Eating shrimp and prawns is forbidden by God!

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I don't mean to be knocking on peoples religion and if i do i'm sorry because i know how that feels.


the bible was meant to be a guide. Your not supposed to think things happened 100% as the did in the bible.
People who wrote the bible> pick what goes in, left things out that don't make sense with the rest of the book.

You should not use the bible to say god hates anyone, especially over things they have no control over. it is this type of cristian that gives the rest a bad rep. God doesn't hate anyone!

The bible also says that wearing clothing of mixed fibers is forbidden. That means no cotton-poly or cotton-spandex everybody. It's right up there with the no gay sex thing.

I don't understand why some folks get so wound up about a sentance in the bible and don't look at the antiquated "rules" that are in the same verse. Some people will say that the other things (like the no mixed fibers) are old rules and don't apply anymore. Who are they to decide which things should be used and which shouldn't? What authority do they have to be so vehement about certain things and so apathetic about others. If it's wrong to be gay, then it's wrong to wear cotton-lycra blends...don't even mention eating that bacon and egg taco! It just doesn't make any sense at all.

I do think that some of the things in the bible, like the fobidden shelfish, were to keep the people safe and healthy before they had modern medicine. Perhaps it was to keep old Jephthah from having yet another unfortunate run-in with the cocktail shrimp and ruining the lamb sacrifice/barbecue for everyone else.

God seems to be more of what happens bad or good, then what God does in a presumptive reality that he/she/it exists. So perhaps people put words into the mouth of this presumptive God and anger is really targeting the controlist ego's of past time.

Along that same reasoning, if you stub your toe, might as well damn God then thank this imaginary reality for not having it amputated.

The issue is, people believe as they do, the more you attack it, the more people anger others, people know this, but they enjoy causing problems. Also the old testament seems to be replaced by the new one.

Ultimately if I was to presume an existence of God, he/she/it would not interfere with life, as that is free-will, it is simply the higher self, or the total existence of self in all that one is. If consciousness is energy, as all things are, organized as it is, then it is disorganized and recycled upon death.

The bible to me is as false as it is true, I believe there are better things then it. I understand it very well, I know the truth, I have a mind to figure it out.

Those damning God for floods, damn the circumstances of Mother Nature, it seems illogical and just fuels the cross-fire. Hate is relevant, those spiteful enough to damn the beliefs of others, are no better then what they feel they are damning.

Damning the God which does not exist to you might just be ignorance becuase you already think it does not exist. Damning an illusion for the sake of damning a belief is nonsense.

I am not afraid of anything in this world
There’s nothing you can throw at me that I haven’t already heard
………….

And you are such a fool
To worry like you do
I know it’s tough and you can never get enough of what you don’t really need……..

Not sure if your talking to me or not.

I have wondered about those 'laws' for many years, both at their forbidden aspect, and also what some people do to 'enhance' them. Some possibilities:

1) forbidden food isn't safe to eat. (parasites)

2) forbidden food has 'ceremonial' aspects.

3) a matter of 'obedience'.

I find the first explanation to be the easiest to 'buy', for the following reasons: A) trichinosis. This is common with omnivores, esp. swine and bears. B) mercury and other heavy metals. Somehow, I have the impression that shellfish are especially good at accumulating those.

The second, I have to confess ignorance, and the third I really wonder about. I would have wondered less years ago, but I wonder about it more now

Maybe i can clear up some of the confusion. I am not a believer but have done a bit of study.

The Christian bible is divided into New and Old testaments. The Old Testament (what the Jews of today call the Tanakh) is further divided into Torah (the five books of Moses), the Prophets (Hebrew Nevi'im, consisting of books like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, etc.) and Writings (Ketubim, e.g. Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon et al). All this stuff was written at different times; but all of it was written by and for the Israelites. Laws like not mixing fibers, not eating 'abominations', not boiling a kid in the milk of its mother were for them, not for the goyim (non-Jews).

Within many of these writings is the promise of a messiah who will someday 'redeem' Israel. This redemption is interpreted in many ways, socio-political ways as well as spiritual ways. Christians contend that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies, and through his sacrifice on the cross redeemed his followers (Jesus was Jewish, just in case anyone has forgotten) from the necessity of abiding by Old Testament law, among other things. Which explains why it's perfectly ok to serve shrimp wrapped in bacon at your next church potluck dinner.

Judaism does not accept Jesus as the messiah, and in that religion many of these laws are still obeyed by the orthodox. However the 'sacrificial cult' that involved bringing animals, birds and grain as various types of offering, has been abandoned. Which is why your local synagogue doesn't smell like a barbeque.

The New Testament - the heart of the Christian bible - was written much later than the Old and in Greek rather than Hebrew. It deals with Jesus' life, teachings, and why he really is the messiah; and how his followers should conduct themselves in light of that. There are really two completely separate sets of books within a Christian bible.

The whole business is a lot more complex than 'God hates people who eat shrimp' and to me, ultimately a whole lot weirder. I wouldn't have any trouble with religion if it was just about the shrimp.

First of all, some Christians do follow all of the Old Testament including not eating shrimp. A few examples I can think of right now are Messianics, Identity ppl, and Seventh Day Adventists. In fact, I am Messianic so this includes me and I don't eat pork or shrimp.

However, just for the sake of answering your question, I can explain why mainline christianity focuses on some things and not the others. In New Testament, specifically teh book of Acts, there was a Jerusalim council where appostles tried to decide how much of the law should the gentiles follow (see here http://www.blueletterbible.org/Act/Act015.html ). Their conclusion was that the four sins the gentiles should refrain from are food offered to idols, blood, things strangled, and fornication. NOW HOMOSEXUALITY IS FORNICATION WHICH IS WHY IT IS SOMETHING CHRISTIANS OBSESS ABOUT.

Of course, as someone who obeys ALL the laws I can try and refute teh above argument in various ways. First of all, things strangled and blood are part of the dietary law, and Christians pretty much ignore it. But of course this still allows you to eat shrimp since no one strungled it. However, even though they were allowed to eat shrimp at the moment, they were asked to atttend synagoge, so this leaves a room for an argument that these were just the basics they were to start off with, while later they are to follow all of the law.

So yah, it is controversial. But still I hope you see at least SOME reason why homosexuality is singled out. Basically, in Jerusalime council they listed fornication as one of the FEW things to focus on.