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This is not an attempt by me to discredit the entire bible. I love the bible and there is much wisdom in it's pages from God. But if you idolize it to the point of infallibility, then you are in error as only God Himself meets that standard.
Well said. The attribution of infallibility to anything that has humans involved is sheer idiocy. As to your OP . . . I find myself increasingly troubled by the underlying concept as I get older . . . although it never bothered me before. The conundrum of life eating life seems increasingly barbaric to me . . . yet it is unavoidable. I can no longer watch the nature programs that feature predator prey videos . . . the "red in tooth and claw" stuff . . . is unbearable to me. It reached peak intensity during a recent documentary about wolves recounting their over-running the ecosystem where they had been re-introduced. They were using helicopters to find and shoot the wolves to reduce their number. As the hunter shot and hit the wolf it yelped and I had to turn it off. It was a WOLF! . . . yet I couldn't tolerate it.
None of this has yet impacted my nutritional habits . . . as they are sufficiently removed from the reality as to not cause any significant reaction. But it seems I am losing a part of me as I age . . . and it troubles me.
The conundrum of life eating life seems increasingly barbaric to me . . . yet it is unavoidable.
It is unavoidable in nature but we are different. We are human.
Animals don't think about this stuff. We do. Although we have things in common with other mammals we have something they don't - conscience, empathy and the ability to rise above the beastly carnal nature of self-preservation. It is a gift of God given particularly to humans.
So my advice is (by the grace of God) just say "no" like all the other areas of life where we are tempted to go against our inner knowing of the path of peace. The good news is that we can be reborn and rise above this darkness and see the 'kingdom' where there is no hurt or destruction or death.
IMO to move forward we need to leave the barbarisms of antiquity behind, whether they be biblical barbarisms or otherwise.
"The fire of conscience becomes a burning lake capable of destroying death itself"
19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,from things strangled, and from blood.
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Originally Posted by Richio
Well then I may have misunderstood the Scriptures.
I certainly want to put no stumbling blocks out there, but I've never run across any food sacrificed to idols.
I'd be interested in knowing which verses in Acts.
I'm always open to learning and even changing my views.
They've sure changed a great deal in the last year.
It is unavoidable in nature but we are different. We are human.
Animals don't think about this stuff. We do. Although we have things in common with other mammals we have something they don't - conscience, empathy and the ability to rise above the beastly carnal nature of self-preservation. It is a gift of God given particularly to humans.
I comfort myself with the idea that the Lion will lie down with the Lamb, etc.
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IMO to move forward we need to leave the barbarisms of antiquity behind, whether they be biblical barbarisms or otherwise.
Wholeheartedly agree!
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"The fire of conscience becomes a burning lake capable of destroying death itself"
I prefer to think of it as the "fire of consciousness" . . . but yes.
Well said. The attribution of infallibility to anything that has humans involved is sheer idiocy. As to your OP . . . I find myself increasingly troubled by the underlying concept as I get older . . . although it never bothered me before. The conundrum of life eating life seems increasingly barbaric to me . . . yet it is unavoidable. I can no longer watch the nature programs that feature predator prey videos . . . the "red in tooth and claw" stuff . . . is unbearable to me. It reached peak intensity during a recent documentary about wolves recounting their over-running the ecosystem where they had been re-introduced. They were using helicopters to find and shoot the wolves to reduce their number. As the hunter shot and hit the wolf it yelped and I had to turn it off. It was a WOLF! . . . yet I couldn't tolerate it.
None of this has yet impacted my nutritional habits . . . as they are sufficiently removed from the reality as to not cause any significant reaction. But it seems I am losing a part of me as I age . . . and it troubles me.
I agree. I would never eat a wolf, no matter how humanely it was killed.
Well said. The attribution of infallibility to anything that has humans involved is sheer idiocy. As to your OP . . . I find myself increasingly troubled by the underlying concept as I get older . . . although it never bothered me before. The conundrum of life eating life seems increasingly barbaric to me . . . yet it is unavoidable. I can no longer watch the nature programs that feature predator prey videos . . . the "red in tooth and claw" stuff . . . is unbearable to me. It reached peak intensity during a recent documentary about wolves recounting their over-running the ecosystem where they had been re-introduced. They were using helicopters to find and shoot the wolves to reduce their number. As the hunter shot and hit the wolf it yelped and I had to turn it off. It was a WOLF! . . . yet I couldn't tolerate it.
None of this has yet impacted my nutritional habits . . . as they are sufficiently removed from the reality as to not cause any significant reaction. But it seems I am losing a part of me as I age . . . and it troubles me.
Thought evolving from this point is very clear and even comforting!
I thought I did.
I am not recommending it, neither is Paul.
He's merely saying that idols have no real power and that food is food.
If one were starving and all there was to eat, was food sacrificed to idols, it would not be sinful, unless your conscience convicted you or it caused another believer to stumble.
Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know;
but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one.
For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 1Cor 8:1-8
Anyway... my dealing with it was an aside, as we seldom find ourselves these days - having to make a choice about food sacrificed to idols.
I'd agree with your assertion.
Food is of no value or offence in terms of heaven or hell.
Only a lack of faith in Jesus Christ and His righteousness sends people to hell.
It is through that faith we are able to receive the Holy Spirit who keeps us from going to hell by default.
Richio, most posters seem to be going the other direction, but just wanted you to know from my perspective, yours are the most sane and logical answers to the original question posed in this thread.
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