Why Do Christians Eat Blood?

[DavidFirth]

No, I'm talking about sausage, which often has blood added in, similarly pate made in the same way. The red juices in steaks isn't blood (though there's still some blood in the smallest vessels) but myoglobin (as opposed to hemoglobin.)

As long as they're eating cooked food I think you are being too picky. The commandment of the Apostles given applied to actually drinking blood or eating meat for the purpose of eating the blood. I don't think they meant to make sure no blood at all was eaten in food.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

As long as they're eating cooked food I think you are being too picky. The commandment of the Apostles given applied to actually drinking blood or eating meat for the purpose of eating the blood. I don't think they meant to make sure no blood at all was eaten in food.

I'm not commenting on the scripture, how it should be interpreted or in what ways Christians are interpreting it. I'm just pointing out that quite a lot of people, Christians and otherwise, eat blood products.

 

[DavidFirth]

I'm not commenting on the scripture, how it should be interpreted or in what ways Christians are interpreting it. I'm just pointing out that quite a lot of people, Christians and otherwise, eat blood products.

Okay, but I am commenting on the scripture because the scripture is the basis for this entire discussion. No scripture, no discussion.

The OP seems to me to be trying to condemn Christians for violating the scripture, therefore I see the need to comment on it.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Okay, but I am commenting on the scripture because the scripture is the basis for this entire discussion. No scripture, no discussion.

You said you didn't know any Christians who ever ate blood, I pointed out that you probably do. Because it's true. If you didn't want to discuss it you should have probably have been more careful with your wording.
And anyway, blood in sausage isn't incidental like in small blood vessels of rare meat. It's literally an added ingredient. In buckets, sometimes.

 

[DavidFirth]

You said you didn't know any Christians who ever ate blood, I pointed out that you probably do. Because it's true. If you didn't want to discuss it you should have probably have been more careful with your wording.
And anyway, blood in sausage isn't incidental like in small blood vessels of rare meat. It's literally an added ingredient. In buckets, sometimes.

The sausage I eat doesn't have any added blood product to it so I have no idea what you're talking about. What kind of sausage are you referring to?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

The sausage I eat doesn't have any added blood product to it so I have no idea what you're talking about. What kind of sausage are you referring to?

Lots of German, Scottish, Polish (not Americanized Polish), Belgian, Quebec, and French sausage and especially pork sausage contain some quantities of blood as an added ingredient (waste not, want not.) It's served at pretty much every sausage place in the US. If your sausage looks like the below, chances are it has pigs blood in it. (There's also beef blood sausages but they're generally much much darker like black pudding.)

 

[Unveiled Artist]

In the UK they eat black pudding, some people prefer rare steak, some eat blood soups (especially in Eastern Europe) etc. even though Acts says this:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. - Acts 15:28-29.

As an aside, G-d also forbids eating blood from a live animal in the Book of Genesis:

But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. - Genesis 9:4

Weren't pure animal sacrifices that god told his chosen to find for forgiveness of sins or protection from sin slain first and then eaten as a communal meal?

Only eating the blood of animals and clean that god has chosen for them to eat? So it's not the eating of the blood itself, because eating food is the core of communion, but eating a unclean meat not provided by god would be considered a sin according to those verses?

 

[DavidFirth]

Lots of German, Scottish, Polish (not Americanized Polish), Belgian, Quebec, and French sausage and especially pork sausage contain some quantities of blood as an added ingredient (waste not, want not.) It's served at pretty much every sausage place in the US. If your sausage looks like the below, chances are it has pigs blood in it. (There's also beef blood sausages but they're generally much much darker like black pudding.)

That looks disgusting to me, I would never eat that. I can't say I've seen other Christians eat it, either. But if you say some do, I'll take your word for it.

 

[DavidFirth]

Weren't pure animal sacrifices that god told his chosen to find for forgiveness of sins or protection from sin slain first and then eaten as a communal meal?

Only eating the blood of animals and clean that god has chosen for them to eat? So it's not the eating of the blood itself, because eating food is the core of communion, but eating a unclean meat not provided by god would be considered a sin according to those verses?

You're referring to the OT commandments. The OP is referring to Acts 15:20.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

That looks disgusting to me, I would never eat that. I can't say I've seen other Christians eat it, either. But if you say some do, I'll take your word for it.

I'd be shocked if the vast majority of Christians world over don't eat blood, blood pudding, haggis or some other form of blood product. It's just US that's a little more hung up about these things. Honestly, if you don't mind that half of the sausage you're eating is head meat, organs wrapped in more organs, but it's the blood that grosses you out, I gotta ask what's up?

 

[DavidFirth]

I'd be shocked if the vast majority of Christians world over don't eat blood, blood pudding, haggis or some other form of blood product. It's just US that's a little more hung up about these things. Honestly, if you don't mind that half of the sausage you're eating is head meat, organs wrapped in more organs, but it's the blood that grosses you out, I gotta ask what's up?

I wouldn't eat that because it looks disgusting to me.

I also don't assume anything about what Christians elsewhere eat and don't eat. If they eat blood, that's their problem. If they don't, then that's great.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I wouldn't eat that because it looks disgusting to me.

I also don't assume anything about what Christians elsewhere eat and don't eat. If they eat blood, that's their problem. If they don't, then that's great.

Looks like sausage to me. But I also come from a farming family and community. I know where food comes from, how it gets made, and I respect people who don't waste things. I currently have two rotisserie chickens worth of bones, skin and feet going in my crock pot to make home made bone broth. I'll do two batches, then bake the bones and grind them down for bone meal to feed the garden with.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Lots of German, Scottish, Polish (not Americanized Polish), Belgian, Quebec, and French sausage and especially pork sausage contain some quantities of blood as an added ingredient (waste not, want not.) It's served at pretty much every sausage place in the US. If your sausage looks like the below, chances are it has pigs blood in it. (There's also beef blood sausages but they're generally much much darker like black pudding.)

That looks delicious.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

You're referring to the OT commandments. The OP is referring to Acts 15:20.

The OT reflects the NT.

 

[Grandliseur]

In the UK they eat black pudding, some people prefer rare steak, some eat blood soups (especially in Eastern Europe) etc. even though Acts says this:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. - Acts 15:28-29.

As an aside, G-d also forbids eating blood from a live animal in the Book of Genesis:

But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. - Genesis 9:4

Unfortunately, you have a lot of people calling themselves Christian and not living in Christ.

We will all get what we deserve from God, and his judge Christ.
Since a small child, I was always taught to avoid anything made with blood, having blood as an ingredient put into it, even strangled animal meat.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Modern Christians are not Jews, and are not beholding to Jewish religious laws, scriptures, rituals or traditions. Many think they are, but really, they aren't. So it doesn't really matter that they don't follow these even when they think they're supposed to.

Tell that to Christians who quote Leviticus calling gay sex an abomination.

 

[DavidFirth]

The OT reflects the NT.

True, but we are not limited by the dietary restrictions given by Moses. We are simply not permitted to eat blood.

 

[PureX]

Tell that to Christians who quote Leviticus calling gay sex an abomination.

There is no telling a fool, anything. I offered the information for those who encounter these fools, and may need a good reason to dismiss their foolishness.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

True, but we are not limited by the dietary restrictions given by Moses. We are simply not permitted to eat blood.

Eh. I don't see many Christians follow that. Though, since the NT is reflected on the OT, the only time that people ate blood in the new was during meals to bring together people with christ. Only sacrifical meals.

Outside of that, I can see what the OP is saying.

 

[blü 2]

The Eucharist appears to be an ancient Greek ritual.

For example, from Euripides' Βάκχαι (The Bacchae) 405 BCE (tr. Ian Johnston) ─

TIRESIAS:
[...]
Young man, among human beings two things
stand out preeminent, of highest rank.
Goddess Demeter is one—she’s the earth
(though you can call her any name you wish),
and she feeds mortal people cereal grains.
The other one came later, born of Semele—
he brought with him liquor from the grape,
something to match the bread from Demeter.
He introduced it among mortal men.
When they can drink up what streams off the vine,
unhappy mortals are released from pain. [280]
It grants them sleep, allows them to forget
their daily troubles. Apart from wine,
there is no cure for human hardship.
He, being a god, is poured out to the gods,
so human beings receive fine benefits
as gifts from him. And yet you mock him. Why?
​

'The other, born of Semele' is Dionysos, god of wine (&c).

But of course the NT is written in Greek, Jesus born of a virgin by divine insemination follows Greek mythology, 'take to the roads, meet people, trust in the Lord for your food' is Greek Cynic philosophy ─ and so on.

(The etymology of 'Demeter' (Δημήτηρis) is interesting here too ─ 'De' (Δη) is a regional version of 'Ge' (Γη) meaning 'earth'; and 'meter' (-μήτηρ-), cognate with Latin 'mater', is 'mother.)