Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer (1 Tim 4:1-5).
The German court ruling that effectively criminalizes Judaism has gotten a lot of press. But that’s only the first step. Kosher food is in the crosshairs as well:
Today’s kosher meat comes from the same abusive factory farms as all other meat. Despite the humane intention and spirit of the Jewish dietary laws, there are no standards to ensure that kosher slaughter is any less cruel than conventional slaughter. In some instances, it’s been shown to be much worse.
In the face of horrifically cruel and ecologically devastating factory farms and a kosher industry that has sanctioned even the most grisly abuse of animals, it’s difficult to see how eating animals is compatible with Jewish values.
So it’s only a matter of time before they target Jewish delis.
Back in the 70s (I think it was) I used to frequent a Jewish deli in Lake City (Seattle). It was a father/son operation. The elderly proprietor had a lot of old world charm. That’s one reason I went there. After he suffered a heart attack I stopped going.
It only occurred to me years later that he was probably a Holocaust survivor. I’m sure most of his relatives perished in the death camps.
I’m not Jewish, but it’s often virtuous to defend others when we don’t have a personal stake in their wellbeing, viz. the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Next up they will try to outlaw meat and dairy consumption. And they don’t have to do that directly. They can regulate it to death through red tape, fines, and lawsuits.
And that would violate Christian freedom. Although the Christian faith doesn’t have any dietary requirements, Christians have the right to eat meat and dairy products.
First they came the brit milah,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a rabbi.
Then they came for the kosher delis,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the meat and dairy products,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a farmer.
Then they came after the pharmacists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a pharmacist.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Good post, Steve.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Jews and antisemitism, here's yet another attempt to deny some pretty clear statements in Scripture.
Quoth the Hubner: "Christian Zionists miss the mark when they assert their holy land theology (that ethnic Jews have an unconditional right over a plot of land in the Middle-East). (Brief complaint: why on earth wasn't the most recent scholarly work on this subject, Burge's Jesus and the Land, 2010, cited in the thorough discussion on this subject? This was a poor oversight; Burge's stuff really needed to get into their discussion)"
Sigh...
Kosher slaughter is hideous cruelty to animals. It is ungodly. Those that practice it should be banished, if not executed. However PETA is wrong in saying it is "incompatible with jewish values." On the contrary: it is fully compatible and harmonious with jewish values. It IS jewish values.
ReplyDeleteExecuted? Humans should be executed if they kill animals? Interesting imbalance you have there.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the amusing thing is seeing European nations go after this sort of thing when the elephant in the room is Islam, which has similar practices both in circumcision and Halal food preparation.
In this vein, I trust that you guys saw this: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinion/sunday/douthat-defining-religious-liberty-down.html
ReplyDeleteI thought it was well-put. The comments are what one would expect.
Robert -- Europeans are as awestruck by the judaica as the American goyim are. So, if Muslim practice is as cruel, I'm sure it will come under the same scrutiny.
ReplyDeleteIt is not for "killing" animals. Can you read? It is for deliberate cruelty. It is not biblical, no matter what dispensationalists think. It is simply sadistic. Given that the goyim are also cattle, according to the Talmud, the implication is clear. Gas chambers, not arguments are needed at this point.
Tim H. said:
Delete"Europeans are as awestruck by the judaica as the American goyim are."
What makes you think Americans are "awestruck" let alone "as awestruck" as Europeans are by Jewish circumcision and kosher laws?
Also, you're making a blanket generalization without any evidence at this point about both Americans as well as Europeans.
Plus, at least from what I've read, evangelical Christianity has more of an influence in modern American society and culture than it does in many if not most parts of Europe. Likewise, at least from what I've read, most evangelical Christians tend to support the Jewish people practicing their religion.
"It is not for 'killing' animals. Can you read?"
Here's what you said: "Kosher slaughter is hideous cruelty to animals. It is ungodly. Those that practice it should be banished, if not executed."
Since when is "slaughter" not functionally equivalent to "killing"? It looks to me Robert can read just fine. However, you should definitely get checked out for your lack of basic reading comprehension.
I'd also point out Robert's response to you was absolutely correct. In fact, I happen to think he put it much more mildly than it actually is. You're not morally imbalanced; you're morally unhinged.
"It is for deliberate cruelty. It is not biblical, no matter what dispensationalists think. It is simply sadistic."
You're attempting to use words like "cruelty" and "sadistic" to make the case against Jewish kosher laws as well as Jewish ethics and Judaism as a whole. But mere adjectives don't do the heavy lifting necessary in reasoned argumentation. They just voice your emotional disapproval. You're wildly spewing irrationalism. Not to mention the filth in your subsequent comment. Like a diseased mad cow.
"Given that the goyim are also cattle, according to the Talmud, the implication is clear. Gas chambers, not arguments are needed at this point."
Tim H., I don't suppose the initial in your last name stands for "Hitler"?
Anyway, I hope you're not tickled pink by the association. After all, you're not the first commenter to stump for a neo-Nazi position on this blog, at least to my knowledge. For example, I believe Drake Shelton preceded you.