Got a call today about the Butterball turkey scare now going around the world. Scare, or maybe fear or better yet, anger. Here is the story:
In October 2010 Jewish writer and author Pamela Geller, came out that some meat companies and processors were slaughtering animals and draining the blood from them according to Islamic religious law "halal." In the "halal" slaughter the throat is cut so the blood can drain out. The head is not totally cut off. According to Islamic sources, for an animal to be "halal" or holy, or kosher, (not being touched by an infidel to defile it), a prayer is said as the blood comes from the animal body: "bismillah allahu akbar" (in the name of Allah the greatest). It is this prayer to Allah that is said to make the animal meat now holy or halal.
Pamela Gellar wrote again about this Islamic ritual in her Atlas Shruggs web site a few days ago. Her purpose was to get Christians and others who oppose Islamic infiltration of America to boycott Butterball turkeys for Thanksgiving. According to her, there is a hidden tax in the price of all Butterball turkeys and this money is given to Islamic societies who in turn use that money to assist in Jihad against Americans. The Butterball turkeys that have this tax associated with them are marked in big letter "Halal". Ms Geller hopes by her warning that Christians will not purchase Butterball turkeys and thus help stop money flow to Jihad supporting organizations. But for Christians she warns, if you eat one of these Butterball turkeys you are eating something offered in some way to Allah who is not the Christian God. Therefore, to eat a Butterball turkey on Thanksgiving while thanking God, would be a form of idolatry.
In telephone calls to Butterball company, there is no representative who says that this Islamic prayer is said over each killed turkey. Or, is there an Iman or some other qualified Islamic person present on the day of slaughter to do one prayer over all the turkeys? Or, is there an Iman or some other Muslim present to make sure the blood is drained without the whole head removed? I am sure in the coming months we will learn more about the so-called "halal" slaughter methods.
Pamela Geller cries the alarm to Christians in particular. Most oppose the Islamic religion while they believe Muslims can have what ever religion they choose. But Pamela's goal here is to boycott the Butterball company who is exporting millions of pounds of turkeys to Islamic countries where Muslims will eat this meat and enjoy the taste of this great bird. She does not want Muslims to eat turkey from America. And if they do, she does not want a prayer said over the birds to Allah. It appears she does not accept Allah as the same God she worships. But there are plenty of Jewish rabbis who believe Allah is the same God the Jews worship. You can Google this and it is there on thousands of pages. So what then is the problem for Jews to eat a Butterball turkey that some Iman or Muslim has chanted the name of Allah over? Or is this objection really a way to turn Christians into Islamicphobics?
I know for Christians the Islamic "halal" issue will be a big one. Many are already going to the frig, snatching the bird out, and have a private cremation in the back yard, or they are marching out to the garbage bin and tossing it. Or they are going to give it to non-christian friends so they can increase their sins against God by eating meats offered to an idol. I am sure there will be other disposal methods used.
What does all this mean to we Apostolics? It means nothing or little at all. Is there a New Testament law, commandment, ordinance, teaching, doctrine on the eating of meats? Or eating meats offered to idols? Or on foods or drinks that go into the body? Yes.
As all of you know, Jesus said it was not what entered into a man;s mouth that defiled him but what came out of his mouth (Matthew 7:18-19). This was Jesus talking about eating things not considered kosher by religious inspectors watching what other people eat. And especially if they ate something with unwashed hands which in their traditions made not only the food defiled the moment it was touched, but that going into the mouth and stomach, the person was now damned.
We also have the doctrine in Acts 15:20 of eating meats where the slain animal has been strangled, that is, its neck has been wrung, or twisted off, or even simply choked to death. The purpose is said to keep the animal from strangling on its own blood as it breathes to continue living after its head is removed. Blood gushing out of the arteries of the neck of the animal is sucked back into the windpipe and back into the lungs, and thus the animal is strangled on its own blood. The ordinance in Acts 15 seems to deal with killing any animal in which the blood is sucked back to the body through the wind-pipe and the animal dies partly due to strangling on its own blood. Now, have Christians in the past ever preached against wringing off a chicken's neck? Or has any Christian hunter ever killed an animal and then hung it up quickly so it does not strangle on its own blood? Has any deer hunter or other game hunter for rabbits, squirrils, or other game done this to keep blood out of the lungs of their kill? Have they eaten animals that strangled on its own blood before dying? Have Christians inspected slaughter houses to make sure the beef, chickens, turkeys, fish, etc. etc. were quickly hung upside down so the the animal does not strangle on its own blood? What ever turkey you eat for Thanksgiving this year have you certified it did not die by strangulation? Or will you simply throw up your hands and eat peanut butter sandwiches instead of any meat?
Then we have another important doctrine here: eating of meats "sacrificed" to idols. Since I cannot verify any prayer was said over any particular turkey chicken in a sacrifice ritual etc., I have no proof it was offered to an idol as a sacrifice. Is saying a prayer over something the same as a sacrifice? What about a dinner prayer, is this the same as saying the meal was a sacrifice?
If something is marked "Halal" it may be an indication an Islamic prayer to Allah was pronounced but is this a sacrifice? But so was a prayer over many foods we eat by Jewish rabbis and they are marked with a circle and a U in the middle or a K, or an L, or some other letter. Did these Jews say the name of Jesus or some name they invented for a God they also say is Allah? But we eat all these foods and meats with all these Jewish symbols indicating they are kosher, that is, not touched by an infidel, a Christian, or some other idolater. Are we going to boycott all these alleged kosher foods with these symbols?
The Acts 15 text teaches us not to eat meats we know were offered to idols in a sacrifice. The Apostle Paul lets us know there are times when it cannot be known if a meat was so offered. He said not to ask questions just eat. But, he also said, if a person informs us they are witness a certain meat was offered to an idol, not to eat of it. But it takes witnesses. If we cannot condemn a person for a sin without two or three witnesses, how can we judge a turkey, or a piece of meat, based upon hearsay, or someone who was not a witness?
My conclusion is this: if there is one or two eye witnesses that all Butterball turkeys were offered to Allah in some mass sacrifice ritual, then I will not eat. According Pamela Geller said her Jewish people will not eat an Allah Butterball turkey because they will eat one only with Jewish symbols on it. And by the way, Butterball makes these also. So, if you buy a Butterball look for a circle with a U, a K, an L, or some other Jewish letter. Or, you can always buy ham.
No Jew or Muslim will be making ham sacrifices this year.
If I learn more I will post it here.
In the mean time, I think I will check out a Butterball turkey and see which symbols are on it so I can know if I need to eat only ham this year, or chicken. But then, I must make sure these did not die form strangling on their own blood. Oh, forget it, lets all just vow to eat peanut butter sandwiches for Thanksgiving.
Bishop Reckart
A Man God Loves
In October 2010 Jewish writer and author Pamela Geller, came out that some meat companies and processors were slaughtering animals and draining the blood from them according to Islamic religious law "halal." In the "halal" slaughter the throat is cut so the blood can drain out. The head is not totally cut off. According to Islamic sources, for an animal to be "halal" or holy, or kosher, (not being touched by an infidel to defile it), a prayer is said as the blood comes from the animal body: "bismillah allahu akbar" (in the name of Allah the greatest). It is this prayer to Allah that is said to make the animal meat now holy or halal.
Pamela Gellar wrote again about this Islamic ritual in her Atlas Shruggs web site a few days ago. Her purpose was to get Christians and others who oppose Islamic infiltration of America to boycott Butterball turkeys for Thanksgiving. According to her, there is a hidden tax in the price of all Butterball turkeys and this money is given to Islamic societies who in turn use that money to assist in Jihad against Americans. The Butterball turkeys that have this tax associated with them are marked in big letter "Halal". Ms Geller hopes by her warning that Christians will not purchase Butterball turkeys and thus help stop money flow to Jihad supporting organizations. But for Christians she warns, if you eat one of these Butterball turkeys you are eating something offered in some way to Allah who is not the Christian God. Therefore, to eat a Butterball turkey on Thanksgiving while thanking God, would be a form of idolatry.
In telephone calls to Butterball company, there is no representative who says that this Islamic prayer is said over each killed turkey. Or, is there an Iman or some other qualified Islamic person present on the day of slaughter to do one prayer over all the turkeys? Or, is there an Iman or some other Muslim present to make sure the blood is drained without the whole head removed? I am sure in the coming months we will learn more about the so-called "halal" slaughter methods.
Pamela Geller cries the alarm to Christians in particular. Most oppose the Islamic religion while they believe Muslims can have what ever religion they choose. But Pamela's goal here is to boycott the Butterball company who is exporting millions of pounds of turkeys to Islamic countries where Muslims will eat this meat and enjoy the taste of this great bird. She does not want Muslims to eat turkey from America. And if they do, she does not want a prayer said over the birds to Allah. It appears she does not accept Allah as the same God she worships. But there are plenty of Jewish rabbis who believe Allah is the same God the Jews worship. You can Google this and it is there on thousands of pages. So what then is the problem for Jews to eat a Butterball turkey that some Iman or Muslim has chanted the name of Allah over? Or is this objection really a way to turn Christians into Islamicphobics?
I know for Christians the Islamic "halal" issue will be a big one. Many are already going to the frig, snatching the bird out, and have a private cremation in the back yard, or they are marching out to the garbage bin and tossing it. Or they are going to give it to non-christian friends so they can increase their sins against God by eating meats offered to an idol. I am sure there will be other disposal methods used.
What does all this mean to we Apostolics? It means nothing or little at all. Is there a New Testament law, commandment, ordinance, teaching, doctrine on the eating of meats? Or eating meats offered to idols? Or on foods or drinks that go into the body? Yes.
As all of you know, Jesus said it was not what entered into a man;s mouth that defiled him but what came out of his mouth (Matthew 7:18-19). This was Jesus talking about eating things not considered kosher by religious inspectors watching what other people eat. And especially if they ate something with unwashed hands which in their traditions made not only the food defiled the moment it was touched, but that going into the mouth and stomach, the person was now damned.
We also have the doctrine in Acts 15:20 of eating meats where the slain animal has been strangled, that is, its neck has been wrung, or twisted off, or even simply choked to death. The purpose is said to keep the animal from strangling on its own blood as it breathes to continue living after its head is removed. Blood gushing out of the arteries of the neck of the animal is sucked back into the windpipe and back into the lungs, and thus the animal is strangled on its own blood. The ordinance in Acts 15 seems to deal with killing any animal in which the blood is sucked back to the body through the wind-pipe and the animal dies partly due to strangling on its own blood. Now, have Christians in the past ever preached against wringing off a chicken's neck? Or has any Christian hunter ever killed an animal and then hung it up quickly so it does not strangle on its own blood? Has any deer hunter or other game hunter for rabbits, squirrils, or other game done this to keep blood out of the lungs of their kill? Have they eaten animals that strangled on its own blood before dying? Have Christians inspected slaughter houses to make sure the beef, chickens, turkeys, fish, etc. etc. were quickly hung upside down so the the animal does not strangle on its own blood? What ever turkey you eat for Thanksgiving this year have you certified it did not die by strangulation? Or will you simply throw up your hands and eat peanut butter sandwiches instead of any meat?
Then we have another important doctrine here: eating of meats "sacrificed" to idols. Since I cannot verify any prayer was said over any particular turkey chicken in a sacrifice ritual etc., I have no proof it was offered to an idol as a sacrifice. Is saying a prayer over something the same as a sacrifice? What about a dinner prayer, is this the same as saying the meal was a sacrifice?
If something is marked "Halal" it may be an indication an Islamic prayer to Allah was pronounced but is this a sacrifice? But so was a prayer over many foods we eat by Jewish rabbis and they are marked with a circle and a U in the middle or a K, or an L, or some other letter. Did these Jews say the name of Jesus or some name they invented for a God they also say is Allah? But we eat all these foods and meats with all these Jewish symbols indicating they are kosher, that is, not touched by an infidel, a Christian, or some other idolater. Are we going to boycott all these alleged kosher foods with these symbols?
The Acts 15 text teaches us not to eat meats we know were offered to idols in a sacrifice. The Apostle Paul lets us know there are times when it cannot be known if a meat was so offered. He said not to ask questions just eat. But, he also said, if a person informs us they are witness a certain meat was offered to an idol, not to eat of it. But it takes witnesses. If we cannot condemn a person for a sin without two or three witnesses, how can we judge a turkey, or a piece of meat, based upon hearsay, or someone who was not a witness?
My conclusion is this: if there is one or two eye witnesses that all Butterball turkeys were offered to Allah in some mass sacrifice ritual, then I will not eat. According Pamela Geller said her Jewish people will not eat an Allah Butterball turkey because they will eat one only with Jewish symbols on it. And by the way, Butterball makes these also. So, if you buy a Butterball look for a circle with a U, a K, an L, or some other Jewish letter. Or, you can always buy ham.
No Jew or Muslim will be making ham sacrifices this year.
If I learn more I will post it here.
In the mean time, I think I will check out a Butterball turkey and see which symbols are on it so I can know if I need to eat only ham this year, or chicken. But then, I must make sure these did not die form strangling on their own blood. Oh, forget it, lets all just vow to eat peanut butter sandwiches for Thanksgiving.
Bishop Reckart
A Man God Loves
I have lived in the virginia and north carolina are all my life.I was raised around the Smithfeild Ham plants where they slaughter pigs.In north carolina i did some work in a Chicken plant for a short period of time.i have been around plants most of my life.I can tell you this most slaughter houses and meat plants or any kind of plant.,Are all about production ,raisisng and killing the animal and getting it on the shelfs as fast as possible.Most i seen could care less about a prayer or any relegion period,Most of these plants are all about the money.Most i seen to say a prayer would mean some down time to pay some one for doing nothing for a few minutes just mubling wordsthey would look at it as a loss of production and of money..lol.Iam being seriouse thats how these guys think in these plants.there all about cheap labor hard work and production,nothing else!Iam not saying this coud not be true what is writtin from Mrs.gellar.but what i have seen money is the God of most of these meat product plants.Bro.Steve Sparks
ReplyDeleteMeat, in this case, a turkey, can be acceptably "halal" if it is butchered properly by a Christian or Jew ("people of the book" in Islam. Such proper butchering under halal is exactly the same as the butchering method required under the Jewish kosher rules... a single cut of the neck by a sharp knife that does not sever the spine. This is, I'm confident, why Butterball's turkeys are "halal." They are also wholly fine for consumption by Christians, or anyone else who likes to eat turkey.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, halal meats will have been butchered by a muslim who recites thanks to God for provision. But, as noted above, meats butchered properly by Jews and Christians are also acceptable.
You are wise to withhold judgment here. Pamela Geller is simply a fearmonger and hatemonger, with no regard for truth and a desire to cause strife where none is warranted.
God bless you,
Andy
DEAR BISHOP THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM FROM THE SPIRIT OF GOD. TOO MANY "SO CALLED CHRISTIANS" OR SO NARROW MINDED THEY MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH. I'M JUST THANKFUL BISHOP THAT YOU HAVE THE FORTITUDE TO STAND FOR WISDOM. WE HAVE NO PROOF THAT ANY PRAYERS AND YOU KNOW BETTER THAT NO PRAYER WAS PRAYED OVER EVERY TURKEY. AND WHY IS ISLAM CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING ANYWAY. THAT IS AN AMERICAN ONLY HOLIDAY. THE WHITE MAN COMING TO AMERICA AND THE INDIANS CELEBRATING THE FIRST HARVEST. SO SILLY. DON'T WE HAVE PEOPLE DYING AND GOING TO HELL EVERY THREE MINUTES AND THIS MS. GELLER IS CONCERNED SHE MIGHT EAT A NON KOHSER TURKEY. ALL THE TIME IT IS A PLOY OF THE DEVIL TO GET US OFF IN ANOTHER FIELD FIGHTING EACH OTHER WHILE HE IS GOING ABOUT KILL, STEAL AND DESTROY OUR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES. CAN'T WE SEE PAST OUR NOSE. NO, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOT APOSTOLIC IN FAITH, THIS SILLY LITTLE THINGS IS ALL YOU CARE ABOUT, IT MAKES YOU SOUND SPIRITUAL. I'M FIGHTING FOR A CAUSE. WHAT CAUSE. THE CAUSE OF A LOST SOUL GOING INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO PREACH JESUS AND THE WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM GET BORN AGAIN. BISHOP I'M SORRY IF THIS SOUNDS HARD. YES, I'M PATRIOTIC, BUT WE'VE GOT TOO MANY CHRISTIAN RUNNING AROUND CHASING THE WRONG DEVIL. I WAS IN THE COMPANY YESTERDAY OF A COUPLE, DON'T KNOW THEIR FAITH, BUT THEY WERE VERY CONFUSED, POSSIBLY CHARISMATIC. SHE WAS TELLING HER HUSBAND SOME PREACHER WAS STATING THAT JESUS WAS VERY CONFUSED ABOUT ALL THAT WAS TAKING PLACE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. THAT HE REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THIS ENDTIME, THAT JESUS WAS JUST VERY CONFUSED BY THE WHOLE THING. I THOUGHT MY SWEET JESUS. AND SOME PREACHER IS PURPORTING THESE LIES TO INNOCENT SOULS WHO REALLY ARE DESIRING SALVATION AND DELIVERANCE FROM THE LORD. THIS CHURCH WORLD, NOT GOD'S CHURCH IS IN GREAT DERISION. I'LL STOP
ReplyDeleteBLESSINGS
PASTOR RIDDLE
Hello Bishop its Robert Hibbert, nice article. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and an idol is nothing, so lets all eat and sanctify it with the word and prayer and ask no questions.
ReplyDeleteOn a funnier side there used to be a den (a food store) on campus and i used to buy meals there but they were right on the slef and i said I dont want to know nothing about where its from or whatever, cause then I might have to stop eating it :).
Sure go ahead and explain it away. When the Muslims CUT YOUR HEAD OFF I hope they let the blood drain, you imbecile.
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding, Paul only advocates not eating of meat offered to idols if it is known that a brother would be offended by the action of eating. Otherwise, our only requirement when we eat is that we give thanks to the true God. In practice, thanksgiving to the God of the Bible overrides and overrules any kind of a blessing that was offered to an idol, or to Allah (which, I have been told, is what Turkish Christians call our Lord and Master anyway). Therefore, I will eat, as long as those with whom I eat do not inform me that my eating of the Butterball would be offensive to them, or would provide a stumbling block to their faith.
ReplyDeleteTo be biblical is the key here. If Butterball sends turkeys to Islamic countries and they demand they be killed a certain way, or this prayer said over them: it is my understanding they must be stamped "Halal." This indicates the special ritual described by the prayer to Allah and also that the turkey has been killed with its throat cut without cutting through the spine.
ReplyDeleteI went and examined a Butterball turkey. I saw no indication on it anywhere where it was "halal." This means, at least to me, this one did not have the prayer said over it and it had its head chopped off. I am not sure if Muslims buy turkeys that do not have "halal" stamped on them?
I do know this, Christians living in predominate Islamic countries have had to eat meats with the halal prayer said over them. Nearly all meat in these countries have the prayer said over them. What do these Christians do? They disregard the prayer as nothing because the prayer does not indicate a sacrifice was made. Muslims do not consider their halal prayers to be a sacrifice prayer any more than Christians believe saying grace before eating was a prayer of a sacrificed meal.
I want to be biblical, fair, and honest in this whole ordeal. If you believe this prayer causes the turkey to be a meat sacrificed to an idol then do not eat it. If you believe all things are sanctified by the Word of God and prayer, then pray over that "halal" turkey and cancel out the Islamic prayer.
Will Muslims cut my throat because I pray a cancel prayer over their halal prayer? I do not know. Will they cut my throat because I disagree with their religion? I do not know. But this I do know, if I lived in an Islamic country I would better apply the Word of God to my actions. I think we in America and other countries need to take some lessons from Christians living in Islamic countries. I see no need in saying Butterball turkeys should not be eaten when there is no halal stamp on them at all. If I went to the store and had a choice between a halal stamped turkey and one not stamped I would buy the one not stamped. If I went and all they had was the halal turkey, I would buy it and say a cancel prayer. I do believe a prayer to Jesus is greater than any prayer to an idol.
Christians have choices. But lets me biblical here.
It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man but what comes out (Jesus).
Bishop Reckart
A Man God Loves
They want to kill the bird and do it in a halal style. Big deal. The turkeys were not offered to their false moon god. Only if this causes my brother to stumble would I consider not eating it. But, I do not like turkey anyway, so such is of no concern to me. :D
ReplyDeleteLet me see, Christians cut the heads off fish, cut the heads off cows, cut the heads off pigs, cut the heads off chickens and turkeys, cut the heads off deer and hang them on walls, cut the heads off rabbits, cut the heads off everything we eat including shrimp. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd we pray over these foods "after" they are prepared in Jesus name. Not because they were or are a sacrifice, but to give thanks to have this food to eat.
It is my understanding Muslims say their thanks halal prayer over their animals at the time they are about to take the head off. They just believe the blood should be drained from the body of the animal in a certain way. Are these blood sacrifices to Allah? I do not think so. I mean even the Israelites, the Jews, had a law on how to slaughter their animals and what to do with the blood. The only animals considered a sacrifice were those killed at the temple and other special altars. I do not think all the animals killed for daily food were considered "equal" blood sacrifices. Since I am not an Islamic expert on this matter of foods and sacrifices to Allah, I will assume the Butterball turkey was not a sacrifice because when I checked yesterday I did not find anywhere that Muslims do blood sacrifice to Allah. Maybe they consider killing Christians and Jews a blood sacrifice to Allah. I do not know. Some Imam or Muslim can inform us and give us proof.
My point here is that even if I consider Allah an idol, and I do, because I do not believe the true God of the Bible and Allah are the same God. Since I can only believe in one God, Allah must be an idol. I do not think saying a halal prayer to Allah is offering up a blood sacrifice to Allah. All it could be, is a "thanks" prayer to an idol. If any of you Christians think you cannot say a prayer over this animal of thanks, cancel the halal prayer, and eat with a conscience disregarding the idol,and you disagree: please post your commemts, give some Scriptures. Keep your comments proper or I will not allow them to be posted.
Happy Thanksgiving to all those who love the God of the Bible, and who believe Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior of the world.
Bishop Reckart
A Man God Loves