My point was the same you are making, that there were good reasons to be cautious with pork, because it could be harmful if you were unlucky. Islam is not the only religion to adapt this custom. Judaism did as well, did it not? I think the custom is understandable. As for the custom in India of not eating with your left hand, you may very well be right about them getting it from the Islamic invasions of the Subcontinent. I haven't looked it up, but I certainly saw the custom when I was there. The Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526), and Mughal India (1526-1761), for example, had enormous influence. It's a tribute to the resilience of the Indian culture that they were able to hold onto it, despite Islamic rule. Interesting topic, regardless of the tasteless jokes. (no pun intended!) Keep D&D Civil.
Oh, I eat bacon, porkchops, and pork ribs (my favorite). There are advantages to not having religious prohibitions and living in the 21st century, but I still find the religious customs fascinating. Keep D&D Civil.
Yes, we all know religious people are r****ds...I assume that you believe living in the 21st century means abandoning religion altogether? You have your opinions, and I respect them even in disagreement, but I sense some condescension here.
Oh, please, tiger... give me a break. So I like pork, am agnostic, and made it to the 21st century. Did you think I was kidding when I said it was an interesting topic, and said the jokes were tasteless? I've been to India and the Middle East, and a lot of other places around the world. This stuff interests me, but I'll bow out of the discussion if you're offended. Keep D&D Civil.
Not on my account. It's just that the "made it to the 21st century" line seems to be typical of the type of attitude non-religious folks have, that somehow anyone who doesn't share their beliefs (or the lack thereof) is still stuck in Medieval times...sounds a bit arrogant IMO. Just my $.02...
This is 110% not true. There has never been any official stance or comment in any way by the church about caffeine. Ever. Anything said about whether or not it's acceptable is strictly the opinion of the person stating it. It's all about people's personal interpretation of the Word of Wisdom, as I discussed previously.
But I think that kind of language causes people to have a repulsion if not hatred for certain animals as a whole. I have seen it. Why can't you just say the meat carries parasites that make you sick, instead of calling the animal filthy? That type of talk to many just sounds prejudiced and superstitious etc. It sounds like something a racist would call another person.
Wrong again. When I wrote that, I was thinking of my age. As for the comment about pork ribs, and the like, I had had pork ribs from Rudy's BBQ the night before, for dinner. They were delicious. Shoot me! This is why I didn't post in threads concerning religion for a very long time. I have no idea what you faith is, tiger, and really don't care a bit, but you are a more restrained example of what happens in reaction to a topic that always has members looking for any percieved slight to their faith, or someone elses, no matter what the original intent of the "offensive post" was. The same thing happens when someone posts the least little thing critical to China. Instant "rabid" indignation. I'm not saying that describes you. As I said, you are being relatively restrained, but it's the same mindset that makes me want to avoid a topic I find interesting. Pity. Keep D&D Civil.
That's true. I should have made it more clear I was only picking on the religion I know -- Protestantism. But, the thread's gone all D&D now, so there's no fun in following it anymore anyway.
What makes you think I care whether or not you eat pork ribs? Seriously? Since this is not a face-to-face conversation we're having, it's difficult to know exactly what the intent/tone of anything you or myself write on this message board is. I read it one way and it sounded DaDakota-like (i.e. condescending), but it's entirely possible that I misread it and my perception of what you meant was wrong, in that case I apologize. And no, I am not being defensive and I am not "looking for any perceived slight" to my faith (that happens all the time here, and I rarely jump on someone for doing it unless they simply state something ridiculous and are unable to provide some evidence to back it up, that's about the only thing that riles me up, when people attempt to pass their opinions for facts). I simply misread what you said earlier. Nothing more. I like reading your posts, even if I disagree with you at times. You're one of the more level-headed posters in the D&D along with Sishir, HayesStreet, and a few other 'veteran' posters around here. So don't stop on my account. Even if that happens, it shouldn't keep you from posting your opinions/position regarding any given topic. If someone misunderstands what you're saying, attempt to clarify it, often times it's as simple as someone misreading you, that's all.
Pigs are called the "horizontal man" by researchers because of the striking physiological similarities they have with us. It's no surprise that some geniuses have tried to use pigs as organ donors... As mentioned before, the religious restriction from pork probably started from outbreaks of trichinosis, which is the result of not cooking the meat well enough. This was way back, so who knows how much tradition and dogma comes into play....
