> > > > I'm wondering, what does life mean to you people? What keeps you going? What is important?
> > > >

> > > Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep His mitzvot(commands); this is what being human is all about. (Kohelet[Ecc.] 12:13)
> > [snip]

> > Are you referring to the merits of keeping kashrut? One of my Orthodox friends once said eating kosher is important *even* with modern refrigeration and hygienic food-handling practices, because God "recognizes that it is in mankind's heart to rationalize rebellion against the authority of God... The person who refrains from pork because it is God's original Commandment has more merit than the person who refuses pork because he's afraid of consuming pig hookworms, or because he doesn't like the taste." Ouch. At the time, I did think she seemed to have a point there...
>
> Maybe, maybe not. In any case, I believe God set it up so that it would be to our benefit, individually as well as as a whole, to do his mitzvot, even when they seem crazy, if not because He said so, then because someday, somebody's gonna find out *why* He said so. Not all pork-borne diseases are prevented or removed by these practices, or even thorough cooking.

Well... Just a note here. Technically, I don't think anyone can single out Pork as the leading offender in meat-borne diseases (such as the aforementioned trichinosis worm). Out of the "permissible" foods listed in Leviticus, Chicken is one of the leading causes of spreading salmonella poisoning; and of course it's Lamb and Cows -- not pigs -- who caused the Creutzfeldt-Jakob (spongiform encephalopathy) scare in Britain, as a result of Mad Cow Disease. So anyone who wanted to refrain from pork "for health reasons" would, logically, be supported more by doing what Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did -- and stick to vegetables and plain water. Heh.


> What does your friend say about refraining because it's unhealthy vs. not refraining?

Huh? I think from her previous response, she wouldn't distinguish that much between the two, because (from that viewpoint) either course arises from placing more interest in one's own desires, rather than in God's desires for man.

Wolfspirit