Kosher vs Halal meat

[Rachel Rachel]

Stick with what scripture says... it says if you DONT know dont worry about it

I think I'll stick with what my Shepherd and High Priest says and be concerned.

 

[Rachel Rachel]

Unless I grossly misunderstand the research, its not LOW Cholesterol that is the problem, its the exact opposite. High levels of LDL have a strong correlation to amyloid plaque build ups in the brain which are strongly linked to Ahzheimers.

You want high HDL which comes from good fats.
We used to be told eggs were bad for us and now we know the opposite is true. Lowfat diets can contribute to Alzheimer's.
Eat the yolks, people! Eat clean organic meat!

[A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that dietary fat and cholesterol, the type found in foods such as eggs and meat, can protect the brain from the physiological changes that are associated with Alzheimer's disease. This study provided evidence that dietary fat and cholesterol improve brain cholesterol status and helps protect against the formation of amyloid plaque, a feature found in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers.9 This study demonstrated that dietary measures can be taken to help protect against developing neurodegenerative disease. It also suggests that the wrong type of diet (i.e., low-fat) can promote neurodegeneration.]
Do Low-Fat Diets Cause Alzheimer's? | Foundation for Alternative and Integrative Medicine

 

[Rachel Rachel]

Greetings Saints ,


In 1 Corinthians 8 Saul cover this dilemma completely for them .

13 wherefore, if victuals cause my brother to stumble, I may eat no flesh -- to the age -- that my brother I may not cause to stumble.
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

Which kicks another dilemma skyward . Alzheimer's a horrible modern day affliction is caused by low cholesterol intake , animal fat . So , here we go , in the wilderness ;

7 Yeshua replied to him, “But it also says, ‘Do not put Adonai your God to the test.’”CJB

7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God. NKJV

I believe in the power of Elohim YAHweh & when I have a choice I don't " tempt the Lord your Elohim " in anything judged as foolish .

Mark 16:
“As you go throughout the world, proclaim the Good News to all creation. 16 Whoever trusts and is immersed will be saved; whoever does not trust will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who do trust: in my name they will drive out demons, speak with new tongues, 18 not be injured if they handle snakes or drink poison, and heal the sick by laying hands on them.” CJB

I consider , in the red as extremely foolish , tempting & to the test .

Blessings , the servant ron .

Greetings to you Ron!
I'll pass on the snakes and poison, but it's my desire to follow YHVHs instruction on my diet to the best of my ability.

 

[BukiRob]

I think I'll stick with what my Shepherd and High Priest says and be concerned.

Uhm Scripture is the bottom line not your pastor, priest or rabbi.

 

[Rachel Rachel]

nt

 

[Shimshon]

Yes, this was my point with the whole thread. If a meat is packaged with the indication that it's halal, should it be avoided?

It's true that idols are nothing, but Yeshua's command in Revelation 2:20 and the decision of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 was to not eat meat sacrificed to idols. And again - if the god of Islam is a different god, then we shouldn't eat halal meat.
I know that YHVH was the god of Ishmael was YHVH but have they gone off course along the way? I must admit, I don't know that much about Islam.

Me and my family avoid them, for all the reasons you outliined here. It really bums my wife out cause we have a lot of middle eastern carts in our area, and when we go out and about and look for food we go..OOOhh yea...ohh no, not so much... Didn't used to be that way years ago, but now it's all the rage to have halal food.

 

[Dave-W]

When Mohammed started preaching monotheism, the Arabs were polytheistic. He picked their "strongest" god which was the moon god to be "allah." (hence the common moon image)

How can the Arabic moon god be the God of Abraham? He can't. therefore allah is a DIFFERENT god. (i.e. a demon/idol)

Rabbi Mike Rudolph (Tikkun, UMJC) gave a very good message on this back in 2013 (I think)

If I can find the link I will post it.

 

[Hoshiyya]

When Mohammed started preaching monotheism, the Arabs were polytheistic. He picked their "strongest" god which was the moon god to be "allah." (hence the common moon image)

How can the Arabic moon god be the God of Abraham? He can't. therefore allah is a DIFFERENT god. (i.e. a demon/idol)

Rabbi Mike Rudolph (Tikkun, UMJC) gave a very good message on this back in 2013 (I think)

If I can find the link I will post it.

Most people would dispute these presumptions.

Some would even dispute that mohammed existed.

Anyway, if you read the Quran, there is NO mention of a moon-god. Rather Allah is called the God of Abraham multiple times, many more times than in the Bible. Nevertheless, he is imputed with giving revelations he never gave.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

When Mohammed started preaching monotheism, the Arabs were polytheistic. He picked their "strongest" god which was the moon god to be "allah." (hence the common moon image)

How can the Arabic moon god be the God of Abraham? He can't. therefore allah is a DIFFERENT god. (i.e. a demon/idol)

Rabbi Mike Rudolph (Tikkun, UMJC) gave a very good message on this back in 2013 (I think)

If I can find the link I will post it.

So there are cities in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Portsmouth England, the Scottish Duke of Buccleuch and Viscount of Arbuthnott, New Orleans Police department, Portsmouth football club, and many others that are also Moon god worshiping?

 

[Rationalt]

In my opinion, I think it might be fair to say that Islam is:

a religion based on attributing false words to the true G-d (hence speaking falsely in the name of G-d)

I wonder why the "true god' allowed that to happen.

 

[Hoshiyya]

I wonder why the "true god' allowed that to happen.

As I see it, you might as well ask why he allows anything to happen, and derail the discussion completely.

 

[Dave-W]

OK then. I found the thead I started on another forum about this and I mentioned the Rabbi's message but it seems that message (both the pdf notes and the audio file) have been deleted from the website. Sorry.

Here is a link to the other thread:

http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/theology/halal-meat/msg1054738682/#msg1054738682

 

[Rachel Rachel]

OK then. I found the thead I started on another forum about this and I mentioned the Rabbi's message but it seems that message (both the pdf notes and the audio file) have been deleted from the website. Sorry.

Here is a link to the other thread:

http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/theology/halal-meat/msg1054738682/#msg1054738682

Thank you for posting this link. I'm going to read through it.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it a contradiction that Paul said in1 Corinthians 10:23-28 that it's okay to eat meat sacrificed to an idol because "all things are lawful for me," but at the Jerusalem Council he agree that it wasn't okay to eat meat sacrificed to an idol.
And in Revelation 2 Yeshua speaks about the prohibition against eating meat sacrificed to idols.
So how can Paul say, "all things are lawful for me?"

While I understand Paul telling the Corinthians that they could buy meat in the market and not fret over the history of the meat....what I don't understand is Paul saying "all things are lawful for me," because they weren't and they aren't for us either.

 

[ron4shua]

Greetings Saints , in my post , suggesting the consumption of animal fat was beneficial . I didn't advocate anything common or unclean , did I ? albeit I had a norsky Great Aunt by the name of " Tilly " , Matilda . She had a saying , " the only thing better than pork chops , was more pork chops ". I'm guessing I've inherited my share of that side of my families heredity genes , because I feel the same . Even before I know how to interpret , thrice times .
Acts 10:12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Would any brother or sister care to explain the reason for the witness of thrice times .

Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Isn't it ironic ; Genesis 4 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their FAT. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Where's that serpent ?

I think it ironic the first vegetarian , MURDERED the first MEAT EATING person .

One of the first few times I read the Pentateuch , that I was aloud to see the unimaginable Wisdom in the dietary laws . I was overwhelmed for what seemed like hours . No refrigeration for hundreds of years to come , all the critters that are prone to spoilage and disease . To a rabble of ignorant quarrelsome nomadic Bedouin .
The " BLOOD " is the huge NO NO . HalleluYAH !

The servant ron .

 

[visionary]

Greetings Saints , in my post , suggesting the consumption of animal fat was beneficial . I didn't advocate anything common or unclean , did I ? albeit I had a norsky Great Aunt by the name of " Tilly " , Matilda . She had a saying , " the only thing better than pork chops , was more pork chops ". I'm guessing I've inherited my share of that side of my families heredity genes , because I feel the same . Even before I know how to interpret , thrice times .
Acts 10:12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Would any brother or sister care to explain the reason for the witness of thrice times .

Then Peter answered, 47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Isn't it ironic ; Genesis 4 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their FAT. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

Where's that serpent ?

I think it ironic the first vegetarian , MURDERED the first MEAT EATING person .

One of the first few times I read the Pentateuch , that I was aloud to see the unimaginable Wisdom in the dietary laws . I was overwhelmed for what seemed like hours . No refrigeration for hundreds of years to come , all the critters that are prone to spoilage and disease . To a rabble of ignorant quarrelsome nomadic Bedouin .
The " BLOOD " is the huge NO NO . HalleluYAH !

The servant ron .

Was there any killing or eating of meat in the Garden of Eden? Did Peter come to understand the vision to be the three visitors and the change needed with his attitude towards gentiles?

 

[Truthfrees]

Thank you for posting this link. I'm going to read through it.

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it a contradiction that Paul said in1 Corinthians 10:23-28 that it's okay to eat meat sacrificed to an idol because "all things are lawful for me," but at the Jerusalem Council he agree that it wasn't okay to eat meat sacrificed to an idol.
And in Revelation 2 Yeshua speaks about the prohibition against eating meat sacrificed to idols.
So how can Paul say, "all things are lawful for me?"

While I understand Paul telling the Corinthians that they could buy meat in the market and not fret over the history of the meat....what I don't understand is Paul saying "all things are lawful for me," because they weren't and they aren't for us either.

Paul couldn't have meant it's ok to eat meat sacrificed to idols because 20 verses earlier he said this:

"Do not be worshipers of false gods as some of them were, as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink [the sacrifices offered to the golden calf at Horeb] and rose to sport (to dance and give way to jesting and hilarity)." - 1 Corinthians 10:7

And this:

"Therefore, my dearly beloved, shun (keep clear away from, avoid by flight if need be) any sort of idolatry (of loving or venerating anything more than God)." - 1 Corinthians 10:14

And this:

"What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is [intrinsically changed by the fact and amounts to] anything or that an idol itself is a [living] thing? 20 No, I am suggesting that what the pagans sacrifice they offer [in effect] to demons (to evil spiritual powers) and not to God [at all]. I do not want you to fellowship and be partners with diabolical spirits [by eating at their feasts].
21 You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the demons’ cup. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the demons’ table.
22 Shall we thus provoke the Lord to jealousy and anger and indignation? Are we stronger than He [that we should defy Him]?" - 1 Corinthians 10:19:22

And this:

"But if someone tells you, This has been offered in sacrifice to an idol, do not eat it, out of consideration for the person who informed you, and for conscience’s sake—" - 1 Corinthians 10:28

I think the key to understanding what looks like one contradictory verse is this:

"[As to meat offered to idols] eat anything that is sold in the meat market without raising any question or investigating on the grounds of conscientious scruples." - 1 Corinthians 10:25

I believe Paul was saying idols are really nothing, they aren't gods, or anything of importance, because YHWH is the only GOD, the only one with power. So don't go about raising questions of origin on foods by asking whether it was sacrificed to an idol or not. If someone volunteers that information, then refuse to eat anything you KNOW was sacrificed to an idol.

Why? Because you're honoring YHWH in front of people who are watching you. You're showing weak believers how to live a life honoring to YHWH. You're showing non-believers you honor YHWH above anyone and anything.

BUT, you know for yourself, that idols are zeros. They're nothing. They have no power, because they aren't gods. So don't give idols and false gods any public importance, showing you're thinking of them, or constantly considering them, by walking around asking before you eat, "Was this food sacrificed to an idol?".

IOW, this kind of hypersensitivity to the presence of idols and false gods, makes them appear as persons of importance, which they're not at all.

IOW, in everything you do publicly, do it in such a way that YHWH is honored, exalted, magnified, and all other idols and false gods are made of no significance, too little to be considered.

The fine point is if someone publicly tells you this meat was sacrificed to an idol and you eat it, this can be misinterpreted that you agree with this false god and eat in honor of him.

 

[Rachel Rachel]

The quote thingie isn't working for me again...

I believe Paul was saying idols are really nothing, they aren't gods, or anything of importance, because YHWH is the only GOD, the only one with power. So don't go about raising questions of origin on foods by asking whether it was sacrificed to an idol or not. If someone volunteers that information, then refuse to eat anything you KNOW was sacrificed to an idol.


Why? Because you're honoring YHWH in front of people who are watching you. You're showing weak believers how to live a life honoring to YHWH. You're showing non-believers you honor YHWH above anyone and anything.


BUT, you know for yourself, that idols are zeros. They're nothing. They have no power, because they aren't gods. So don't give idols and false gods any public importance, showing you're thinking of them, or constantly considering them, by walking around asking before you eat, "Was this food sacrificed to an idol?".


IOW, this kind of hypersensitivity to the presence of idols and false gods, makes them appear as persons of importance, which they're not at all.

And yet read 1 Corinthians 8. Paul says in no uncertain terms that it is okay to eat food sacrificed to idols.
According to him, "all things are lawful."

1 Corinthians 8:
8 Next is your question about eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. On this question everyone feels that only his answer is the right one! But although being a “know-it-all” makes us feel important, what is really needed to build the church is love. 2 If anyone thinks he knows all the answers, he is just showing his ignorance. 3 But the person who truly loves God is the one who is open to God’s knowledge.
4 So now, what about it? Should we eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god, and that there is only one God, and no other. 5 According to some people, there are a great many gods, both in heaven and on earth. 6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created all things and made us to be his own; and one Lord Jesus Christ, who made everything and gives us life.
7 However, some Christians don’t realize this. All their lives they have been used to thinking of idols as alive, and have believed that food offered to the idols is really being offered to actual gods. So when they eat such food it bothers them and hurts their tender consciences. 8 Just remember that God doesn’t care whether we eat it or not. We are no worse off if we don’t eat it, and no better off if we do. 9 But be careful not to use your freedom to eat it, lest you cause some Christian brother to sin whose conscience is weaker than yours.
10 You see, this is what may happen: Someone who thinks it is wrong to eat this food will see you eating at a temple restaurant, for you know there is no harm in it. Then he will become bold enough to do it too, although all the time he still feels it is wrong. 11 So because you “know it is all right to do it,” you will be responsible for causing great spiritual damage to a brother with a tender conscience for whom Christ died. 12 And it is a sin against Christ to sin against your brother by encouraging him to do something he thinks is wrong. 13 So if eating meat offered to idols is going to make my brother sin, I’ll not eat any of it as long as I live because I don’t want to do this to him.

According to Paul, the only reason to not eat food sacrificed to idols is so as to "not hurt the tender conscience" of weak believers.
Is that true? Or are we not supposed to do it because Yeshua said not to and because he agreed to this at the Jerusalem Council?

 

[MWood]

The quote thingie isn't working for me again...


And yet read 1 Corinthians 8. Paul says in no uncertain terms that it is okay to eat food sacrificed to idols.
According to him, "all things are lawful."

1 Corinthians 8:
8 Next is your question about eating food that has been sacrificed to idols. On this question everyone feels that only his answer is the right one! But although being a “know-it-all” makes us feel important, what is really needed to build the church is love. 2 If anyone thinks he knows all the answers, he is just showing his ignorance. 3 But the person who truly loves God is the one who is open to God’s knowledge.
4 So now, what about it? Should we eat meat that has been sacrificed to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god, and that there is only one God, and no other. 5 According to some people, there are a great many gods, both in heaven and on earth. 6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created all things and made us to be his own; and one Lord Jesus Christ, who made everything and gives us life.
7 However, some Christians don’t realize this. All their lives they have been used to thinking of idols as alive, and have believed that food offered to the idols is really being offered to actual gods. So when they eat such food it bothers them and hurts their tender consciences. 8 Just remember that God doesn’t care whether we eat it or not. We are no worse off if we don’t eat it, and no better off if we do. 9 But be careful not to use your freedom to eat it, lest you cause some Christian brother to sin whose conscience is weaker than yours.
10 You see, this is what may happen: Someone who thinks it is wrong to eat this food will see you eating at a temple restaurant, for you know there is no harm in it. Then he will become bold enough to do it too, although all the time he still feels it is wrong. 11 So because you “know it is all right to do it,” you will be responsible for causing great spiritual damage to a brother with a tender conscience for whom Christ died. 12 And it is a sin against Christ to sin against your brother by encouraging him to do something he thinks is wrong. 13 So if eating meat offered to idols is going to make my brother sin, I’ll not eat any of it as long as I live because I don’t want to do this to him.

According to Paul, the only reason to not eat food sacrificed to idols is so as to "not hurt the tender conscience" of weak believers.
Is that true? Or are we not supposed to do it because Yeshua said not to and because he agreed to this at the Jerusalem Council?

Let the scriptures speak for themselves.
Remember... What Paul teaches is by revelation of Jesus.
When Jesus was teaching, He was teaching His Disciples and the House of Israel.
All that He revealed to Paul was and is altogether a different message, because the House of Israel had rejected Him and the Holy Spirit. This new message is not only for the House of Israel but for all the Gentiles of the world.
So you shouldn't mix what Jesus was teaching with what Paul was teaching. The Gospel of Law and Prophecy can not mix with the Gospel of Grace. They are as different as oil and water.

 

[Hoshiyya]

In the scriptures there is a dichotomy between, or an attempt at harmonization of,
A) on the one hand acknowledging that (eg.) Baal is not a real god, as he is presented in Mesopotamian and Sumeric and Canaanite mythology, and
B) on the other hand acknowledging that real, negative spiritual forces are attached to the pagan temples, statues and religious practices.

Hence idols are "nothing" in one sense, but nevertheless do have a negative spiritual side, which is a "something".

(As a side note, there are many such dichotomic harmonizations in scripture. The most famous is the harmonization of justice and mercy.)

 

[Gxg (G²)]

I just had something show up on my Facebook page about Halal meat now being used in Subway, Costco, Walmart and I guess, most American/Canadian grocery stores.

At first I thought no big deal....it just means we're getting clean meat, then I read something I didn't know...that with Halal meat the Muslim slaughterers pronounce a prayer on each animal at the time of slaughter, or they must say "In the name of Allah" just before the animal was killed.

Wouldn't this be basically the same thing as eating meat sacrificed to an idol?

I think this is something very important for us all to watch out for, and at this point, I'm seriously considering becoming a vegetarian.

If I may say....

Having had to wrestle with those thoughts myself, whenever similar questions like the ones you propose have come to my mind, the main thought I have had is the following:

Is eating food sacrificed to idols a sin? Or is it only a sin to those with "weak consciences"?
​

And on the issue, I wonder how the application of such would go.

In example, IMHO, there'd really be NO way logically to avoid all forms of gods/goddesses and idols due to how all things in life done outside of glorification to the Lord are a FALSE god/idol. The only route would be to simply not go to the super-market and buy anything at all--and that goes for the resturants, fast-food chains, the food courts at the mall and even the snack machine since the entire planet is dedicated to the "god of this world" ( 2 Corinthians 4:4, 1 John 5:19, etc).

We're not to be involved in celebration to false gods/idols---but if the goal is avoid all products dedicated unto them after the fact, there's no real way of doing so since it all around.....and all of the focus on Halel foods seems extremely inconsistent if thinking that avoiding it alone means one has done their duty in avoiding (according to their logic) idols/food dedicated to them.

One couldn't go to ANY Super-Market and buy food since the reality is that everything done outside of worship for the Lord is essentially an idol...and be it with Publix, Kroger, Food Lion (if you remember those), Piggly Wiggly, Costco or Wal-Mart, people making/selling food there are not doing so to the Lord. There are gods/idols of Secular Humanism, Atheism, Consumerism and many other things that actions are done for ....but no one here is going to stop buying from that simply because the unsaved make food for reasons that Christians would not agree with.

With everyone focusing on idols/food, I wonder if they'd stop going to places like "Chin-Chin"/Chinese resturants or Japanese Steakhouses since most of them that I've seen either have a statue of Buddah or some kind of god right in the front door

Interestingly enough, one man I know noted that the guy that runs the halal market that he occassionally goes to isn't doing so for the glory of God. Rather, he was doing it to make a living, make money. In fact, if it were not for the sign that says "Halal Market", you'd have no clue you were in a store run by a Muslim. What you would think is that they have some unusual products that you don't see in the local "chain" markets. Technically, it'd not matter if the owner of a Halel store was selling food with the motive of glorifying God just as much as he was doing it to make financial gain (as occurs in many resturants)--for the reality is that what he does is essentially the same as the owners in stores like Publix or Kroger and nearly all Resturants/Fast-Food chains when it comes to not having Jesus in mind/glorifying our Creator when he operates....making the situation, by default, a situation where worship has gone to something that is an idol or another "god"

I like Indian food and there's an Indian Resturant near my side of town that I've frequented often. They often have Indian T.V/News in the resturant as well as magazines on what is happening in the Indian community. In the magazines, they have ads for Hindu festivals, gurus and celebrations alongside discussing political events relevant to the Indian community..but I know that when I'm there, I'm not getting food for the purposes of worshipping any false deities. Moreover, I understand that I cannot try to say that only an Indian resturant is bad due to having references to false gods and yet anytime I go to Wal-Mart or Kroger there are a host of false ideologies in the magazines there (i.e Cosmopolitan, Glamor Girl, Jet Magazine, Men's Health, Sports Illustrated etc) sharing philosophies that glorify other "gods" like self-magnification, consumerism, greed, sexual immorality, pleasure and many other things.


People often think in Western culture that something isn't "worship" due to them actively giving attention to it--like saying "I worship Satan" when living for themselves---but one can worship something without knowing it if/when their lifestyle lines up directly with something counter to Christ. That's why idolatry is often one of the most difficult sins to get rid of since many live in a world of dualism where they try to seperate elements that were never meant to be seperated. One leader within the body of Christ, known as Alan Hirsh, tried to address it the best (IMHO) when it came to noting Dualism in the Christian world.....and life in general. For when people try to say things such as "this is sacred" or this is "secular" and don't see the Lord in all things, they tend to try to create categories where none exist...and tolerate behaviors that normally would not be acceptable because they treat certain areas of their lives as "seperate" from their walks with the Lord. For more, one can go online/look up the work entitled the following:

• The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church"
• "The Forgotten Ways Handbook: A Practical Guide for Developing Missional Churches"().

Alan Hirsch, in the book, the Forgotten Ways, offers the following reflection:

"Isn't it interesting that most churchgoers report a radical disconnect between the God that rules Sunday to the gods that rule Monday? How many of us live as if there were different gods for every sphere of life? A god for work, another for family, a different one when we are at the movies, or one for our politics. No wonder the average churchgoer can't seem to make sense of it all. All this results from a failure to respond truly to the One God. This failure can be addressed only by a discipleship that responds by offering all the disparate elements of our lives back to God, thus unifying our lives under his lordship" (97).
​

There are a myriad of ways people can end up living like de-facto polytheists and not really understand it....

And it's something to remember today. The original Hebrew context was polytheistic. The message to them was, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one; love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength. (Deut 6.4-9). Torah relates all aspects of life to God – from the temple to what you do when your donkey falls into a pit. The early church proclaims ‘Jesus is Lord’ in the same way; the gods were different, but still many, as indeed they are today. They refused to keep the pantheon and the overlordship of Caesar...for Jesus is Lord. We have adopted Christocentric monotheism...so genuinely Messianic monotheism rejects separation of sacred from secular. Our task is to make all aspects of life sacred, and not to limit the presence of God to spooky religious zones. God is not only encountered in special places, requiring a priestly paraphernalia to mediate our experience of him. God, Church and World are three overlapping circles (not God and World separate with Church in the middle linking them!). Our task is to integrate all aspects of life under the lordship of Jesus – leave one out (eg apartheid, or work) and disaster follows. In Rwanda, ‘Christian’ served as a brand name, but not a commitment to a common Lord, which would have stopped Christians killing one another.

Anytime dualistic, while we may be confessing monotheists, we may end up practicing polytheists..for dualistic expressions of faith always lead to practical polytheism...

The scriptures command that "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" ( 1 Corinthians 10:30-32 , Colossians 3:16-18, etc) ...and that goes for all aspects of life. For anytime someone references the Lord, it is an acknowledgment and offering.....just as we offer our lifestyles up to him in acknowledgement of who he is (Romans 1:18-24, Romans 12:1-5, etc) and honor him in daily activities.

It's one thing to not participate in celebrating false gods/idols ..as Paul warned against that when saying in I Corinthians 10 that one cannot partake in the table of demons and the Lord's table...but its another to use food that was dedicated to idols/raised by idolatrous people and utilize it for the glory of the Lord since the Lord is the one who owns everything--and people down here below simply use his products for the wrong purposes, thus making their actions to be avoided rather than the product alone...in the same way that one doesn't stop using cars since drunk drivers kill people rather than the vehicles.

In the event that it may cause another to stumble, certain foods I'll not eat around them...for food is not something worth fighting over---and just as we're all in need of His grace, we must extend grace to one another just as in all other areas...as Romans 14:14-23 and Romans 15 note.