Years ago, my family and I were in Buenos Aires. While there, we went to the Abasto Shopping Center. There we saw something we’d never seen: a Kosher McDonald’s. (It’s the only one outside of Israel)
What makes a McDonald’s kosher? Well, among other things, there are no dairy products on site. Exodus 23:19, 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21 say, “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” Broad interpretation of these verses forbids all mixture of meat and dairy.
The prohibition about cooking a young goat in its mother’s milk seemingly had to do with a fertility rite that was common in Canaan. The Law was addressing a specific practice from a specific historical context. It really wasn’t written to keep you from having cheese on your Big Mac.
As we look at biblical texts, we need to remember that they have a context, they have an original purpose which may not be identical to our purposes.
We need to remember that laws about not cooking baby goats in their mother’s milk shouldn’t be applied to cheeseburgers.
And yet, killing something with stuff that is supposed to feed and bless them?
That’s still a pretty bad way to go.
Interesting. I’d always assumed it had something to do with not being casually cruel.
Adam, I was inclined to agree with you. I even thought I remembered a scripture that included the words “for this is cruelty”. I’m not even sure that I’ve not quoted this before, but unless I’ve missed something, the scripture doesn’t exist. And after all I’ve had to say about quoting “chimney corner scripture”, I find I may have been guilty of it myself!
Wes
The cruelty aspect may be there, but there’s a reason why goats are mentioned specifically, instead of a general prohibition of cooking an animal in its mother’s milk.