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Original poster

Christians eating halal food.

60 replies

IneedAwittierNickname · 21/11/2014 13:57

Or actually any non Muslims.

Is it allowed? If not why not? I tried looking it up in the bible and found opposing views that I didn't understand.

I'm a Christian and I will eat whatever, I can't see the issue. However I've been told I shouldn't because it's 'Islamic extremists' trying to trick me Confused
trying to trick me into what?
I either need a good comeback or an explanation so am turning to the wisdom of mumsnet.

OP posts:
FaithLoveandGrace · 21/11/2014 23:45

Reading my bible tonight and just came across these verses which I think is highly relevant:

"Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them."
After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn't go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)" - Mark 7:14-19 NIV

BackOnlyBriefly · 21/11/2014 23:50

Christianity makes no sense to me, but the things Jesus said (or was supposed to have said) often seem completely sensible and decent.

stressedHEmum · 22/11/2014 10:16

Peter's vision in Acts, in conjunction with Jesus' words above, makes it clear that all things are "clean" for a Christian to eat, except stuff sacrificed to idols and blood.

Halal food is not food sacrificed to idols and is not blood or a blood product, so where would the problem to be Christians on religious grounds? Allah is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, also the God whom Jesus referred to as Father. Just because Muslims don't accept the Jesus was His son, or accept a trinitarian view, it doesn't mean that Allah becomes an idol.

I think that some people just like to divide and encourage strife, when we should actually be seeking unity and loving our neighbours as ourselves.

FaithLoveandGrace · 22/11/2014 10:54

Surely Jesus' words make it clear that erm blood products are okay? If nothing entering the body can defile you, why would blood or blood products not be allowed?

I don't eat blood products as the thought is enough to put me off, but I didn't know it was a specific issue for us as Christians, though I'm relatively new to the faith so don't know a huge deal about the details.

PiratePanda · 22/11/2014 10:59

Romans 12 (or thereabouts). If you are a strong believer you can eat whatever the hell you want, including food offered to idols. As long as it doesn't cause new Christians (which should not be construed as old bigots) to stumble in their faith.

RabbitOfNegativeEuphoria · 22/11/2014 11:05

Vegemite is completely vegan. It hasn't be sacrificed to anyone.

capsium · 22/11/2014 11:24

Rabbit I think the claim means it is not, not Halal. Other examples would be water, air...

capsium · 22/11/2014 11:27

^ IYSWIM, in that it does not conflict with wanting to eat Halal.

FaithLoveandGrace · 22/11/2014 11:33

stressed I'm very confused. I've managed to find the vision you spoke of in Acts. It doesn't once mention blood Confused

Acts 10:15 says "the voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.""

Surely, given the context in which it is said, God is saying that we can eat anything, including blood products or those supposedly sacrificed to idols?

capsium that makes total sense re Vegemite. I was a little confused as to why vegan food would be halal but now I understand.

Monathevampire1 · 22/11/2014 11:39

I've knowingly eaten both Halal and Kosher food. I've eaten with Christains, Buddhists, Jews and Muslims and other faiths as well. Wonder what that makes me?

BackOnlyBriefly · 22/11/2014 14:22

Rule of thumb. "What would Jesus do"

Butcher: "I'm going to kill this animal the painful way because that's what the holy books require"

I don't think Jesus would reply "Blessed is he who causes suffering for the sake of a book". Does anyone else?

FaithLoveandGrace · 22/11/2014 14:26

backonlybriefly I agree. But I also don't think Jesus would agree with the way most animals are treated before death...

Original poster
IneedAwittierNickname · 22/11/2014 14:34

Thanks everyone. The original question was based on a (possibly soon to be ex) friend sharing this picture with comments about how disgusting it is and that 'true' Christians would never eat halal food. I pointed out that halal is irrelevant as it contains no meat products. (Does that mean it is naturally halal? Or that it can't be halal?) The problem appears to be that vegemite now carries the halal label rather than the actual product being changed.

anyway. She replied that I was being tricked by Muslim extremists, but hasn't further explained this.

The comments mention however that it is made with leftover beer products. Would this technically make it Haram (forbidden) in Islam? (Not relevant bur I'm curious)

Oh and we ate in England despite the name of the page.

Christians eating halal food.
OP posts:
Original poster
IneedAwittierNickname · 22/11/2014 14:35

We are in England not ate (although that is also true)

OP posts:
BackOnlyBriefly · 22/11/2014 14:37

FaithLoveandGrace, nor me. I do think we have made improvements in that area and must make more.

cleanmachine · 22/11/2014 14:43

I have muslim friends and they have explained it thus to me: muslims believe God and Alllah one and the same. Muslims believe jesus was a prophet and they reject the trinitarian principles. Many of the stories and messages of the Bible are also in the quran.

Personally I don't see the problem with halal. I have friends who are aghast if anything is labelled halal. They love their takeaway curry though and have it every weekend without fail.

FaithLoveandGrace · 22/11/2014 14:56

cleanmachine that's so ironic! They do realise most Indian food is halal right?

ineed in the nicest possible way, your friend sounds like a right idiot! If she has a problem with eating halal that's her personal choice but that doesn't mean she should berate others who choose to eat it. 'True' Christians try (I say try as we are only human after all) to leave the judgement of others to God. How can it be disgusting to be more accepting and inclusive of other faiths, surely as Christians we are called to love all, not just those who follow the same set of rules as us. If labelling something halal means more people are able to eat it instead of being unsure, I can only see that as a good thing.
Interesting point about it containing beer though... Ponders question...

Original poster
IneedAwittierNickname · 22/11/2014 15:04

It's ok Faith I'm coming to that conclusion myself. Shame as she seemed so nice when I met her!

OP posts:
stressedHEmum · 22/11/2014 15:49

Sorry, I wasn't clearBlush

Acts 15:29 says You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Obv. this is after Peter's vision but it's all part and parcel of the teaching in Acts on what new believers should do.

FaithLoveandGrace · 22/11/2014 16:00

Thanks for clarifying stressed. The bible is so confusing at times and seems to say contradictory things Confused

FaithLoveandGrace · 22/11/2014 16:00

Sorry op for hijacking your thread. I realise you weren't asking about blood / blood products but more about Halal.

capsium · 22/11/2014 16:07

I think the point is, in general, the eating is not for the necessarily sake of your own conscience (unless it offends you), but in order to be straight with people and not to appear to worship other gods.

Original poster
IneedAwittierNickname · 22/11/2014 16:23

That's ok Faith I'm finding it interesting tbh.

OP posts:
sashh · 23/11/2014 08:10

If you wanted to eat completely haram you would be living on prawns, donkey and alcohol.

All fruit and veg is halal as is fish with gills. Halal meat is another matter, it is prayed over at the point of death, in most places in the UK the animal is stunned and the 'prayers' are a CD playing.

I have relatives in Australia and occasionally get things from facebook like this, there was one about Aldi opening and someone said they shouldn't stock anything halal, I pointed out vegemite is halal.

I think it is ignorant people wanting to be racist and covering it up as being 'the Muslim's fault'

PiratePanda · 23/11/2014 10:44

Stressed, the issue of whether or not Jewish ritual laws should be applied to new Gentile believers was a big debate in the early church, specifically between Peter and Paul. The judgement was in favour of Paul's position that no food was unclean and circumcision was unnecessary for Gentile believers. The passage I was referring to is Romans 14:

"As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not for disputes over opinions. One believes he may eat anything, while the weak man eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgement on him who eats; for God has welcomed him....He who eats, eats in honour of The Lord, since he gives thanks to God...I know and am persuaded in The Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean. If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love."

I.e. No food considered unclean/sacrificed to idols under Jewish ritual law is unclean for a Christian, but it is not loving to eat it if a weaker Christian might be disturbed by it.

FYI Jesus was a Jew. Kosher is almost identical to halal so OP your friends are not right on so many levels.