Why did certain religions ban pork?

Puppycow

Penultimate Amazing
Puppycow
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I was just thinking about how awesome and delicious pork in its many manifestations is, and then I remembered that at least two of the world's major religions prohibit consumption of it. What a shame I thought, that so many people will never know how good bacon or or other porcine based dishes are.

At some point in the distant past some high religious mucky-muck must have decided that his own tastes and preferences were somehow a "command from God" and convinced other people that this should be a law, and not a personal choice.

Is that it, or is there any other conceivable reason?
 
Puppycow said:
Is that it, or is there any other conceivable reason?
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In environmentally borderline regions like the middle east pigs are rather destructive. Consider the problems caused by wild hogs in the US. Now consider what it would be like if the climate was less robust.
 
I think it's a tribal marker more than anything else. I one read about native tribes in South America. Some tribes would not eat fish, other would not eat deer and so on.
 
I doubt anyone can say for sure but undercooked or raw pork was a source of trichinosis so it may have been for health reasons. I could also see pigs being seen as unclean due to their wallowing around in mud which probably included feces.

On the other hand I believe that kosher wine was just an economic thing to ensure that Jews bought only from other Jews. The restriction on pork might also have some economic reason behind it.
 
Puppycow said:
I was just thinking about how awesome and delicious pork in its many manifestations is, and then I remembered that at least two of the world's major religions prohibit consumption of it. What a shame I thought, that so many people will never know how good bacon or or other porcine based dishes are.

At some point in the distant past some high religious mucky-muck must have decided that his own tastes and preferences were somehow a "command from God" and convinced other people that this should be a law, and not a personal choice.

Is that it, or is there any other conceivable reason?
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Because it has a cloven hoof but does not chew the cud?

Then there are camels, hares and the hyrax, that chew the cud but are not cloven hoofed.
 
These are all superb explanations.

But we all know the pig is a filthy, filthy beast.

You can rid yourselves easily of this filth.

PM me for mailing instructions.

:D
 
Zax63 said:
I could also see pigs being seen as unclean due to their wallowing around in mud which probably included feces.
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Jim_MDP said:
But we all know the pig is a filthy, filthy beast.
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Only pigs in captivity are filthy. Wild pigs are actually very clean animals. But pigs don't sweat and regulate their heat through wallowing in water. Pig pens rarely offer them that opportunity, so they have to wallow in mud and their own feces instead.

I've read many theories as to why pork became the unclean meat. So many, that I'll have to conclude that we just don't know.

But one thing is certain, it disproves both Islam and Judaism - because what loving god would ban their followers from eating bacon?
 
God wanted all that bacon, fatback and barbeque to his own damn self.
 
I've mentioned this before..... Anthropologist Marvin Harris wrote a little book some years ago called "Good To Eat"... About the various dietary foibles of various groups and peoples.

Pig hate, says he, had sound economic underpinnings. In the Middle East, pigs require a lot of resources that are hard to come by. Water, shade, etc. Additionally, they eat foods that are eaten by humans.
In areas with limited amounts of all three, pig husbandry becomes too expensive... Goats require none of them.. They'll eat almost anything.
What better way to keep people from raising a piggie or two on the sly than a religious proscription?
Same with Hindu cow-love.... The Brahmin cattle are much more valuable to the Indians alive than they are as a food source. They eat scraps, produce manure which used for fuel, etc. etc. There are not near enough of them to feed the Indian millions (billions now), and when the cow finally does snuff it, the lower castes can use the leather, body parts, etc. for rendering.
 
Ryokan said:
Only pigs in captivity are filthy. Wild pigs are actually very clean animals. But pigs don't sweat and regulate their heat through wallowing in water. Pig pens rarely offer them that opportunity, so they have to wallow in mud and their own feces instead.

I've read many theories as to why pork became the unclean meat. So many, that I'll have to conclude that we just don't know.

But one thing is certain, it disproves both Islam and Judaism - because what loving god would ban their followers from eating bacon?
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And, by extension, Christianity.
 
Makes sense. (PM still open)

Doesn't Judaism allow some pork but not with dairy?

Or is that other meat but not with dairy?

Is it a fat content issue? Early science discovery of the perils of heart disease?

Inquiring minds want to know (and want bacon in the mail).
 
Wow. All these answers are certainly food for thought. I'm drawn to Bikewer's theory about pigs eating the same thing as humans.

I'm not sure what cloven hooves or cud chewing means as a practical matter.

I think that cud chewing is an adaptation for pure herbivores, but pigs are omnivores. Is herbivore meat preferable to omnivore or carnivore meat?
 
Puppycow said:
I was just thinking about how awesome and delicious pork in its many manifestations is, and then I remembered that at least two of the world's major religions prohibit consumption of it. What a shame I thought, that so many people will never know how good bacon or or other porcine based dishes are.

At some point in the distant past some high religious mucky-muck must have decided that his own tastes and preferences were somehow a "command from God" and convinced other people that this should be a law, and not a personal choice.

Is that it, or is there any other conceivable reason?
Click to expand...

Well they are I believe known as a reservoir for new influenza strains so not hard to imagine they became known as carriers of disease, which in ancient times would probably have been seen as a sign of god's displeasure hence don't eat them.
 
The entire lyrics of Tim Minchin's song for peace in the Middle East:

You don't eat pork
And we don't eat pork
It seems it's been that way for ever
So if you don't eat pork
And we don't eat pork
Why not not eat pork together?
 
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