell around their neck. I was so used to seeing them daily, feeding them, sometimes pouring water on them due to excessive heat in summer, that the idea of killing them/other cows is unthinkable and repulsive. Now when I am in USA, I haven't seen a cow, and I completely understand that the same feeling can't be experienced by the kids here. Visiting a farm twice a year is a different case than what I described. However to give the same effect, "Would you eat your pet dog?" is absurd to you as "Would you eat a cow?" is to me.
I am not talking about “eating cows” my point is about worshiping cows. Even though lots of people (mainly Hindus) worship cows in India but that has nothing to do with their Holy Scriptures, it’s kind of a tradition passed by generation to generation without any authentic religious text to support it. I have nothing against worshipping cows, it’s probably better than worshipping some idiotic Swami or BabaJi.
And as far as talking about consuming your pet- I have a friend from Manipur, India who slaughtered his pet dog for a community gathering, similarly in various community in north India people keep pet goats and the slaughter them for their community gatherings. My point is there are several things which are taboo in my culture are completely normal in someone else’s.
Lord Krishna was not at all orphan. His parents were kings and queen of Mathura who put in to jail by his uncle Kans. He was brought up by Nand and Yashoda.
Lord Krishna is a mythological figure. Surely you don't believe he really existed!?!
yeah....dumbass why dont u keep ur trap shut...ignorant fool....keep living in your well....
Gunjan,
Was Krishna really an orphan? I remember hearing/reading stories about his Mother Yasoda and his brother Balaram and stealing butter when they were small children.
Pretty neat article, a small correction: Mormons don't abstain from caffeine specifically, they abstain from coffee and tea. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Mormon that doesn't enjoy chocolate every now and then.
Out of curiosity, what is the stance on hyper-caffeinated cold beverages like Red Bull? That *can't* be good for you!
I don't think that there's an official stance on any particular caffeinated drink (coffee and tea are expressly forbidden). However, substances that can be physically addictive and/or harmful are discouraged. The "Word of Wisdom" contains the health commandment. Phrases like "hot drinks" have been defined to be specifically coffee and tea.
I completely agree that things like Red Bulll, Monster, caffeine pills can't be good for anybody! Thanks Kat for looking to reader comments!
Thanks for your reply. I've amended. A Mormon friend in college stayed away from ALL caffeine, but that may have been a personal interpretation. And yeah - Red Bull is clearly not emanating from heaven.
Interesting thing is, when I lived in Salt Lake City back in the late 60's, the Mormons not only owned the largest coffee producing company, but their most famous hotel in the city served that coffee on Sunday.
My Catholic husband does the no meat on Fridays during Lent thing... I prefer to think that if there were a God, he'd have better things to do than worry about what I'm eating. Only my opinion, of course. To each their own.
I agree completely.
"I prefer to think that if there were a God, he'd have better things to do than worry about what I'm eating."
I disagree. That's like saying that a doctor has better things than worry about what you're eating. Eating and health is a major part of life, and it affects everything. If you're not healthy, you will have a harder life and you'd be complaining that God is mean and not loving. Since we so often ask God for an easy life, He has a say in what lifestyle will produce a better life. If you got seriously sick, you'd be praying to God for healing. You can't eat burgers and then complain that God is mean when you get some major illness. God has a say in what lifestyle produces health and happiness.
Isn't that basic nutrition though, and not religious belief? And I was only referring to meat on Fridays during Lent for Catholics, so that would mean they could pretty much be eating burgers 'round the clock from Saturday until Thursday. Again, my statement was pretty much my own feelings... I'm an Agnostic, and therefore, eating based upon my own health and nutrition and not a religion or deity.
Good points, Rebeka, but I wonder: God worries about the health effects of diet on our bodies as a doctor would, yet never decries war for its deleterious effects on our bodies. In fact, God actually encourages war in several parts of the bible. Until God decides he should micro-manage us out of war, I won't listen to any religion (or the bible) about what I put in my body.
Just my two cents: I was raised Catholic and have participated in Lenten fasting since I was young. I don't know that giving up meat is supposed to be so legalistic. Fasting is tied to the whole larger purpose of Lent, that is, a period of time to atone, cleanse, and renew one's Christian purpose. By the end of Lent, we're in a better head-space to comprehend and celebrate Christ's Passion and Resurrection. Also, we usually give up something personal for the whole 40 days (this year, it was Facebook). Part of that involves observances that get one to think of others and not be self-indulgent. When I'm hungry, I think of other people who don't have food to eat. I try to be more mindful of what my body is for and my relationship with it. Hope that makes sense. :)
Fascinating! We really aren't all that different. And it's surprising how many religions prohibit meat.
Agreed to the fifth power!!
It certainly is surprising what local and/or ancient religions and cutoms may want you to eat.
Who's will be the first to invent a religion based on eating what your body needs?? Will it be called "caloric" faith??
Many Wiccans encourage such: it's not a formal prohibition against junk food, just a general acknowledgment that if you eat healthy, you'll tend to be healthier.
If you want to find a religion that speaks about what the body needs, research Seventh Day Adventists (Adventism). It is no accident that one of the few so called "Blue Zones" in the world is an Adventist community in Loma Linda, CA. They show extraordinary longevity and quality of life.
For Judaism, you didn't mention that some holidays like Passover have other food restrictions. Some holidays have traditional foods like honey for the New Year. There are also fast days over the course of the year like Yom Kippur and the 9th of Av (commemorates the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies like the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492).
@S.B. Stein (I'm a Stein, too!) – they didn't go into the whole pesach thing because there's not enough room to explain why!
How about listing the Orthodox Christians?
Thank you for posting this question. It lets you know how much we Orthodox have to do to let people know there is a large population of Christians that the Western world seems to just ignore.
I have never heard of a Orthodox Christian before Greek Orthodox yes. Where are you located? How is your doctrine different from other Christians? Its nice to find out about other sects of Christianity:)
Thank you, Genevieve, for posting this. Generally, we – Christian Orthodox- follow the same rules with Christian Catholics.Maybe more restrictions: no animal products on any given Fridays. At least 4-5 short fasting periods across the year, in addition to Crhistmas -30 days- and Easter- 40 days. Traditionally, the Easter meal will contain eggs and lamb. When remembering the relatives who passed away, we bake a traditional cake made of wheat germs and walnuts. Fasting is regarded as a chance to meditate, abstain from mundane deeds and be humble before God.Thanks!
i'm definitely given up Birds Of Prey. taking them right off my plate. thanks jews. good move.
Thank you for this question as well. I was wondering the same thing! (Perhaps we went invisible at some point and didn't realize it?)