What foods are prohibited to eat in Orthodox Christianity

[KulturedKaveman]

What is wrong with shellfish? They fall into the category of eating insects, like John the Baptist ate locusts, since they are invertebrates.

I agree. It’s interesting they note he lived on honey and locusts. He was a true bugman in diet but was wild and free - he was the voice in the desert. YET, these food items aren’t kosher. Idk, I prefer to follow the dumbed down law in Acts as I’m not as holy as the Forerunner so I’m the weak man eating vegetables.

 

[analyst_green]

People ate local. If you lived where the Torah was written you wouldn’t be eating shellfish. I live in the Midwestern United States. If it wasn’t for refrigeration and trucks that can get the fresh stuff from Mobile or Gulfport, I never would’ve had shrimp.

I wouldn't want to eat shellfish on Mount Sinai in 1500 BC either. But later on the Israelites lived in coastal areas too, and shellfish is generally safe if fresh. So that's why I'm wondering if there isn't more to God's prohibition then pure health concerns.

 

[Lawrence87]

I wouldn't want to eat shellfish on Mount Sinai in 1500 BC either. But later on the Israelites lived in coastal areas too, and shellfish is generally safe if fresh. So that's why I'm wondering if there isn't more to God's prohibition then pure health concerns.

I'd say there is undoubtedly more to it than health concerns. You can be reductionist and pragmatic about any commandment, this is the general mindset of Liberal Theology and for that reason I'd say its best to avoid looking at things from that perspective alone. When the Liberals want to invoke modern ideas about homosexuality for example, they will try to contextualize the prohibitions in a historical sense in which they no longer apply.

The reason that the dietary restrictions in Acts were lessened wasn't because the Apostles deemed shellfish safe now it was available fresh. The dietary restrictions applied to the Gentiles were the same as those applied to the strangers who dwelt with the Israelites in the desert. The Religion of the Apostles by Fr Stephen De Young goes into this.

 

[Samseau]

What shellfish dietary restrictions are you guys talking about? Never heard of such a thing in my life, my Bishop has always allowed shellfish. I've never seen any blood products however.

 

[KulturedKaveman]

What shellfish dietary restrictions are you guys talking about? Never heard of such a thing in my life, my Bishop has always allowed shellfish. I've never seen any blood products however.

There’s seafood restrictions in the Torah. However I eat shellfish all the time. It’s a staple during lent for me. I think shellfish are even encouraged because of their lack of blood. They don’t have closed circulatory systems like quadrupeds.

 

[Samseau]

There’s seafood restrictions in the Torah. However I eat shellfish all the time. It’s a staple during lent for me. I think shellfish are even encouraged because of their lack of blood. They don’t have closed circulatory systems like quadrupeds.

Kosher lists have nothing to do with Christian fasting rules. They don't matter at all.

The rules we have ultimately came from Peter and Paul, and they did not keep most of them because the law is fufilled in Christ:

"It is not what goes into your mouth that defiles, but what comes out that defiles."

 

[KulturedKaveman]

Kosher lists have nothing to do with Christian fasting rules. They don't matter at all.

The rules we have ultimately came from Peter and Paul, and they did not keep most of them because the law is fufilled in Christ:

"It is not what goes into your mouth that defiles, but what comes out that defiles."

Maybe my understanding is a bit off but from what I understand there was kind of a war in the early church between Jews and the Gentiles who came into the church. Peter and Paul probably would’ve kept kosher but others wouldn’t have. And there was an agreement between the former Jews and gentile converts - no blood, drain the blood from slaughtered animals, no eating and drinking at cook outs in the pagan rituals (that’s what they mean by eating food sacrificed to idols, a communal dinner was often made after a pagan sacrifice), abstain from sexual immorality. Even though we don’t keep Old Testament Kashrut, the above suffices according to the council at Jerusalem.

 

[Lawrence87]

What shellfish dietary restrictions are you guys talking about? Never heard of such a thing in my life, my Bishop has always allowed shellfish. I've never seen any blood products however.

Old Testament dietary restrictions. It no longer applies

 

[Острог]

Right, so, blood sausage is very common where I live, and my spiritual father told me that I can eat blood sausage, no problem at all, citing Matthew 15:11. Lord forbid that ever I wish to go against my spiritual father, but what should I do in this situation? Is it fine since my spiritual father allowed it?

Simply don't eat it, just because your father said it's ok doesn't mean you have to, surely you can survive without it.