AIBU to not understand why religious people won't eat pork

[CreamolaFoamless]

I love a bit of pork

I have looked into the whole pork v's religion thing but I still am at a lose?

Why is eating pork so bad?

Does anybody actually know?

This has been bugging me for sometime so would love hear other peoples thoughts on this

Is there any reason that you need to understand?

I don't understand a lot of people's eating habits but they are free to follow them.

I have an indian friend (christian) and she said that where she comes from for 40 days post birth, the mum is expected to star in bed, rest and get generally spoiled and pampered.

I suppose such a thing comes from times with high baby/mother mortality rates.

exoticfruits: 'Is there any reason that you need to understand?'

A natural human curiosity, maybe? Some people still have it, strangely enough.

The important thing about food taboos is that they mark a distinction between the group of people who adhere to them and those who don't. The groups of people who don't follow them can be regarded as unclean and therefore by implication immoral. This disapproval of the out-group strengthens the feelings of belonging in the in-group.

For Muslims, for example, it's important to eat halal meat. Sikhs, on the other hand, are forbidden to eat halal meat - presumably because it marks a distinction between them and Muslims.

A lot of people don't eat particular types of food for non religious reasons eg vegetarians and there seems to be a trend away from red meat generally. However, the real divider seems to be alcohol - although some Muslims I know tend to indulge....

It is easy to find out hackmum, you simply google it. I got the impression that OP had, but that as she likes pork she can't understand why they follow the religious edict. That is the part she doesn't need to understand-we all have free choice to follow, not follow, agree, disagree.

To be fair, though exotic, it's just as easy to post the question here, and I doubt google would have brought up such an interesting response. I had no idea of some of the stuff on here and I was perfectly well aware (or thought I was) of the most basic answer to the OP's question. Sometimes it is much nicer to get a debate going than to google, and why not? If you don't like to reply, well, don't ...

The longer length of time that was spent before ritual cleansing, according to the Old Testament, if you had a baby girl, was probably also indirectly beneficial.

Now, it overtly reinforced prejudice against females as lesser, in my opinion, reading from my perspective , but after the awful stories I've read, I can well believe that the tradition stopped many households forcing the new mother to prioritise the daily drudgery over the care mere infant girl.

Arent sikhs vegetarians so halal or not is irelevant?

What do Jedi eat?

What do Jedi eat?

Using the Forks

I'll get my coat....

Here in the UK people don't eat cats obviously... but i have a nasty suspicion that my cat would attempt to eat me if i didn't feed her enough!!

I am Jewish and I can't stand the whole business of keeping kosher. IME it has assumed too much importance which it does not deserve. It doesn't bother me that the OP asked this question because I think it too and I know all the supposed reasons why we are not meant to eat pig. Imo its a load of crap and the only food laws I can get my head around are those that are about keeping vegetarian. Separating one meat from another is nonsense and the reasons for it I suspect are rooted in keeping people apart.

Well, in spite of the assorted biscuits and occasional scorning of the OP, I think this is a really interesting thread and much more informative of the various takes on the subject than googling would be.

I never knew that about pigeons for instance, and that now explains why former neighbours insisted on putting out food for them. I confess that at the time, I just thought it annoying. I don't consider myself thick, I just don't know everything.

Ah, fair enough LeQ. Though you did say 'medieval' not 'early modern'! I am just too familiar with people attributing all weird and wonderful religious behaviours to 'medieval times' but I accept that wasn't what you were doing.

I think what hard says about her Indian Christian friend interesting though since a couple of mates of mine are from that background and I've never thought to talk to them about it. It'd be interesting to know.

Latara 'It's because pigs will eat anything. Their food doesn't go through as complex digestive processes as animals considered to be 'clean'.
So the meat from pigs is more likely to absorb contaminents than other meat. That's why Jews & Muslims won't eat pork even now.'. Actually, Jewish people will not eat pigs because they do not ruminate. The only kosher animals are those with cloven hooves, and that ruminate. Also, pigs are omnivores. Omnivores are not permitted.

Sorry - only these animals are permitted. Clearly, they are only kosher if slaughtered in the correct manner.

The question of Jews and Muslims not eating pork, camel, shellfish, etc., is similar to Christians not eating meat on Fridays. The most likely explanation for the Jewish restrictions is that it was supposed to direct people's attention to God and encouraging obedience to God's law, plus a sense of belonging together that comes from observing the same laws. The sacredness of the meal is emphasised as a pp said. There is likely also to be a health reason for avoiding some animals such as the pig (parasites).

Christians who keep away from meat are not obliged to eat fish instead -- they can have a veggie meal if they wish. Christians who observe a fast from meat are fasting from all meat, not just pork. Catholics tend to observe this fast on Fridays during Lent (seven weeks leading up to Easter) and on other Holy Days during Lent too, such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On those two days you are supposed to have one meal and one collation, or simple meal like breakfast cereal. In former times eating meat was forbidden on any Friday. The reason was that Friday was the day Jesus was crucified. Fasting from meat is supposed to make you think less of satisfying your human appetites and focusing on God.

WRT churching and similar customs -- I think these customs were probably initially intended to keep mothers from being yoked to the plough too soon after giving birth. Many cultures have a similar custom of making a mother rest for a month or so (incl Chinese afaik). There is still a symbolic prayer of churching in Catholic baptism. It happens at the same time as the rite of exorcism iirc.

Like troisgarcons I too know that burning human smells exactly like burning pig and can't eat pork because of it, bacon is OK for me but not otherwise.

As far as I understand it it is because pigs were considered unclean and eating them caused more illness than other animals. It is a leftover from that. Nothing wrong about not eating something if you don't want to for whatever reason.

As for the women being unclean during menstruation or after having given birth, I too believe that at least sometimes this resulted in women having a rest when they needed it. I propose a religion that sees us all shipped off to the spa during these times.

Well this is an interesting thread. It has also confirmed that for me that pigs are shit eating mingers and I now want some cremola foam.

Shadows - sorry not sure what ruminate means? The problem for me with eating meat is that some farmers feed rubbish food to animals like cows; also many meat animals are given too many antibiotics (but possibly not in the UK?). I try to stick to British organic eggs & dairy produce; i don't often eat meat but only because i prefer fish..

It's true that burning human flesh smells like pork being cooked/burnt - I had a mole removed and the wound cauterised and the smell of my skin burning was just like pork that's a puke face.

Wish I'd been 'churched' after having DS instead of being made to travel around the county showing him to relatives who couldn't cone to us, a week post cs, struggling to breastfeed and suffering from a chest infection Why didn't I just say NO?

Human flesh does smell like pork. My grandpa was one of the teams sent in when one of the concentration camps were opened and he said that the smell of pork came from the crematorium. He couldn't stomach pork.

The nice canibals grand daugher (maybe great granddaughter) told up what white people tasted of chicken. She found it very funny and showed us where the sacrifices were made and made lots of mnom mnom sounds at me.

"Arent sikhs vegetarians so halal or not is irelevant?"

I don't think so. Hindus are vegetarian, but Sikhism is a bit more relaxed. (But then Sikhism seems to be quite a broad religion, iyswim, with a variety of interpretations.)

Food in the langar is always vegetarian so everyone can eat it but in terms of rules no Sikhs are not bound to be vegetarians.