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How does Kosher or Halal food work?

Admiral Beez

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I've never understood the concept of Kosher food. Since the Earth is a closed system, even the most Orthodox Rabbi in the world has likely breathed the same air and drank the water as Hitler himself. Same with Halal food, within the closed system of Earth, every dish in a Muslim household is washed with water that likely came into contact somewhere in its billion(s) year history with a pig or other forbidden animal. How does Kosher or Halal food certification work?
 
^Google it. Go to the library or Chapter's and read about it. Ask your local Rabbi. Kosher hotdogs make sense! Kosher slaughterhouses, on the other hand, turn out not to be so kosher after all....:D

Then there's kosher-style...meaning Ashkenazi Jewish food from Eastern Europe--like they serve at United Bakers (dairy) or Pancer's deli (meat.)--by the way, discovered Waxy's deli in downtown Hamilton makes the best smoked meat sandwich this side of Montreal--and only $5 for a large sandwich.:)

Halal? Hmm, sorta same thing, but maybe in GTA not so well organized due to rapid expansion of Muslim population and lack of funds?
 
I've breathed the same air as Hitler?


Yuck.


I don't even want to think about the water part.
 
Re: kosker/halal. The idea of religious purity is utter nonsense. It is just an artifact of the time before reason.
 
These dietry restrictions made a lot of sense 1,000 year ago ... they were just common sense health guidelines, someone wrote down.

I have no idea why one would act is they were important today. Will we have H1N1 posters telling us how to cough in shrines and holy places 3,000 years from now? Probably ...

... my gosh, he sneezed into his hand ... stone him to death!
 
... my gosh, he sneezed into his hand ... stone him to death!

let he who has not sneezed into his own hand cast the first stone! ;)


RE: How does Kosher or Halal food work?

you put it into your mouth, chew, swallow and then your body pretty much takes it from there. ;)
 
Admiral Beez is not actually asking how kosher and halal food work. He is just saying that they don't work, period.
 
I've had the strange experience of eating out with Muslims at work who simply "blessed" their meals before they ate them... They stated they were able to do this as a last resort if halal was not on the menu.
Seemed kind of hypocritical to me, why not just "bless" all of their food then?
 
I think kosher and halal are as outdated as circumcision, which, coincidentally, are both practiced by Jews and Muslims. Odd how Judaism is the older child, Islam is the younger child, and Christianity as the middle child dropped all those dietary restrictions and circumcisions. I know it was to appeal to the Gentiles, but it was a good move. I'd hate to not be able to eat pork! Mmmm bacon.
 
Was there a problem with Google?

The OP's argument doesn't really make all that much sense, at least in its application to kashrut law. In a (most basic) nutshell, it's essentially a list of dietary laws outlining which animals are considered treif, and for those that are not, rules governing the manner in which they are slaughtered.

Not too sure how much of a discussion we can get going in regards to the laws themselves. I certainly have no interest in discussing the niceties of such dietary laws, and if anyone does, they would probably be better off consulting a Rabbi (actually, given how incredibly dull such a conversation would be, I think we'd all be better off). Instead, I believe the practice of kashrut law today, along with other religious observances, makes for a more interesting topic.

While many the health and hygienic issues aren't really much of a concern today as they were a few thousand years ago, I maintain that the observance of dietary laws still has an important place in the world today. In an age when society is becoming increasingly secular, and even in Jewish circles where more and more people are becoming reform, 'being kosher' gives people another way of expressing their faith. I see it more as a cultural and symbolic gesture than anything else, and many other religions have similar practices (ie. expressions of faith).

And in regards to circumcision, I ask, why do Christians get baptized?
 
At least baptism doesn't involve genital mutilation.

The point I was trying to make is that both practices are an important - if not integral - rite of passage for members into their respective faiths. Given such significance and symbolism, neither are ever going to fall into disuse on account of our more modern times.

The question of circumcision as a matter of ethics is an entirely different discussion altogether.
 
My point is that baptism is harmless and irrelevant. Artificially restricted diet based on religious rationale is a real bummer for people who observe it and those around them. Reminds me of Jehovah's Witness members who not only don't celebrate birthdays, seem to object to birthday celebrations.

I don't know. I have a hard time respecting totally irrational religious behaviour. I can more easily tolerate the stuff that is harmless, irrelevant and happens in private.
 
I don't know. I have a hard time respecting totally irrational religious behaviour. I can more easily tolerate the stuff that is harmless, irrelevant and happens in private.

Like how Jesus (a zombie Jew?) can make people live forever if they symbolically eat his own flesh and telepathically tell him that they accept him as their master, so they can remove an evil force in their soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree?

That's completely irrational... but kinda harmless.. and very funny to most of us :)
Still, it's a strange dietary addition based on fictitious beliefs.

When religion starts interfering with the health and well-being of its followers it becomes less funny and more highly unethical IMO.
 
Really, these dietary requirements are about control of the food chain: From herd to butcher to shop to table. Keeping it to those of your same background makes it easier to fit into the cult.

It's like seeing all the different ethnic food stores around the GTA--100 years ago did the Scottish folk shop at different grocery stores than the Irish or English?
 

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