Christians CAN eat blood. (page 2)

proplog2

Verse 21 of Acts 15 explains the reason for the command to abstain from blood. Abstain from blood BECAUSE there are synagogues all over the world where people follow Moses and have had their conscience sensitized to eating only Kosher foods. That would be the least that Gentile Christians could do to accommodate their Jewish brothers. It would ease the fellowship between Jews and Gentiles. So much fellowship involves sharing meals together etc. If a Gentile and a Jew were in "field service" together preaching in public places and it was time to have lunch it would be wrong for a Gentile to buy some blood sausage and start gnawing away in front of his Jewish brother. Likewise, temples made money selling meat that had been offered to idols. A Christian could partake of that food but it would be wrong to do so in front of a newly converted Gentile who's weak conscience might be offended.

Notice: there is no scripture that says those who eat blood will not inherit the kingdom of heavens. Acts 15:21 suggested no congregational action for those who would fail to abstain from the listed food items. The Watchtower article comes to the false conclusion that because "FORNICATION" is forbidden in the same verse as these dietary restrictions that they all carry the same sinful weight. Just because several things are associated in the same context doesn't mean that they are all equal. If that were true then The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equal by virtue of their being listed together. Fornication was thrown in because that was a serious problem in Gentile lands.

They (Watchtower) don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to this God dishonoring deadly policy.

Corvin

Proplog,

Thanks for your clarifying remarks. It really does make sense to me.

Personally, I would not take the blood of another [transfusion], for my own non WT related reasons, but I would gladly have my own blood on reserve should I ever need it.

Corvin

proplog2

I would tell a surgeon that I don't want blood. That way they will be more careful. My wife knows that I would take it if my life were threatened.

bebu

Proplog2, I've read this explanation many times before, but your rendition of it is the best!

bebu

peacefulpete

Good observation Proplog, the context of the passage in discussion is clearly an attempt to unite the Jewish and Pauline sects of Christianity under a central authority. Acts was written for this express purpose. Read the prohibitions again and don't ignore the "things sacrificed to idols and things strangled". 1 Cor 8 says that eating food sacrificed to idols (or any other food) was not an issue to him or his god. Acts was written about 80 years after 1 Cor 8 and was mirroring the advice found there for Gentile Pauline Christians to not deliberatly mock the weak Jewish Christians for their uninitiated ways.

However the writer of Acts has Peter being the first to declare the Gentile Christians were correct to ignore the Mosaic Law (after getting a personal vision) but then having a central Synod be surprised at the news that Paul was encouraging just that. The author was struggling to weave contradictory legends into a single narrative that pretends cooperation between the sects and at the same time introducing the concept of a central hierchy.

The inclusion of "fornication" was possibly made in the list because many 2nd century Gnostic Christians (who favored Paul) had very liberal views about sexual activity and the Proto-orthodoxy found it unseemly.

Brummie

*licks lips and pours himself a cup of warm blood* blerk.

Are you not aware that NOTHING (that includes blood) from outside that passes into a man can defile him

How about smoking? That passes from the outside and defiles and damages us.

XQsThaiPoes

Fornicate could have been added to prevent Christians from having sex with prostitutes. Fornix is Latin for arched roof today known as an arcade. Like in a brothel. To fornicate was to be in a brothel. It did not mean "premarital sex" until later.

Remember this was a time when the majority of working class single women were in a Hybrid profession of their trade (usually dining or entertainment) and prostitution. Today we would find it repulsive for your waitress to have sex with the costumers after dinner but at least they got good tips. Considering these places were much more vulgar than almost every western nation would tolerate today I see how going to one of these meat grinders would be something worth condemning (think of the STDs alone).

A lso remember you having sex usually ment the you were married unless she was a mistress, concubine or prostitute. I am not going to say people did not date, and have casual sex but the idea of having, a long-term sexual relation with a girlfriend is a new invention. You just got married (moved in with each other) or went to the brothel. The modern idea of fornication is so out of context is boarders on being ludicrous.

DanTheMan

To fornicate was to be in a brothel. It did not mean "premarital sex" until later

This, coming from someone who says that JWism works for him and actively participates in the religion. And yet, how many from your beloved WackTower Cult are currently shunning a family member over a simple act of premarital sex?

Odd, to say the least.

peacefulpete

How about smoking? That passes from the outside and defiles and damages us

In the context "defile" meant something that their god was imagined to view as devaluing the life of the doer. Only a psycholic murder would feel justified in killing a person because he indulges in a smelly unhealthy habit.

ros

Hi, Proplog2:

Your insights--or should I say "progress"--are interesting. :-)

Blessings,

Christians CAN eat blood.

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