Muslims are disgusted when they see Christians eating pork. Even seeing a pig repulses them. Muslim food laws are similar to the food laws Moses gave Israel. Pork was clearly forbidden in the Taurat:
“Pigs have hoofs that are separated completely in two. But they do not chew the cud. So they are not ‘clean’ for you. You must not eat the meat of those animals. You must not even touch their dead bodies. They are not ‘clean’ for you” (Taurat, Leviticus 11:7-8).
Pork, an Abomination to God
The Quran, possibly influenced by the Taurat, also prohibits pork. “He has . . . forbidden you . . . blood, and flesh of swine . . .” (Qs 2:173).
What’s the Difference between Civil Law and Moral Law?
The Taurat has several types of laws: religious laws, moral laws and civil laws. Moral law is universal. For example, “You shall not steal” applies to all people everywhere. Civil law varies from country to country and age to age, e.g. traffic regulations. The same is true of religious law.
One of Israel’s religious laws forbade eating pork. It was common for the pagan tribes to offer a pig as a sacrifice to their idols. The pig was also very filthy. Eating pork caused terrible diseases to spread.
Israel-A Chosen Nation for a Special Purpose
Religious laws separated Israel from the surrounding pagan countries. They showed that Israel served the one true God. Israel was to be a constant reminder to the rest of the world that God had set them apart from other nations for a very special reason.
Why was Israel so special? Why did God choose them? Because Isa Al-Masih, the Kalimat Allah, would come into the world through Israel.
Isa Al-Masih Pointed out to Religious Leaders the True Source of Evil
Unfortunately, during Isa Al-Masih’s ministry on earth, many Israelites had lost sight of the purpose of the civil law. They started thinking that keeping religious laws made them holy. They thought religious law was more important than moral law. Men used the religious law to make their own version of holiness.Isa corrected them.
Isa Al-Masih spoke against this wrong use of the religious law: “Don’t you understand?” Jesus asked. “Don’t you see? Nothing that enters people from the outside can make them ‘unclean.’” … He went on to say, “What comes out of people makes them ‘unclean.’ Evil thoughts come from the inside, from people’s hearts. So do sexual sins, stealing … being proud and being foolish. All those evil things come from inside a person. They make him ‘unclean'” (Injil, Mark 7:18-23).
Pork and Holiness
Eating pork does not make us unholy! We are all unholy, even if we never eat pork. We will not be kept out of heaven because of what we did or did not eat. What makes us unholy is that we are sinful. The things we do are a result of what is inside our hearts, which is sin. Our sin keeps us from God and heaven. The only way we can be made holy is by accepting Isa Al-Masih’s sacrifice for our sin.
Food Laws from the Taurat No Longer Valid
The Lord commanded the Apostle Peter “to eat certain animals” that were listed as “unclean” in the Taurat. The story is told in detail in the Injil: “He [Peter] saw heaven open up. There he saw something that looked like a large sheet… It had all kinds of four-footed animals in it… Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘No, Lord! I will not!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that is not pure and clean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not say anything is not pure that God has made clean’” (Acts 10:11-15).
The food laws that separated Jews from non-Jews, such as eating pork, were no longer valid. God cancelled them. By doing this, He reminds us that He is mainly concerned with our inward appearance, not our outward appearance. What is on the inside makes us evil, not what is on the outside.
When comparing the Taurat and the Injil, one must look to see if the law in the Taurat is given again in the Injil. Laws which are not repeated in the Injil are no longer valid. The law about pork is revoked in the Injil!
Avoiding Pork Does Not Make Us Holy
A person’s deeds cannot make him holy. Avoiding pork or keeping other laws does not make a person good. Allah is perfect. We are not! Nothing we do on our own good enough to get us into heaven. Allah cannot allow anything unholy, pork eaters or non-pork eaters into heaven.
The Prophet David said, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all people. He wants to see if there are any who understand. He wants to see if there are any who trust in God. All of them have turned away. They have all become evil. No one does anything good, no one at all” (Psalms [Zabur] 14:2-3). This means that both people who eat pork and people who do not eat pork are evil.
The only way a person can be made holy and get into heaven is through Isa Al-Masih. “But now God has shown us how to become right with him. The Law and the Prophets give witness to this. It has nothing to do with obeying the law. We are made right with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. That happens to all who believe” (Romans 3:21-22).
[We invite you to visit us at https://www.isaandislam.com/way-of-salvation to learn more about God’s gift of Salvation. God loves you and waits to hear from you. Isa Al-Masih said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). For a deeper understanding of Isa we suggest you subscribe to “Isa, Islam, and Al-Fatiha” at this link.]
Questions to Comment On:
The Staff at Isa and Islam invites your comments. Please respond to the following questions:
1. What is the difference between moral law and civil law?
2. Why is it okay to eat pork now?
3. What is the only way we can be made holy?
If you have a question regarding this article, please contact us by clicking this link.
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Hello,
I agree that abstaining from pork does not make a person righteous. The quran does not say that either. That is why a person is excused if he/she is forced by necessity to consume pork.
Surah Al-Maidah 3:
“…but if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Just as you have stated that abstaining from pork made the Israelites unique, doesn’t this also hold true for Muslims: to be unique?
The prohibition of pork for Muslims is but a message for the world. This message is:
Surah Al-Anam 161″
‘” Verily, my Lord has guided me to a way that is straight,-a religion of right,-the path trod by Abraham the true in faith, and he joined not gods with Allah.”‘
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Sheikh,
By Surah Al-Maidah 3, does is it mean that eating pork is sin? I also agree that there is one God and there are no more Gods. Jesus/ Isa Al-Masih is God’s word. He is not another God, but manifestation of God. To learn more about this, please go to: https://www.isaandislam.com/Isa-Al-Masih/is-isa-al-masih-really-a-manifestation-of-god.html
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May Allah have mercy on us. May Allah show us the straight path. The Bible came before the Quran and the Quran confirms eating swine as haram.Therefore if you believe in Quran no more argument or you can continue to eat but don’t mislead others. Allah shall reward every soul according to their deeds.
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Malik,
The Injil that came before Quran clearly writes that eating pork is not sin.
‘“Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them. After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean). He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them”’(Injil, Mark 7:15-20).
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Aila,
By Sura Al-maidah 3, it is not the act of eating pork that is sin; it is the intention of eating a forbidden meat that is sin. That is why, if a person is forced by necessity, it does not constitute sin (as there is no negative intention to disobey GOD). As for why pork is forbidden, I have already explained in a previous post.
Also by quoting Sura Al-an’am 161, I meant to highlight this phrase; The Path Trod by Abraham, as the message which is sent by forbidding pork.
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Sheikh,
Yes, like in my previous comment, this contradicts to the gospel (good news) that nothing outside a person can defile him, but what comes out of a person that can defile (Injil, Mark 7:15).
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My dear,
Please understand that there are lots of sects in among Christians who do not eat pork for religious reasons.
To Ms Alia, please understand the difference between “Goat” and “Sheep”. Study their behavior carefully then you will get the answers. Its all about war of Spirit and Flesh. Who ever knows the enemy of flesh will understand. It requires God wisdom.
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Yes, there are. But we should go back to and follow what God says that either eating or not eating Pork is not wrong or sin.
Thank you for reminding me about Spiritual War. It’s true that we need God’s wisdom.
Blessings,
Aila
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In Injil, Mark 7:5, Jesus was responding to the question “why do your disciples eat without washing hands”, not about clean or unclean animals.
In Injil, Acts 10, the vision that Peter saw was about God telling him to preach the good news not just to the Jews, but also to the non-Jews, not about eating anything or everything.
Just to share my humble thoughts. God is love and He allows or forbids everything for the good of His creation – Man.
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Yes Andre, thanks for sharing your thought. I agree with you that God is love and wants the good things for all mankind. Yet, Isa cancelled the Taurat, including food laws. Doing Taurat doesn’t make us holy, yet what is on the inside. The only way we can be made holy is Isa Al-Masih who stayed inside of our heart through Holy Spirit. This is the best thing that is given to us.
Blessings.
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I am a Muslim. My belief is simple and logical. Pork meat is haram means Allah the Almighty God have forbidden us to eat. The Torah, the Injil and finally the Quran are words of Allah. But the Quran is the one where there is no confusion as prophet Muhammad came to the people with the revelation. People have been misleading and changing verses from the Torah and Injil.
Aila, you seem a wise person to believe in One God but do more research about the Quran where there is no confusion.
Isa is the messenger of Allah. Allah is great and cannot be compared to us to human beings. You will find true answers in the Holy Quran.
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Ibti,
From the beginning, Torah, Zabur and Injil, there is no confusion. All these three books are in the line. They all point to Isa Al-Masih is God. God came to the world, incarnated into flesh, through the virgin Maryam. The baby who was sinless (Qs 19:19) and was honored named Isa (Qs 3:45-46). God’s word has canceled the Taurat. Not eating pork doesn’t make a person holy. Yet, Isa Al-Masih cleansed our sins by giving Himself as a holy sacrifice (qurban). Learn more about this by clicking this link: https://www.isaandislam.com/al-quran/id-al-adha-the-key-to-the-crucifixion-of-isa-al-masih.html
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Reading the last paragraph, aila obviously lack the knowledge regarding the revelation and subsequent compilation of the Quran.
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Aznan,
Do you have more explanations on your claim above?
Thank you.
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It’s interesting, and to some extent amusing, to find the Christians telling the Muslims that it’s okay to eat pork. I can’t say much about how the Christians should go about doing what ever they do but to tell Muslims to do what Christians do, or more aptly what the Christians believe/practice, that’s weird. It’s like a British on holiday in the States, telling the Americans that they should be driving on the left-hand side of the road.
It gets more interesting when the Quran is referred to support the christian views. An example, this website begins with the translation of a verse from Sura Al Fatiha. If muslims make references to the Taurat, Zabur and Injil, it won’t look that bad because it’s part of a muslim’s faith to believe that the Scriptures were revealed to Moses, David and Jesus, respectively. But does christian believe in the unlettered Muhammad? It’s good if the Christians want to know more about Islam and Muslims, but blindly insisting the Christian values/believes on the Muslims, again that’s weird.
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Aznan,
Through the article, we want to explain why the Christians are allowed to eat pork. Also to explain that not to eat it won’t bring us into holiness. We are not insisting the Christians values to the Muslims. We were trying to explain, from the point of view of the Bible, especially the Injil.
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You are contradicting yourself.
Taurat, Leviticus 11:7-8 advocates that you should not consume pork. Then you add, that Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) allegedly declared it permissible to eat anything (including pork).
Yet your Bible indicates that Prophet Isa (peace be upon) mentioned that he came to fulfill the laws of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), not to break them.
On the one hand, Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) upholds the Laws of Prophet Moses (peace upon him) and then the very next chapters of the Bible, he says something completely contradictory.
Somewhere during the translations (compiled by scribes whom we have no idea who they were) of the Sacerdotal text, Ilohist text and Yavist text, as well as the Gospels, the actual words of Prophet Isa (peace be upon him) were changed to suite the needs of a particular group of people it appears.
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Saadiqh,
Thanks for your comment. As described in the article, eating pork which was under the Civil Law, can’t make us holy. The Civil Law was imposed to differentiate between the Jews and Gentiles (Non-Jews). Yet, there were no longer valid. God canceled them; Peter, the Apostle, got the vision as told in the Injil, Acts 10:11-15. “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Injil, Galatians 3:28).
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If it’s clear cut forbidden, then its forbidden. God has a lot of wisdom why He forbade something to us. Eating pork, when you eat pork (40 days), your worships are not accepted. It does not make you unholy forever. It’s not a mortal sin, if you eat it accidentally, you wont get any sin. If you are in a place where swine is the only available then it is permissible to eat it. That’s how merciful Allah is and I think you all aware of all the illnesses that pork consumption can lead into. Allah knows how we the sons of Adam has an undying desires that will lead to self and society destruction. I am a Muslim, and I’m happily leaving the way of Islam. Study the Quran and you will find how beautiful it is.
Ms. Aila, ok, granting that the Bible today is the Bible that was revealed to Prophet and Messenger Isa (salawatu ‘alayhi salam). Prophet Muhammad (sallahu’alay wasalam) is the last Prophet and Messenger and the revealed book was the Quran. Any commandment that stated in the Quran that contradicts to the other revealed books means that the law from the quran abrogated the first revealed law whether it is the Torah, Zabur or Injil. The finality of that law is in the Quran. And Allah knows best :).
As one of the muslim scholars said, any true Christian (follow the true teaching of Isa ‘alayhisalam) today will follow Islam. No doubt, there are so many reverts nowadays even a daughter of a pastor. May our Lord grant us more understanding in His Holy words. Amen.
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Thank you for your comment relating to the article above.
I appreciate your believing and faith. The article explains why the Christians now eat pork. It was disallowed as regulated in the Taurat. But, Isa Al-Masih, the Son of God, declared that “… Nothing that enters people from the outside can make them ‘unclean.’” … He went on to say, “What comes out of people makes them ‘unclean.’ Evil thoughts come from the inside, from people’s hearts. So do sexual sins, stealing … being proud and being foolish. All those evil things come from inside a person. They make him ‘unclean'” (Injil, Mark 7:18-23).
This food law indeed separated the Jews and non-Jews. Yet this law was fulfilled by Isa Al-Masih when He died on the cross. Since there, there has been no more Jews and non-Jews; we are all one in Isa Al-Masih (Injil, Galatians 3:28).
Also, about the Bible, if the Quran changed the Taurat, Zabur, and Injil, there should have been a prophecy in the Bible as was there in the Taurat and Zabur about Isa Al-Masih. That’s the way it should be. Yet, there wasn’t. So, I guess you and the Muslims are just assuming. Because your statement is baseless. In fact, Muhammad confirmed the truth of the Book that came before (Qs 5:47).
To learn more about why Muslims need to believe in Isa Al-Masih and Allah’s Signs, go to: https://www.isaandislam.com/the-bible/the-quran-taurat-injil-and-the-signs-of-allah.html
Blessings.
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Peace on you! um… pork is illegal because Allah doesn’t need to eat it. That’s why He stopped us to eat it. No, but Allah refuse all those which are harmful to us.
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Dear Abdull,
Thank you for your comment. You are right that Allah doesn’t need to eat it. Yet, He also doesn’t eat like us! I quoted again the verse in the article above: “Don’t you understand?” Jesus asked. “Don’t you see? Nothing that enters people from the outside can make them ‘unclean.’” … He went on to say, “What comes out of people makes them ‘unclean.’ Evil thoughts come from the inside, from people’s hearts. So do sexual sins, stealing … being proud and being foolish. All those evil things come from inside a person. They make him ‘unclean'” (Injil, Mark 7:18-23). By eating pork doesn’t make someone unclean spiritually and likewise. What makes clean and unclean spiritually is our heart.
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Hi Aila,
From what I have read, you quoted one verse over and over again to all the readers misinterpreting what Jesus have meant according to a disciple. It could even be hearsay according to the Bible standards of being tampered with or the huge amount of contradictions in it. It was compiled almost 200 years after Jesus’ ascension. Then, you compare the Book with the unchanged magnificent message like the Quran, which was meant for u. Also, all of the love of pork which is scientifically and medically proven to be unhealthy. Everything that you consume from the outside goes in through your hole system including your heart eventually via blood. But whatever abstract or word enter from the outside can come out as bad, not only your foul matter that your digestive system rejects. Jesus was a staunch Jew who promised the Jews that he didn’t come to break the laws. And you are contradicting Him by the unlearned answers that you give. I can see you and some of the Muslims that replied are not intelligent enough.
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Dear Mouti,
Thank you for your comment. Let me explain to you, Isa’s disciples, who lived, worked and traveled with Isa while He was on earth, wrote the Bible with the inspiration from the Holy Spirit. They saw, heard, observed many wonderful things about Isa Al-Masih. Now, I want to ask you, how was the Quran written then? Did the Angel Gabriel give the book of Quran right away? Were not there people who involved? How could the Quran become a book? I also would like to challenge whether there were other people witnessing or prophesying whether Muhammad was true having a conversation with the angel? And was it really an angel? Have you ever thought about it?
Also, as you were talking about health, is there any food in this world is absolutely healthy? Nowadays, pork is even considered healthier comparing than cows. Even its materials are now used for drugs. How do you explain this?
Moreover. during Isa’s ministry on earth, many Israelites had lost sight of the purpose of the civil law. They started thinking that keeping religious laws made them holy. They thought religious law was more important than moral law. For the Jews during the time, they need to do the religious law. But they shouldn’t forget about the moral law, specifically of holiness which is the matter of heart. I’d like you to read again the article about what kind of laws observed during the time.
Finally, Isa had fulfilled all the laws, and gave us a new law of Christ, which goes beyond the Moses law. The Christians must observe this new law.
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In relation to food laws from the Taurat are no longer valid. God laws are eternal. Yahweh God isn’t changed. Now as you have related Peter’s vision, read further and you will know God’s purpose was not to give Peter eat unclean meat. First of all, God will not give unclean meat. Peter said, “Lord i haven’t touch unclean meat.”
Secondly Peter and Cornelius saw the vision at same time in the afternoon. Thirdly, God laws are eternal. They are not changed.
Fourthly, God’s purpose was not to tell Peter to eat unclean meat but to go to gentiles which he was not going. If you read further Peter went to Cornelius house, and He started going to the gentile. Read the whole chapter my friend.
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Many thanks for your comment. I suggest you to read the article once again. Eating pork was one of the civil law given to the Israelites. It wasn’t moral law. It doesn’t have anything to do with our purity of heart. The food law separated the Jews from non-Jews until Isa came and fulfilled all the law. As He died, He canceled/ ceased the civil law that separates the Jews and non-Jews. Through the civil law, the Jews couldn’t speak to and eat with the non-Jews. Food law is only one part of the civil law. By fulfilling the law, Isa’s disciples are able to preach the gospel to the non-Jews.
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Eating pork is Haram i.e illegal by all provisions from Allah (SWT). No religions on earth are given clearly justification on eating of pork. Question: Logically, if pork is okay for consumption why is the intestines(offals) not consumed??
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Thank you for your comment regarding the article above. I am sorry that I don’t understand your question. Which intestines (offals) were you talking about? Pork? Or other animals? Because in other part of the globe, Muslims eat intestines (offals) of non-haram animals.
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Dear Friends: We highly value all comments on our website. Yet we do have some guidelines:
1. No one may enter more than one comment at a time. Thus you may not fill multiple comment boxes.
2. Your comment should be directly related to the theme of the lead article.
3. It is best if you only put forward one or two questions at a time.
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The article above does not present the truth as presented by the Bible and Jesus. When Christian referred to the Bible verse in Acts 10:11-15, they neglected to refer to the subsequent verses. Verse 14 says, “But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean.” (American Standard Version). They are not to be eaten at all. Nothing were eaten.
Verse 28 explains the vision. “And he said to them, You yourselves have knowledge that it it against the law for a man who is a Jew to be in the company of one who is of another nation; but God has made it clear to me that no man may be named common or unclean.”
So the vision does not refer to unclean eatery, but about people. The Jews, in the Bible’s time, consider all other people as gentiles and not eligible for salvation. But the vision states the contrary.
Everybody is qualified to receive the grace of God. So, the vision is not talking about food. It is about people.
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Dear Albert,
Thank you for giving your thought in this discussion. In the vision itself, Jesus declared, “The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'” (Injil, Acts 10:15) It includes the food that Peter claimed “impure.”
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1.Did not the Prophets of Book brought the rules of God according to the situation prevalent at that time?
2.Were not scripture revealed in progressive manner?
3.If Pig were forbidden by Moses, do you think that Jesus would allow it when both are true prophets? to be again forbidden by Muhammad?
4.Don’t you think that the scripture of Jesus were misinterpreted?
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Sucratus,
Thank you for your questions.
1. Yes, you are right, that the Prophets of Book brought the rules of God according to the prevalent situation at that time.
2. Yes, the scripture was revealed in progressive manner in His time. It was revealed in the span of thousands of years.
3. Only God can cancel His rules for His people. Jesus has declared that all foods were cleared. ‘…”For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)”‘ (Injil, Mark 7:19). Jesus is God (His nature) and He can cancel the previous rules not to eat pork for the Jews.
4. Some of people misinterpret it. It seems that they don’t agree with the scripture.
Blessings.
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All,
Everything comes from the “outside”. The “inside” is the reflection.
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Oktay,
Thanks for your comment. The Injil said differently. “… ‘“What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person”’ (Injil, Mark 7:20-23).
Thank you.
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The Bible forbade us to eat pork, not taking alcohol. Man and women must be circumcised. There is also no adultery, etc. But, how many christians obey this? None of them. Yet they try to influence other people, especially Muslims to follow them. Don’t try to fool us. Read your bible thoroughly, you ‘ll convert to Islam.
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Dear Sharizul,
Thank you for sharing your thought in this discussion. The message of the Bible is having our mind changed by following God and to accept Isa as the Al-Masih/ Messiah and God. The good news is that God sent Isa Al-Masih to fulfill the law for us. By the law, we see ourselves sinners. We couldn’t fulfill the standard given. Yet because of God’s grace through Isa Al-Masih, Isa fulfilled the Law for us.
So,I don’t believe that Christianity would encourage the believer to forbid some laws to non-Christians. Because that’s not the message of Christianity. But Isa Al-Masih who was sent by God to die for redeeming us from the punishment of not meeting the Law standard.
Blessings.