Do you know WHY our Heavenly Father even BOTHERED to name some of the creatures HE created-- unclean and forbid eating them????  WHY,  at any time, past or present would that matter to HIM?? 

Ronnie,

Thanks so much for your star and comment. 

I do agree with your thoughts, "But they are good because God made them to do just that one job. God tells us this because we can get sick eating them"  They still do the same job and it was thought provoking to me when I realized the detailed description of what HE determined was ever considered unclean. 

(which includes the description, "11:27 And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on [all] four, those [are] unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even. 11:28 And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they [are] unclean unto you.") To even touch their carcase!

I know someone that raises a few pigs.  I happened to be visiting there when one of the children came in ALL MUDDY, from "feeding the pigs".  That child was headed to the bathroom to wash since apparently they fell in the MUD, which of course has  pig feces in it (and that is easy to penetrate into the SOFT paw/pad and in the wallowing pigs skin.) WHAT an odor that child brought through the house!!!! I think that helped me decide to write this blog. I believe pigs also have some sort of worms in it and that's why it can make people sick, too. 

It was just amazing to me to realize the pig and horse had pads! That is part of  what defines a PAW, having pads. It's for each person to decide what they WILL or WILL NOT do, but it is all just very thought provoking to me!

Oh no dear brother. U didn't insult me at all...or hurt me in any way. WE ARE FRIENDS, That's for sure! I was merely trying to say that I have not yet come to a conclusion based on God's Word speaking to me about what I will or won't eat. I just think there are too many extremists out there and I don't wish to be one of them. I do agree with the Bible about clean and unclean...and u may have the right scripture i'm getting mixed up about...i don't recall any more as it has been awhile since i studied this subject in any detail.

i wasn't meaning to imply u called me stupid (i called myself that) cuz the Word might seem so plain to some but not to me u see...and we all have these areas where we lack clarity or only have a partial understanding of what the Word says...or there wouldn't be so many denominations, belief sets, interpretations based on God's Word.  so I may be a little slow on this subject of  what to eat but not what is unclean or clean. when I do not have a full understanding of something, I just give it time...and continue to seek the Lord's leading for me..based on His Word...the bible sets out the list. and i understood what u said about it not being "a sin unto death"....my family knows all about the hogs/pigs..being unclean...as they grew up in farming areas and had much of this stuff was not part of their daily diet due to cost. instead they relied mainly on wild game and fish..and when that wasn't available due to government restrictions then they ate a lot of carbs....and that is where the ill health set in.

I love clams myself ;-) (though it isn't part of my traditional diet) and some other unclean foods :-(...but u know there have been so many teachings on this subject...and all based on God's Word and they are often contradictory teachings (about what to eat) and even teachings about whether unclean meats are still unclean...and not advisable to eat. (now i know all about pigs being dirty and eating anything..and i mean everything...and about the scavengers of the sea....so many of those sea foods the rich people like to eat, lol)...but 

what I struggle with are practical things like this...

in the beginning God made everything and saw that it was good and man did not eat meat or birds or anything like that from what i can determine...

the diet was vegetarian and so on that basis it seems we should all be vegetarians..however, after sin (fall of adam and even)..and even later still when the tribes scattered the earth after the tower of babel was built, some peoples subsisted on different things...some like the eskimos in the north, eat only raw and fatty meats (it kept them healthy in the frozen tundra), some ate wild cooked game (moose or other wild game) and these people all have very few veggies or fruits...and what they had was mostly available in the very short summer season.

now with the coming of the foreigners and the settlers...the diet changed dramatically through no fault of the people b/c they couldn't hunt or had a lot of restrictions on it and were then introduced to simple carbs...humankind DOES NOT adapt to "new" foods within a generation or even a few generations...so now those people that were once heavy meat eaters..who were eating starches/carbs etc...and that has been very unhealthy for us...there are many i know who follow a healthier diet later...like with veggies, fruit, lean meat, no unclean foods...and complex grains..these people are still not well.  it causes me to wonder why?...so when i know a food isn't good...in other cultures like in japan and other asian countries they eat a lot of simple carbs...so how can they remain healthy? still others in poor countries like africa have only 1-2 things to eat and they can survive...so this is all still a mystery to me...and my conundrum boils down this

- how can we all follow what is commonly prescribed as healthy diet these days...(mediterranean or okinawa) when most parts of the world don't even have access to any of these foods..and how about if u live in a country where all this healthy food is available but it hasn't been a part of your diet for generations....i know the human body DOES NOT adapt within a few generations to "new foods".

now i guess i've moved this convo into a whole new area...but i didn't mean too...the subject of unclean foods causes me to think of diets in other lands where the "unclean" foods are what is readily available and very little else.

God bless u brother...Thanks for bearing with me :-)

Joyful Servant,

Thank you so much for your comment and star.

Your statement, "Since God is not the author of confusion, I put aside my conclusions for a day when I am more able to receive the fullness of God's Word on this." is meaningful to me.  At least you are not closed minded. We've all learned as we go along and that is what is so wonderful.  We don't have to know everything at once. If we all did know everything at once, we need not read and study Scripture.  (I'm just adding some more of my thoughts, you certainly did not imply anything like that!)

I am thankful for the type discussion we are having with this blog.  At least we are thinking on the Scriptures and as you said, "just wanting to do the "right" thing.".  I don't like arguing and that is not what we are doing.  (This for benefit of a new reader, not accustomed to reading this type discussion.)  I appreciate your thoughts, Joyful (and Ronnie's, too). 

Sometimes, as you know, just discussing our place in understanding--at this point in our journey--can really bring better understanding of what we really think and why.  Many times things just become clearer--even though it still may not be identical to the person we are having the discussion with.

I think you and Ronnie have very good comments and much to "think through".  I appreciate BOTH of you so much.  This is a great opportunity for me to share my questions or thought process based on what I've researched or heard about and learn since you all are willing to share what you think and how you reach that understanding.   This process often gives me a deeper understanding of what I really do believe and why I believe it.  I really appreciate you both!  I will address your other great input later.

Ronnie,

Orthodox Judaism and Muslim teachings still follow the clean/unclean teaching in Leviticus. I know both of you (Ronnie and Joyful Servant) know this--I add this for informational purposes in case a reader did not realize this is still strictly observed somewhere. 

Thank you for sharing your statements:

(*****Ronnie's comments in purple, *Yahschild's in blue)

"Scavengers are then, still scavengers." "A scavenger is still a scavenger today as it was in the old times. They hold toxins in their flesh and are considered "unclean" for us to eat. As I mentioned. This is not a sin to death." *Even pond raised catfish, etc., still clean the bottom of the pond and we know part of what that contains--they still "gotta go".  I don't mean to be crude, but it is true.

"It is not a sin to death. The "Hebrews" (not Jews) were told these things for health reasons  *(which COULD cause illness and death, when you get down to it)--This is what God is trying to tell "all people."

" Catfish, shellfish etcetera are all bottom feeders. They were made to clean up the toxin left behind. They may be unclean, and not good for us to eat. But they are good because God made them to do just that one job. God tells us this because we can get sick eating them. They are now linking arthritis and other diseases to hogs"  

I like catfish-- being from Louisiana--that's a big thing here-(so are pig roasts--but I never was a big pork eater)!  It's against the law to sell white perch (which are considered clean fish)-so I can't buy them.  Tilapia (considered clean in Bible)  that I've found are grown in China and I certainly have reservations about that, at this time. I don't hate the Chinese people--but there is a problem with food products from there.

Thanks to each of you for continuing to share insight to this subject.  I appreciate it very much!

Thanks, Brenda. 

I think it's an interesting discussion, too.  I am not anti-pig, or any of the other unclean things mentioned. 

Since blogs are usually posted to think about something or to share thoughts, I thought this worth  discussing. It was certainly written, in detail  in Scriptures. 

Seemed  important to the CREATER of all things--and might certainly be important and worth thinking about today. I suppose HE KNEW WHAT WAS CLEAN since he put it here for a REASON.  I'll bet the MESSIAH didn't eat any of it.

Thanks!