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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.
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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