Eating Meat on Good Friday

[The One]

I am not a religious person so every good friday i always eat meat and not fish.I am aware a lot of religious people dont eat meat because jesus divided the five loaves and two fishes what i dont understand not anywhere in the bible does it say humans are not required to abstain from meat on any day. In fact, the only passages in the New Testament that talk about it are Acts 15:29 and 1 Timothy 4:3.The passage in Acts 15 says that the only parts of the Law of Moses required by the elders and apostles in the congregation in Jerusalem were prohibitions against idolatry, fornication, and eating blood and meats from strangled animals. It says nothing about abstaining on certain days.

The passage in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” This says that people who command others to abstain from meats are false teachers. Whether it is talking about people who insist that others practice a vegetarian lifestyle at all times or whether it is talking about abstaining only on certain days (like Fridays) is unclear. Maybe it applies to both.

The practice of not eating meat on Fridays (all Fridays) dates back to about the fourth century. It is written in some writings of that time that it was a practice, but does not say it was a sin. Anyone who says it is a sin would have to prove it by the Bible, and the Bible says that requiring people to abstain from meat is itself a sin. Anyone who chooses not to eat meat on any particular day is within their rights to do so. Anyone who requires it of others is absolutely wrong.

I have even got friends who are not even religious but because of the tradition passed down through the years they abstain from eating meat on good friday.

I just dont get it.

[Menkaure]

It is all a matter of power and control.

[tessie999]

I did follow the tradtion as a young person. I let that go years ago thankfully as I was able to make clearer choices that had more meaning for me.

[Teakai]

MMmmmmmmm corexited radioactive fish. Yummo.

I'm thinking the fish eating on good Friday is purely a church construct. A ritual called forth so as to not dilute the major blood sacrifice of the day(Jesus)

[jackovesk]

I am an Anti-Authoritarian 'Free Being' and I will eat what I like, when I like!

[Isthatso]

I was at a large family gathering yesterday. I haven't eaten red meat for a long time (I'm the food police in my family). Sticking mainly to a little fish, however, strangely I was completely overcome with desire to tuck into the bacon sizzling away on the BBQ (well atleast it was free range). I didn't exactly have a little portion either, it was a good 1/3 of a plate too. In fact I even downed a couple of sausage's which is really worst case scenaria in my book.

Just as I was wondering why I did that???.....the person next to me said "this is really not what we are supposed to be doing today". Then they also gave the bacon a good nudge.

It'll probably be a long time between bacon butties.....but I felt good.

Warm wishes to all...

[Wiremu2011]

I started out eating fish this morning (because I felt like it..not out of religious duty) but I can tell you there's beautiful piece of Lamb in the oven as I type. Yummy!!...and there's 3 more days off from work..woohoo!!

[Lost Soul]

I am an Anti-Authoritarian 'Free Being' and I will eat what I like, when I like!

Concur. About the only thing I would add is to give thanks to the Creator and to the food itself.

[the_flyingboy]

Guys i dont understand all this from a young child i was brought up as a christian orthodox cause i'm greek and i never actually understood why easter always had a different date every year since jesus was crusified on a certain date...i dont think we are celebrating easter as we are told we are i think there should be another religion celebration at the same time maybe an ancient religion..

[Krullenjongen]

I am not a religious person so every good friday i always eat meat and not fish.I am aware a lot of religious people dont eat meat because jesus divided the five loaves and two fishes what i dont understand not anywhere in the bible does it say humans are not required to abstain from meat on any day. In fact, the only passages in the New Testament that talk about it are Acts 15:29 and 1 Timothy 4:3.The passage in Acts 15 says that the only parts of the Law of Moses required by the elders and apostles in the congregation in Jerusalem were prohibitions against idolatry, fornication, and eating blood and meats from strangled animals. It says nothing about abstaining on certain days..

i think that you are right that it does not say in the bible that people should abstain from eating meat on any day. But i don't think that the eating of fish has anything to do with the miracle Jesus did with the multiplication of food with five loafs of bread and two fishes to feed a few thousand people. He did this miracle but is was not on good friday but earlier in his ministry.



The passage in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” This says that people who command others to abstain from meats are false teachers. Whether it is talking about people who insist that others practice a vegetarian lifestyle at all times or whether it is talking about abstaining only on certain days (like Fridays) is unclear. Maybe it applies to both.

These doctrines are already sometimes preached and the basis for their views is that when God created Adam God told Adam what his food would be and this did not include any animals.

"Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.(Gen 1:29)



It seems that in the time before the great flood it was not permitted by God to eat any animals or fish.
But God expanded his commandment for food for the people when Noah came out of the ark after the flood.

"Every living creature of the earth and every bird of the sky will be terrified of you. Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority. You may eat any moving thing that lives. As I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything" (Gen 9:2-3)




The practice of not eating meat on Fridays (all Fridays) dates back to about the fourth century. It is written in some writings of that time that it was a practice, but does not say it was a sin. Anyone who says it is a sin would have to prove it by the Bible, and the Bible says that requiring people to abstain from meat is itself a sin. Anyone who chooses not to eat meat on any particular day is within their rights to do so. Anyone who requires it of others is absolutely wrong.

I have even got friends who are not even religious but because of the tradition passed down through the years they abstain from eating meat on good friday.

I just dont get it.

I believe the practice of not eating meat on good friday is instituted by the church.
It is not because the bible say you shoud abstain from eating meat on thet day.
I think the basis of this practice is not that it is not allowed but it is a form of fasting and repentance.
And the church instituted it that way as it is with other practices like the fourty day fast the church instituted before easter. this also has no biblical basis.

In the bible there are many forms of fasting like not eating or drinking at all or not eating but drinking is allowed or eating only fruits and drinking but not eating meat or fish.
So i interpret it not as a biblical commandment but as a practice institited by the church as a sort of repentance and remembrance of the thing that happend on that day.

Remember that this day is the most important day of the christian faith and fasting helps you remember several times a day and makes the experience of this day more intense.

[Humble Janitor]

Coming from a family of Catholics, older members on my father's side tend to abstain from eating meat on Good Friday.

Me? I think it's silly.

Don't get me wrong, it is a holy day for some. However, if you were never baptized and never took up faith, why bother "celebrating"?

Well, the free meal and frolicking with family is always a good thing.

[9eagle9]

A 32 ounce sizzling T bone and a margarita is a perfectly adequate communion as you get flesh and spirit.

[Carmody]

It seems that in the time before the great flood it was not permitted by God to eat any animals or fish.
But God expanded his commandment for food for the people when Noah came out of the ark after the flood.

From what I read ..this was an ENLIL ENKI game where one would pretend to be the other until ENLIL sulked enough to go and make his own religion. The suspicion is that, if this is true... ENLIL told Noah to eat meat. ENKI would not say such a thing, is my guess.

Now, what religion did ENLIL create? Take a guess (but don't post!).

[Lefty Dave]

I still don't understand why Christians call the day their leader was beaten crucified stabbed and left for dead...why do they call it GOOD Friday ? Or why they call him Jesus, a latin name...I don't think anyone called him that to his face or in his day....who knows?

[9eagle9]

Because getting beaten to death and strung up on a cross member to pay for our sins (even though none of us were living then and had not yet accumulated any sins since we didn't exist) is a GOOD thing?

(GOOD is also a sort of euphemism for holy. )

That's sorta like our fiat money system. Jesus had to go into debt in advance for those who were not yet credit ready. Or even born yet.

Monetized debt of the soul.

In all other respects the Jesus story was the cobbling together of several other savior myth stories so it seems that it would be natural things got a bit confused.

My honest opinion is a crucifix is a rather gloomy, morbid symbol and not one I care to have hanging on my neck.





I still don't understand why Christians call the day their leader was beaten crucified stabbed and left for dead...why do they call it GOOD Friday ? Or why they call him Jesus, a latin name...I don't think anyone called him that to his face or in his day....who knows?

[Krullenjongen]

I still don't understand why Christians call the day their leader was beaten crucified stabbed and left for dead...why do they call it GOOD Friday ? Or why they call him Jesus, a latin name...I don't think anyone called him that to his face or in his day....who knows?

Why is Good Friday referred to as “good”? What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good (see Matthew chapters 26-27). However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” First Peter 3:18 tells us, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

And the hebrew name of Jesus was Yehshua which was later translated to Jesus.

[Kamikaze]

And the hebrew name of Jesus was Yehshua which was later translated to Jesus.

Wasn't jesus from IESEUS. IE ZEUS. son of Zeus or such in reality? I've seen this mentioned a bit here and there recently looking into historical things. (going from low recall so maybe I spelled it wrong, but I remember it meaning "son of Zeus".)

I think the Romans hijacked much of the stuff and consolidated much other religions and teachings into it to make a religion to fit their own taste and then transferred the power of the nation state into the religion of sorts making the Holy Roman Empire still going strong today if you want to look like at it like that. Seemed to work better than controlling land with armies directly?
Sure not everyone is still part of the original and it's been divided over the years and maybe some good ones found parts of the true teachings in the whole clustered mess.

[Lefty Dave]

I thank you all for your input....but I don't grasp the concept. Blessings