Is eating meat on Good Friday a sin?
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Asked February 06 2014
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Ma. Bernadette Lavin
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Steve Nearman
Man’s diet in the garden started with only fruits, veggies and herbs Gen 3:18, 23, 6:21. After the flood God gave man all animals for food also. Gen. 9:1-3 So "God blessed Noah and his sons, … And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. When God built a nation from one man Abraham through Isac through Jacob and his 12 sons, the tribes of Israel, He instituted dietary standers for them after coming out of bondage in Egypt. These were delivered to them through Mosses in the law. The Jews were required by the law to abstain from unclean animals as defined by God. Deut. 14 At the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 there were questions as to what the gentiles were required to do pertaining to the law. The Holy Spirt and the Apostles agreed that the gentiles were only to abstain from four things and not be put under the law. The believing Jews continued keeping the law. After the transition (Jews and Gentiles becoming one) as recorded in the book of Acts, it was more than 60 years after the cross that the believing Jews understood that the law was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14), including its dietary restrictions. In Rom. 14, a person that only ate "clean" food was considered "weak". Those that ate meats, the "strong", were to yield to the "weak" in love. Just because they had the liberty to eat they were not to use it to offend a weaker brother. "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food." Paul said: Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.. 1Cor. 8:13 So today, according to the scriptures, there are no dietary restrictions as to what one can eat. Christians are warned that there will be those who have departed from the faith, will try and impose dietary and other restrictions on believers. 1Tim 4:1-5 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. There are many cults and sects that impose dietary restrictions on their followers. But If God’s word is your source of truth, it is not a sin to eat met on any day.
Cindy Jennings
No food in unclean to God. The Catholic Church imposed this restriction on its people several centuries in an effort to support the fisherman. It was a political action by the Catholic Church. When people "couldn't" eat meat, they ate fish instead. Many Catholics seem to think that sacrificing eating meat on Friday is a way to worship God but, in fact, it is a "work" and not an acknowledgement that through His grace alone are we saved.
Gary Wainwright
1 Timothy 4:1-3 teaches us that those who command others to abstain from meat are teaching in error. The Catholic Church considers it a “mortal sin” to eat meat on "Good Friday" during "Lent" (and it used to be EVERY Friday until 1966).’ Jesus never commanded His disciples to commemorate His fast (40-days fast of Jesus) nor is there any evidence that they did so. Many popular religious traditions are therefore not pleasing to God and thus are harmful (Colossians 2:8). To avoid this happening to us, we should compare all traditions and practices with the Word of God to “find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11 NLT). If a tradition or practice is in contradiction with the Bible, it should be rejected as a false teaching. It is not a sin to eat meat on Good Friday. References: http://catholicism.about.com/od/catholicliving/p/Abstinence.htm “Before Vatican II, Catholics were required to abstain from meat every Friday…” https://www.catholic.org/diocese/diocese_story.php?id=23168 “Before the Second Vatican Council, the regulations were much more stringent than they are today. As older Catholics will remember, every Friday of the year was a day of abstinence for all…” http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/abfast.php “Canon 1251 Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year…” http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini_en.html Chapter III.II.1 “The days of penitence to be observed under obligation throughout the Church are all Fridays and Ash Wednesday…” http://www.catholic-pages.com/life/fridaymeat.asp “Most Catholics think that Vatican II did away with the requirement of not eating meat on any Friday of the year” “Canon Law still requires that Catholics not eat meat on Fridays!” “…the main rule is still to abstain from meat on Fridays…” http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/can-the-church-change-its-doctrines “Until recent years it was forbidden under pain of mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays.” http://catholicvu.com/3006%20MORTAl%20SIN.htm “So, if a person ate meat on Friday with the full intention of completely breaking their relationship with God and Church, then that person is in mortal sin and God will judge him accordingly.” “Objectively, purposely not participating in this spiritual discipline during the season of Lent would be considered a mortal sin.” http://fatherdylanjames.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/article-summary-on-grave-matter-of.html “(1) it would be a grave sin to omit all or a greater number of the Fridays of the year outside Lent, because this is an habitual disregarding of the law, and therefore he sins substantially against the law; (2) it is a grave sin to omit abstinence on all the Fridays of Lent; (3) likewise by reason of the kind of day it would be a grave sin not to fast and abstain on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.” http://fatherdylanjames.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/friday-abstinence-and-mortal-sin.html “In the post-Conciliar period, the 1966 constitution Paenitemini (III.II.1) of Pope Paul VI re-affirmed that failure to make "substantial observance" of the law of Friday abstinence is grave matter, i.e. constitutes a mortal sin.” http://juventutemlondon.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/eating-meat-on-friday-is-mortal-sin.html “If one is not bound by mortal sin to abstain from meat on Friday, that means that the law does not bind gravely."
Mi Shad Ow
As others have pointed out, no it is not a sin to eat meat. But what I would ask you to do is to read Hislop's the two Babylons. There are many traditions that in and of its self have no value for your spiritual growth. But knowing what is from man and what is from God is not only spiritually freeing, it can also be physically freeing.
Judith Tungwarara
The source of our faith, which is the Word of God says in (John 8:32) " And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" Men's traditions, has always been an issue, even during the earthly days of our Lord Jesus Christ! Today we still face the same thing, and I believe it will continue to be there. Let us not be confused, because we have all we need to judge unbiblical doctrines - the WORD of truth. The word of God is referred to as a Sword! A sword is very sharp on both sides, let us therefore use the sword to trim all that is not from God and we will enjoy being God's children! The Apostle Paul in his letters to Timothy, said a lot about guarding against false doctrine! Here are some of the scriptures to shed more light. 1Timothy 1:3-4 and 2Timothy2:15
Vincent Mercado
Supporter
From a Catholic perspective, eating meat on Good Friday is NOT a sin, NOT a prohibition, NOT a restriction, rather, it is a DISCIPLINE recommended by the Church to her children. The Church sees the benefits of fasting/abstaining from meat as a spiritual exercise, to keep one's earthly desires to a minimum and to desire heavenly things more. Other religions see this benefit too, in Islam they fast for a month, Hindus fast regularly. Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:3)
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