# Did I just eat food sacrificed to idols?!



## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Mar 17, 2013)

Some of you may be familiar with the "Foods For Life" baking company famous for their "Ezekiel 4:9 bread" which they pattern after this passage. So far, relatively safe - no major concerns. Moving along, they claim that they are running their business based on Genesis 1:29 and recommend a vegan lifestyle based on the same. From their website, "Inspired by the Holy Scripture verse Genesis 1:29, we at Food for Life, have crafted a bread that pays tribute to the simple beauties of the world.

"Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you." ~ Genesis 1:29"

Getting a bit concerned, but nothing to completely out of bounds that I can tell, though they are running far afield to suggest this is "God's" diet based on these passages as I think they are.

The real issues that get me is that I think these guys may be a cult and don't hide it, even in the way they market their products. To wit (right on the bag):

"This *Biblical *Bread is Truly the *Staff of Life*." and "...reach for the sprouted grain breads from Food For Life and partake of the *miracle*. (bolding mine)"

Now, my concerns - did I just eat meat sacrificed to cultic idols?


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## Wayne (Mar 17, 2013)

I think you just ate bread sacrificed to a marketing ad slogan.


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## Peairtach (Mar 17, 2013)

> 9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.
> 
> 10 And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.
> 
> ...



Verse 12 sounds like an anti-marketing slogan !


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## Rich Koster (Mar 17, 2013)

It reminds me of Jordan Ruben & "The Maker's Diet". He had the audacity to say "God wrote this book" during an interview aired on none other than TBN.


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## kappazei (Mar 17, 2013)

Just watch out for 'staff' infection. Get it? staff?...oh well...


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## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Mar 17, 2013)

Peairtach said:


> > 9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.
> >
> > 10 And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.
> >
> ...



Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Definitely not interested in any Ez. 4:12 Cakes


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## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Mar 17, 2013)

Mind you, I didn't eat "meat" sacrificed to idols as they don't peddle any of that. Meat is evil! :/


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## Jack K (Mar 17, 2013)

My wife likes Ezekiel 4:9 breakfast cereal. We think the thinly veiled claims that the stuff is somehow more biblical than other cereal are silly, and I wish people wouldn't use Bible quotations to try to sell stuff... but that doesn't stop her from eating it if she likes it.

Remember that meat sacrificed to idols is okay to eat if one can do it in good conscience, giving thanks to God from who all blessings flow.


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## Mushroom (Mar 17, 2013)

I think you ate bread from some folks who have some obvious errors in their theology, but it remains just bread. And if nobody that might be offended by it saw you, even if it were meat sacrificed to idols it doesn't matter; it's still just bread. Maybe good bread. Personally I wouldn't sweat it.


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## hammondjones (Mar 17, 2013)

AlexanderHenderson1647 said:


> did I just eat meat sacrificed to cultic idols?



That's what I ask myself every time I eat a chocolate egg!


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## Edward (Mar 17, 2013)

AlexanderHenderson1647 said:


> "...reach for the sprouted grain breads from Food For Life and partake of the miracle.



Wouldn't this be more of a Simony issue rather than a food to idols issue? Give them money and buy a miracle. Why not just short cut it and buy an indulgence directly from Rome? Or is it more like the folks who sold pigeons in the Temple? Perhaps it should be called Matthew 21:12 bread? Or should we just consider them to be a Third Commandment violation? 

In any event, I'd give it a pass. I wouldn't want to reward bad conduct.


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## JoannaV (Mar 17, 2013)

It's the only sprouted bread in the store so I will nom down on it and give them all my dollars.

The marketing slogan is unfortunate but you could read it in an ok way if you want. We've all seen "Biblical" used in various loose ways, meaning some variation on "somehow connected to the Bible" but not necessarily implying anything connected to salvation or righteousness etc. They just personally think it is more in line with a Biblical worldview to sprout your organic grains rather than genetically modify them, you know...? "Staff of life" is just a fancy way of talking about staple foods. As for "miracle", they are definitely using that rather loosely because I don't think they are claiming to be miracle-peddlers or anything! But maybe in the sense that Creation is a miracle, that foods that are more natural are "miracle foods" simply because God created them to be nourishing, whereas foods that are highly processed by man are not so healthy. So the effects of going from a highly processed diet to a whole foods diet could seem to be...miraculous.


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## Edward (Mar 17, 2013)

JoannaV said:


> So the effects of going from a highly processed diet to a whole foods diet could seem to be...miraculous.



How does the life expectancy compare between third world countries where they eat 'all natural' food, and modern developed countries where the foods are loaded with preservatives?


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## Pergamum (Mar 17, 2013)

In general, if you don't know whether you are eating meat offered to idols, it is better to just enjoy and not to ask. Chow down in ignorance. Sacred cows make good burgers.

I wish I had some yummy Ezekial bread here.....*nom nom nom.......* (we seriously need an avatar for that....a Puritan eating a turkey leg or something).


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## Tripel (Mar 18, 2013)

Just about any product one consumes has been "sacrificed to idols" in one form or another. Greed is god in the majority of corporations, and if it's not greed, it's likely to be the mother Earth. It's one thing to exercise a little discretion in how you spend your money. But in all honesty, none of us would have much success trying to ensure our dollars only go to noble and true entities.

For example, I love Dr. Bronner's soaps. The labels are covered with hippy nonsense, but man, are they great soaps! With all of the corruption among large corporations now days, I don't really mind if my money goes towards a small business that is a little on the fruity side.


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## Scott1 (Mar 18, 2013)

AlexanderHenderson1647 said:


> Moving along, they claim that they are running their business based on Genesis 1:29 and recommend a vegan lifestyle based on the same. From their website, "Inspired by the Holy Scripture verse Genesis 1:29,



But they overlook nearby Scriptures about eating meat:


> Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.



And clear that the dietary restrictions, as a standard of righteousness, have been abolished:


> Romans 14:14 - I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.



If this company is advocating the opposite, they are misrepresenting Scripture by their marketing and capital endeavor.


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## JoannaV (Mar 18, 2013)

Where are you actually reading? All I see is them using Gen 1:29 to relate to searching "all the earth" - as opposed to just one region - for grains to use. The only thing I find about a vegan diet is a page where they explain they craft their vegan products to provide as many nutrients as possible. I can't actually find anything _advocating_ a vegan lifestyle, and I certainly can't find anything asserting anything about righteousness! There is no Scripture on the page about their products being vegan.


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## Philip (Mar 18, 2013)

AlexanderHenderson1647 said:


> Now, my concerns - did I just eat meat sacrificed to cultic idols?



So what if you did? I used to go to a restaurant (near you, actually) run by a Christian-ish hippie commune. As long as I am not partaking in idolatry, I don't have a conscience issue. Bread is bread and meat is meat, and idols are bits of wood that I don't bow down to regardless of what I am eating. Should I then avoid _halal_ food because it was slaughtered according to Islamic law? Should I avoid Kosher because it prepared according to types and shadows? No. I think Paul is very clear that I am free in Christ to eat hippie lamb sandwiches, shawarma, or lox and bagels so long as I am not causing an issue for my brother in so doing.


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## py3ak (Mar 19, 2013)

Pergamum said:


> Sacred cows make good burgers.



That really should be a bumper sticker.


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## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Mar 19, 2013)

JoannaV said:


> Where are you actually reading? All I see is them using Gen 1:29 to relate to searching "all the earth" - as opposed to just one region - for grains to use. The only thing I find about a vegan diet is a page where they explain they craft their vegan products to provide as many nutrients as possible. I can't actually find anything _advocating_ a vegan lifestyle, and I certainly can't find anything asserting anything about righteousness! There is no Scripture on the page about their products being vegan.



This may likely be a conflation on my part and something of a pressing something into there words that was never actually said. The Scriptures they use don't suggest that now that I give it a good looking over, maybe just allow for suggestion of as much or lead the reader to assume it. But, it is not correct to do as much. Not helpful on my part, thanks for the correction. Please note, I did say *THINK* when reading into their motives.


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## AlexanderHenderson1647 (Mar 19, 2013)

Philip said:


> AlexanderHenderson1647 said:
> 
> 
> > Now, my concerns - did I just eat meat sacrificed to cultic idols?
> ...



T'was a mere question, my good Philip.


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## seajayrice (Mar 19, 2013)

Without question, the religious consumption of "Ezekiel" bread and cereal magnifies our sanctification to no end.


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## JoannaV (Mar 20, 2013)

AlexanderHenderson1647 said:


> JoannaV said:
> 
> 
> > Where are you actually reading? All I see is them using Gen 1:29 to relate to searching "all the earth" - as opposed to just one region - for grains to use. The only thing I find about a vegan diet is a page where they explain they craft their vegan products to provide as many nutrients as possible. I can't actually find anything _advocating_ a vegan lifestyle, and I certainly can't find anything asserting anything about righteousness! There is no Scripture on the page about their products being vegan.
> ...



Oh you're fine, it's just as the thread continued it seemed people were accusing the company of all kinds of things, and I actually had to go research to reassure myself that I _wasn't_ eating some kind of cultish food!

I can understand the origin of "Ezekiel" bread: you're reading through the Bible, see a description of some kind of recipe, decide to try it out, and wow it tastes great. So you name your product after its inspiration. Unfortunately having that Biblical link forever immortalised in the product name does mean your company is liable to add in some other "Biblical" buzzwords onto the packaging somewhere down the line...


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