On Thu, 13 May 2004 20:25:54 GMT, Doug...
wrote:

I have to say that, from a dietary standpoint, I am quite glad I've
never been in a position to have to try and keep kosher. (I was going
to say "I'm glad I'm not Jewish," but I have eaten and enjoyed quite a
few traditional Jewish foods. I just like a lot of things that kosher
rules prohibit.)

....Keep in mind, tho, that about 90% of the kosher regs came about in
an attempt to curtail food poisoning and other maladies associated
with improper food preparation. The primary motivation for the banning
of the consumption of pork products stemmed from the fact that if you
don't cook pork correctly, back then you pretty much guaranteed
yourself a case of parasitical trichinosis, if not botulism or other
diseases associated with eating swine and/or poultry products that
weren't cleaned properly before and during prep & cooking. The
additional fact that in a desert condition cleaning water is far less
important than drinking water, and therefore far less available, is an
additional factor.

....Nowadays, with today's modern technology and enhanced sanitation
procedures, most if not all of the kosher laws could easily be
discarded. The primary reason they aren't is, and always will be,
because God/Yahweh/Jehovah said "don't eat that!", and never really
sat down and explained why and when the ban should be lifted. Of
course, the good side is that as long as kosher is being followed by
the majority of practicing Jews, Coca-Cola will still be forced to
keep making their product available manufactured with real pure-cane
sugar instead of the wretched corn syrup. On the bad side, if
God/Yahweh/Jehovah/Roddenberry had any real compassion, he'd restore
that third stone tablet that Moses clumsily dropped on the way down
Mount Sinai and make sure that one of the Lost Commandments said "Thou
Shalt Not Use Corn Syrup To Produce Carbonated Soft Drinks!"

"The 13th Circle of Hell: Eternal Unresting Spot for Anti-NASA
politicians, hippies and scumbags, IRS workers, and those responsible
for the New Coke/Corn Syrup scam."

OM

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