Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sjuvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!sjuvax!jss From: jss@sjuvax.UUCP (J. Shapiro) Newsgroups: net.singles,net.religion.christian Subject: Re: fornication and Christianity Message-ID: <826@sjuvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 9-Feb-85 04:54:01 EST Article-I.D.: sjuvax.826 Posted: Sat Feb 9 04:54:01 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Feb-85 05:36:43 EST References: <343@uvm-cs.UUCP> <543@mako.UUCP> <128@cci-bdc.UUCP> Organization: Saint Josephs Univ. Phila., Pa. Lines: 31 Xref: watmath net.singles:5830 net.religion.christian:182 [Aren't you hungry...?] A statement was made in one response which is not right, and is a common misconception. The statement implied that the laws of Kashrut were layed down for reasons of health. Sadly, it is all too common that even Rabbis (though usually reform Rabbis making an effort to honestly ease things for their congregations) have propagated this. It is not quite right. It is certainly true that trichinosis is and was a good reason not to eat pork. An equally good reason to differentiate ones eating habits lies in the limitations on sociablility with non-Jews it imposes, and the consequent limitation of conversion from Judaism and preservation of Jewish identity and culture. Good though these reasons may be, from the observant Jewish standpoint they are not the reasons for the laws of Kashrut. The laws of kashrut are classified as laws for which *the reason is not known.* A better answer to "Why do the laws say keep kosher?" is something on the order of: Man doesn't know why certain laws are given in the bible. The laws of Kashrut are among the laws for which we don't know the reasons. Personally, I believe that it may be that these laws were given for reasons of health/identity/your-reason-here. Usually the use of explanation loosely has little ill consequence. When shoddy explanations become considered facts even in the group which ought to know, it is long past time to attempt to correct the mistake. Jon Shapiro Haverford College