A taboo is a passionate proscription of an action usually based on the conviction that, such an act is either too holy for ordinary people to undertake: super natural punishment being the repercussion in any case of breach. According to (Putnam et al 2007), some creatures or objects are believed to have certain kind of substance making them unapproachable or untouchable. However, in most cases- from a religion point of view-how pure or impure the act or the object is believed to be. Violating a taboo has it its consequences either temporary defilement or it is taken into consideration as a crime. Taboo cuts across all social classes: it applies to both sides of the social ladder; the kings, untouchables, priests and even the hermits cherish the forbidden act. In this essay am going to talk about two specific religion-based taboo examples, and speculate on how or why each arose.
For instance, the well spelt out taboos is dietary: Muslims and Jews vow that they can never eat pork in their life time. (Putnam et al 2007) argues that, they convict that the pigs are very impure thus, not edible. To Christians on the other hand, it is a taboo to fornicate or commit adultery: having sex before marriage and cheating on your spouse respectively. According to (Putnam et al 2007), Christians believe that it is a sin in the eyes of their ‘creator’.
In conclusion, taboos are sacred and mean a lot to the faith of a believer. Muslims and the Jews prefer Halal and Kasher meat respectively, to pork. Christians would choose not to involve in adultery; it is all about beliefs.
Reference
Putnam, Robert, D. (2007, June). "E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century -- The 2006 Johan Skytte Prize". Scandinavian Political Studies. 30 (2).
