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There is wisdom in the Holy Scriptures which vastly surpasses the knowledge that was available to human beings at the time!
Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you. Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon (Leviticus 11: 27-30).
The book of Leviticus mentions crocodiles, and includes them in the list of the unclean animals that the Hebrews were not allowed to eat. It is common knowledge that some of these animals were divinised by the cultures surrounding the Israelites, and that there were therefore religious reasons for this prohibition.
Nevertheless, now we also know that essentially sanitary factors were also very important. At that time no one could have known why it was dangerous to eat reptile meat; now, however, we are fully aware of the toxicity of such meat.
People who consume reptile meat, - like crocodiles, turtles, lizards or snakes - are more susceptible to a range of diseases and health problems (trichinosis, pentastomiasis, gnathostomosis, sparganosis, etc.), due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria, especially Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, Campylobacter, Clostridium and Staphylococcus.
For that reason, the sanitary authorities recommend that this kind of meat be frozen before being eaten, and that it never be eaten raw, so as to avoid all possible health risks. There is wisdom in the Holy Scriptures which vastly surpasses the knowledge that was available to human beings at the time!
A crocodile can weigh as much as two thousand kilos, but it's brain is no bigger than a man's thumb. Despite this, they are animals that are so well adapted to their habitat that they have never faced the risk of extinction. When they are subjected to an extended period of captivity, some of their organs can become deformed, like the teeth of this specimen which I photographed in the Barcelona zoo.
What is the role of Christians serving in politics? An interview with Auke Minnema, the new General Director of the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM).
RZIM International Director Michael Ramsden responds to questions about the secularisation of Europe, the role of Christians in public leadership and the new ‘culture of victimism’.
The economist summarises the manifesto “Confederal Europe: Strong Nations, Strong Union” and explains why personal relationships should be at the centre of our economy, education and democracy.
The World Evangelical Alliance Secretary General participated in the Italian Evangelical Alliance assembly (Rome, 8-9 April). In this interview with Evangelical Focus, Bp Tendero talks about the need to listen to local churches and to face challenges like the refugee crisis and climate change.
Pritchard explains the vision of ELF, comments on the 2015 event in Poland and reflects on what it means to have an "evangelical identity".
“We want to see the youth not just being equipped, but also being multipliers”, Evi Rodemann director of Mission-Net. The European Congress took place in Germany from December 28 to January 2.
“Gospel, identity and coexistence” were the themes of the General Assembly of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance. Two days in Palma de Mallorca to reflect about the role of evangelical churches in society.
Educator and journalist Jordi Torrents shares images of the Sekeleka social centre in Mozambique. About 50 children live there, many with some kind of disability. All photos were taken with permission.
For the first time, the President of Portugal attended a worship service in an evangelical church. It was in Sintra, on Christmas Eve.
Young Christians gathered at Madrid’s central square Sol to denounce human trafficking. A flashmob highlighted the work of three evangelical NGOs which support women who escape sexual slavery in Spain.
Poland, Lithuania, Namibia and Brazil are some of the countries that have issued special stamps on the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 theses.
“The reasons why somebody might have sex with a prostitute are very different from the reasons why somebody might want to have an affair with a member of their congregation”. An analysis by John Stevens, National Director of FIEC (UK).
A video about the way traffickers target teenage girls online, produced by anti-slavery gorup Abolishion.
A 360º lyric video about how all followers of Jesus Christ are called to serve God. Duo in Spanish (Alex Sampedro) and Portuguese (Marcos Martins).
A short animation film by Swiss cartoonist Alain Auderset tells the message of the Bible in four minutes.
An 8-minute interview with Philip Yancey on the role of Christians in a secularised society. Recorded in Madrid, September 2016.
New atheism, the definition of "faith", Christianity in Europe, the role of the Bible in mission, and the need to listen more. An exclusive interview recorded at "Forum Apologética" (Tarragona, Spain) in May 2016.
Opinions expressed are those of their respective contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Evangelical Focus.
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