Can Christians eat pork? Pork is considered a taboo food in some religions. The Bible says that God created animals for humans to eat, but he also said that we shouldn’t kill them.
This means that Christians who follow Jewish traditions are forbidden to eat pork.
Pork is a common meat in many countries around the world. In fact, it’s the third most consumed meat globally after beef and chicken.
In Judaism, pork is prohibited because it was considered unclean. However, the Bible does say that Jesus ate pork. He even told his followers to eat it.
Many Christians believe that pork is unclean because it comes from animals that chew their cud (a practice associated with chewing the food before swallowing). This belief has led to the banning of pork consumption in some countries.
However, other Christians don’t see anything wrong with eating pork. In fact, they say that God created pigs for us to eat them.
In the article below, we are going to take a look at pork and its association with Christianity, to see why some Christians eat it and others don’t.
Can Christians Eat Pork?
The short and simple answer is yes – Christians can eat pork. In fact, the Bible even tells us that Jesus declared all foods clean, which means Christians can eat pork and other animal products.
This is because the food we eat does not defile us. Instead, we are defiled by our hearts and intentions.
In Jewish traditions, certain foods were considered unclean and therefore avoided by followers of the Jewish faith. However, God came down and declared all unclean foods clean, which allowed Christians to consume them.
Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled? (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
(Mark 7:18 – 19)
Because of this, all foods that were once considered unclean were declared kosher, which helped to satisfy the Jewish traditions.
In the Bible, Jesus told Peter that once God has called something clean, it can never be unclean again.
Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.
(Acts 10:15)
From these verses, it is clear that God does not consider food unclean, as it cannot defile the person who consumes it. Instead, we are defiled by the intentions in our hearts, which come from the inside out.
However, this does not mean that all Christians eat pork, as some still refrain from consuming the meat.
Why Do Christians Not Eat Pork?
There are countless reasons why a Christian might not eat pork, which can range from spiritual beliefs to dietary needs.
In most cases, Christians choose not to eat pork because the Bible teaches us that unclean foods are forbidden, a lesson that can be found in Leviticus and other sections of the Old Testament.
There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them […] And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
(Leviticus 11:4 – 8)
Because of this, some Christians believe that the same laws depicted in the Old Testament still stand today, which means they cannot eat unclean foods.
Some followers also practice the Jewish faith and therefore cannot eat pork because it is forbidden.
The Torah tells Jews that pork is an unclean food and should be avoided to appease God’s plan. This also means that Jews cannot eat certain kinds of shellfish, as the Old Testament tells us that we can only eat fish with scales.
Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. But anything in the seas or rivers that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you.
(Leviticus 11:9 – 12)
In some cases, Jews are also forbidden to eat meat with dairy and poultry, which includes chicken, duck and goose.
However, they are allowed to eat kosher meat, which is a kind of meat that has been killed without causing the animal pain.
Some Christians choose not to eat pork because they are vegetarian and believe that eating God’s creations is wrong.
This belief seems to come from the creation of the Garden of Eden, where God expected humans to eat fruit and vegetables.
Through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
(Revelation 22:2)
It was only after Even ate the forbidden fruit that humans started to eat animals, as they were cast from paradise and left to fend for themselves.
Of course, there are also Christians who do not eat pork because of their dietary restrictions, with some people cutting the meat from their diet entirely.
Why Do Christians Eat Pork?
Of course, there are many Christians who do eat pork, as they believe that pork is clean because it was declared so by God. In most cases, Christians will follow God’s moral commandments and not the laws of the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, Jesus declared that all unclean foods were now clean, which means Christians can eat pork without breaking the laws of the Old Testament.
However, there are some Christians who do not believe that this declaration was not about food, but rather a metaphor being shared by Jesus.
In this metaphor, Jesus taught us that purity and righteousness do not come from religious practices or habits, but instead from the heart and our intentions.
However, it seems Jesus was also speaking about food, as he declared unclean foods clean.
Since it enters not his heart but his stomach and is expelled? (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
(Mark 7:19)
This makes sense when you consider Jesus’s intent, as he would look to abolish the law but fulfill them. Nowadays, we do not use sacrifices to ask forgiveness, as God sent his only son to die, for those who believe in him and his kindness.
Because of this, many Christians believe that not eating pork is an affront to the law of God’s commandments, a law that Jesus died to fulfill.
For we will not be rewarded with eternal life in Heaven because of what we consume, but rather the contents of our hearts and the acts of good we accomplished in life.
The Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 14:17)
It is because of these reasons that some Christians believe that they should eat pork, as it honors God’s laws and his declarations.
Final Thoughts
In short, eating pork remains a controversial topic among the Christian community, as there are some who believe the meat is unclean and others who believe that God intended for us to eat it.
While the decision is yours to make, it is important to remember that God loves you no matter what you put in your body, as your ascension to Heaven will be born from your good deeds and not your diet.
I have been a devout Christian since I was a little girl, so I trust my knowledge can help more people learn and perhaps even join the religion that is Christianity.
In 2011, 75% of Americans identified as Christian. However, in 2021, that number dropped to 63%. That is a 12% decrease, and that trend is likely to continue. If more people aren’t informed about Christianity, I fear that we will suffer from fewer members and we will become a forgotten religion.
My hopes for this website are for it to be a useful resource where you can get all of your supplementary knowledge on Christianity in one place. Of course, your religion leader will be able to answer most of your questions, but when they’re not available, I’m here for you.
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