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SUBJECT: Food and
Medicines
QUESTION: What do you have regarding food, diets and
medicines?
ANSWER:
I brought this question to the attention of Mr. Armstrong.
He told me that we, as a church cannot get into the activity
of giving a seal of approval or having a "Thus saith the
Lord" doctrine or statement for every aspect of diet, foods,
clothing, possessions, pastimes, hobbies and the like. He
said that the command is not to eat unclean things. He
stated that Christ spoke of how we inadvertently eat dirt,
which is then "cast out into the draught" (Matthew 15:17),
and which does not contaminate the man. He said that back
in the 50's people investigated everything from soda
crackers to aspirin; from Jell-O to synthetics in fabrics
which resulted in church members causing scenes in
restaurants and clothing stores. Such should not be the
case.
He says that there is no way to know the content of every
capsule containing food supplements and vitamins is made
of. We do our best and make our own decisions. This is
covered by Paul in Romans 14. That chapter talks about the
fact that church members are all different and may have
different opinions about all these subjects but that we are
to accept our brothers..
Verse 3 Let not him that eateth despose him that eateth not;
and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for
God hath received him.
Verse 14 says in part...but to him that esteemeth any thing
to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Verse 5 says in part...Let every man be fully persuaded in
his own mind.
Verse 17 says For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
but righteousness, and peace, and the joy in the Holy
Spirit.
Verse 17 does not do away with the command not to eat
unclean things but states that if we put all our time into
every
little physical issue we will miss the issues of
righteousness and the Work and the spreading of the gospel.
So regarding items we could mention.
Insulin (the kind made from
pork)----------use some not made from pork
Jell-O (some use pork
gelatin)----------------use the kind without pork
Shark Cartilage (for
arthritis)--------------use another treatment for
arthritis
Calcium (supplements made
from oyster shell)---------use another source of
Calcium
Another point: having worked in the food industry for
a time, I can tell you that the government allows certain
amounts of insects, dirt, impurities, and all kinds of
chemicals in our food. Add to this the fact that this whole
planet's eco-system is breaking down and degenerating. I
doubt David or Moses would recognize anything you and I call
food today. This is why we ask God to bless the food we
eat...to overcome these things.
Another point: Leavening is everywhere in the air we
breath even during the Days of Unleavened Bread. I would
not want to see members remaining in a super filtered air
space for the whole week.
The point is that we each must individually do the best we
can but not let it become an obsession or something that
eats up all our time that could be best given to Spiritual
matters. Maybe Mr. Armstrong said it best in his answer to
me...
"We don't have any literature on medicines, or food
supplements, or blood transfusions, or implants, or insulin,
or cortisone, or hip replacements, or liver transplants,
or....Been too busy preaching the gospel. Love, GTA" |