Are Christians Allowed to Eat Pork?
Suleiman | Posted on |
The Torah and Old Testament totally forbid the eating of pigs. It is a proven fact that Jews are forbidden to eat pigs or even handle the carcass of a pig. In fact, Muslims are also forbidden to eat pigs, handle a pig’s carcass or even profit from anything regarding a pig.
Leviticus 11:7-8
And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.
Isaiah 65:2-4
I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and making offerings on bricks; who sit in tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels;
Isaiah 66:3
“He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations;
Isaiah 66:15-17
“For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many. “Those who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an end together, declares the Lord.”
The Quran also declares the pig prohibited to man.
“Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah , and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience”. (Quran 5:3)
Say, “I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine – for indeed, it is impure – or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allah” (Quran 6:145).
Jesus (peace be upon him) did not instruct his disciples or followers to consume pork. As a Jew, he adhered to dietary laws outlined in the Torah, which prohibited the consumption of unclean animals, including pigs. Furthermore, Jesus stated that he did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. This emphasizes his commitment to the laws of the Torah, which was the scripture in existence at that time, as the Old Testament was compiled later.
Matthew 5:17-19
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
When looking at the New Testament we find a conflict between the law of the Torah / Old Testament and the New Testament.
1 Corinthians 10:25
Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.
Mark 7:15-20
There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.
The above referenced verses reveal a contradiction regarding the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him). If Jesus stated that he did not come to abolish the laws of the prophets, particularly concerning the prohibition of consuming pig, then either he would be misrepresenting the truth, or the biblical writers and translators would be misattributing statements to him. In our view, Jesus (pbuh) does not lie or contradict himself. As a Jew and a prophet of God, he would not defile himself by consuming unclean foods. This adherence to the Torah would further lead his Jewish brethren to reject him if he violated these laws while falsely claiming that he had not come to abolish them.
Moreover, Christians may wish to reflect on some aspects of pig consumption, which is often embraced in their dietary practices:
- Pigs are known to consume their own feces.
- They will eat the remains of deceased animals, including humans.
- The DNA of pigs is closely related to that of humans, making them frequently used in medical testing.
- Pork can harbor parasites and worms, potentially leading to cysticercosis, which can cause seizures, muscle damage, and eye problems.
- Consuming raw or undercooked pork can lead to trichinosis, an infection caused by parasitic roundworms.
- Pigs can carry various diseases, such as trichinosis and swine flu, which can be transmitted to humans.
- The use of antibiotics in pig farming contributes to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a risk to human health.
- Pork may also carry the risk of zoonotic diseases, such as the hepatitis E virus, which can cause inflammation and swelling of the liver.
- Recent studies indicate that consuming red meat, including pork, can lead to the production of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) by gut bacteria, which may result in inflammation, elevated blood sugar levels, and an increased risk of chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. Further research is necessary to fully understand the implications of TMAO in humans.
While the aforementioned points are not the definitive reasons God has prohibited the consumption of pig, they serve as considerations for reflection. Just as God forbade Adam and Eve from eating the fruit of the forbidden tree, he has likewise made the pig forbidden for humans.