Christianity bans pork
- Thread starter Goldarmy
- Start date
- Status
The answer may be obvious, but I'm coming up blank. Why would not eating pork be the death stroke of Christianity?
Well would you follow a religion that out of the blue declared eating pork a sin
As a Christian I would tell them where to stuff it and atheism would take a great leap forward
What I think OP means is what if Pork was banned from the beginning (as part of Doctrine, there are mentions of not touching pork in Leviticus).
I'm not sure there would be a really big difference, I can't think of a country that really would rely on pig farming where other animals wouldn't substitute. I think if pork is banned its likely other un-kosher foodstuffs might be banned too, shellfish springs to mind.
Presumably they would continue to eat them in China. More pigs here than in any other country. Not sure how much pork is consumed by Hindus.
The banning of pork in Judaism and Islam actually makes a lot of sense if you look at a few basic facts.
1) Pigs carry a higher risk of parasites than cows and other food animals. That isn't really the case today with commercial farming and the check they have to prevent infection. However, it was a serious risk in the past that could kill a human if the pork wasn't completely cooked. Better to ban it than risk dying a very painful and gruesome death.
2) The Middle East has limited agricultural resources and unlike other food animals, pigs eat the same foods as people. Why give the pig food that you could be eating or giving to the poor as charity?
When you combine these two facts the ban on pork makes a lot of sense. Christianity's lack of a ban also makes sense when you look at the following facts:
1) Christianity spread initially in an urban environment where people cooked food in ovens rather than open fires. Thus the food is more thoroughly cooked and the risk of infection from undercooked pork doesn't exist.
2) The areas where Christianity spread were far richer in terms of agricultural potential. Because food is plentiful, you can give the pig something to eat without denying yourself the food you need.
1) Pigs carry a higher risk of parasites than cows and other food animals. That isn't really the case today with commercial farming and the check they have to prevent infection. However, it was a serious risk in the past that could kill a human if the pork wasn't completely cooked. Better to ban it than risk dying a very painful and gruesome death.
2) The Middle East has limited agricultural resources and unlike other food animals, pigs eat the same foods as people. Why give the pig food that you could be eating or giving to the poor as charity?
When you combine these two facts the ban on pork makes a lot of sense. Christianity's lack of a ban also makes sense when you look at the following facts:
1) Christianity spread initially in an urban environment where people cooked food in ovens rather than open fires. Thus the food is more thoroughly cooked and the risk of infection from undercooked pork doesn't exist.
2) The areas where Christianity spread were far richer in terms of agricultural potential. Because food is plentiful, you can give the pig something to eat without denying yourself the food you need.
A few generations back people in rural Netherlands, like in many other parts of rural Europe, tended to have pigs (for the winter), but generally they fed them leftovers, so not really the same as people.
Furthermore Christianity also spread to the Northern parts of Europe, where it was part of the diet (source of meat) and a source of fat (also for cooking).
Furthermore Christianity also spread to the Northern parts of Europe, where it was part of the diet (source of meat) and a source of fat (also for cooking).
Very much this. I'd imagine that a large part of the move for Christianity away from things like circumcision, pork being proscribed, etc. was due to Roman treatment of its Jewish population. Since Christianity was trying to find its identity around a time when it was really not swell to be a Jew in the country, I'd imagine it would be easy for early Christians to define themselves as 'not Jews,' as it were.
As was noted above, I sort of wonder the accessibility of Christianity as a faith where pigs are central to parts of the local diet (like northern Europe). Granted, there'll be those who ignore such a restriction, but I'm not so sure about it becoming the majority faith over there in this sort of world.
If they suddenly declared eating pork a sin now, I surely would tell them to go and stuff it. Which is why I pay no attention to fundamentalist Christianity's bleating about not drinking alcohol - it isn't part of biblical doctrine, but something that began only in fairly modern times. And I consider myself to be a Christian. I assumed that the ban happened around the same time that it did with Jews and Muslims.
Converting Northern Europe simply would not happen. It is too forested to graze large herds of cattle, but pigs can easily be kept in the forest to scavenge for themselves. This is why pork was an important part of their diet. Take that away and they lose a major source of protein. Christianity was able to spread as far as it did because it adapted to all the new regions it went. It was an inclusive religion, meant to be easy to adopt.
My confession in a pork free church.
"Father you have to help me, I just cant stop eating them! Strips, chops, roasts, and sandwiches, I think I might be posessed!"
Priest: "Fret not my son, for I am a sinner too" *Pulls out bacon cheeseburger*
In all honesty, probably a harder time getting followers in areas where pork is a staple. We might see special exceptions made for people in such areas where other foods just aren't practical, or perhaps heretical groups that lift the ban.
"Father you have to help me, I just cant stop eating them! Strips, chops, roasts, and sandwiches, I think I might be posessed!"
Priest: "Fret not my son, for I am a sinner too" *Pulls out bacon cheeseburger*
In all honesty, probably a harder time getting followers in areas where pork is a staple. We might see special exceptions made for people in such areas where other foods just aren't practical, or perhaps heretical groups that lift the ban.
Also, if you're trying to colonize a new hemisphere, shipping pigs to start new delicious pork populations use the limited transportation available more efficiently than shipping cattle.
- Status