Food plays an imperative role in our bodies. In fact, every living organism requires food for growth and development. Food is also a significant aspect of spiritual ritual and religious observance for many religious institutions and faiths. These religious institutions include Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism. An understanding of the rationale of food in religious beliefs is complex. The role varies among cultures, individuals and communities. It is worth noting that different religious institutions include food an important part of faith in different ways and for different reasons. An understanding of the rationale of food in various religious, traditional and cultural practices would enable individuals to appreciate, respect and respond appropriately to the diverse needs of people from different religious communities. Certain types of food were used for specific religious rites and worship. However, the way Christianity used food majorly differed from the way Judaism used in terms of religious festivals, religious rites and worship. In the Christian tradition, the Roman Catholic use food for bodily and spiritual nourishment (Escott, 2008).
The Roman Catholic uses different types of food to correspond to certain events during the religious calendar. Depending on the event, certain food may be permitted while others may be prohibited. For example, on the Fridays of lent, Roman Catholics are prohibited from taking meat. Moreover, during Easter, the Roman Catholics consume special food associated with the concept of rebirth or a day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. To some traditions, the Easter is the time to start celebrating and eating the season’s new lamb and the major category of food is mainly Easter breads, cakes, and biscuits. Easter eggs are also becoming predominant as it symbolizes rejuvenation. Initially, the Christian calendar forbade the consumption of eggs but became common after forty days of lent. The Orthodox Christianity composed of fourteen self-governing churches. The Orthodox Christianity had a different interpretation of the Biblical theology from the Catholicism (Escott, 2008). They had strict observance to the numerous feast and fast days. The Orthodox Christianity insists on the use of leavened bread in communion as opposed to the unleavened wafers. They had restrictions on various types of food, but shellfish was permitted.
On one hand, the Protestants only observed Christmas and Easter. On the other hand, the Mormons avoided hot and strong drinks. They specifically avoided alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee. The Mormons were directed to avoid any drink containing caffeine and were majorly encouraged to take grains and limit the consumption of meat. The Seventh - day Adventists discouraged overeating. Tea, coffee, alcohol are highly prohibited, and water is only taken before and after the meals. The followers of the Seventh – Day Adventists are mainly vegetarians, and whenever they consume meat, pork is avoided. These are because they associate the pork to some spiritual uncleanness and thus any follower who consumes the pork is considered spiritually unclean. Food intake such as meat, eggs, beef, pork and fish were highly regulated depending on events in the religious calendar. In addition, in Judaism the main difference between the Orthodox and the Liberal is their positions in the Jewish law. The Orthodox extremely believed that the faithful should follow the law since the laws are explicit commandments of God. Liberal Judaism is reformed and observes the moral law. It continues to interpret the Jewish laws and follow them selectively (Escott, 2008).
Kosher simply means fit, and it implies the food prepared in accordance with the Jewish law. It described all the food suitable and permitted for consumption since it satisfies the requirements of the Jewish law. It differentiates among fit and unclean food, the way food should be prepared in terms of slaughtering and consumption. Kosher laws apply especially during the Passover feast. This law is described among the most complex religious practices regarding food. The Roman Catholics had several feast and fast days. The feast days included Easter, Christmas, Annunciation, Palm Sunday, Pentecost, and Ascension. During such occasion, the Christians celebrated. However, fasting is also observed and is mainly practiced during Fridays of Advent and Lent. Meat is prohibited, but dairy products and eggs are permitted. For the Orthodox Christianity, feast periods were mainly Christmas, Transfiguration and Pentecost. During fast days meat and all animal products are prohibited but shell-fish is permitted. Fasting period include Advent, Lent and the Fast of the Apostle (Steiner and Douglas, 1999). Mormons fast once in a month take food and money to the poor. The Seventh- Day Adventists also fasted and consumption of food between meals is unallowable.
Judaism had a ritualized fasting called the day of Atonement and lasted until dusk. Some religions considered taboo some food (Steiner and Douglas, 1999). Consumption of Camel meat was considered unclean by the kosher law and was prohibited. In addition, consumption of pigs is forbidden in Judaism and Seventh- day Adventists and is considered a taboo. Finally, some food has religious symbolism. It implies the use of items and ideas to represent religious concepts. For instance, in Christianity, the ritual of communion involves eating bread and wine to symbolize the body and blood of Jesus Christ (Eliade, 1991). In Judaism, Menorah is used to represent the Temple. In conclusion, many religious and cultural practices have a significant contribution in shaping the destination of the human race. Appreciating diverse religious practices helps maintain harmony and peaceful coexistence.
References
Eliade, M. (1991). Images and symbols: Studies in religious symbolism. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.
Escott-Stump, S. (2008). Nutrition and diagnosis-related care. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Steiner, F. B., & Douglas, M. (1999). Taboo, truth, and religion. New York: Berghahn Books.
