[Roundy]

Somewhat ironic: kosher salt is one of the ingredients.

[markjo]

Oops.  Looks like you have to add your own cheese. 

[Pete Svarrior]

Would you stone a guy for picking up sticks on a Saturday?

[spoon]

y r jew?

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Pizza, full Torah Observance is only possible in the days of Messiah. Spoon, I'm uncertain as to what your question means. If you are asking 'Why are you a Jew', well, because I am. If you mean, why am I an Observant Jew when my family isn't & I wasn't raised as such, the answer is multi-faceted. But, in simplest terms, I am a Jew because God has called me to serve Him in that unique way. He has never abandoned His People Israel, & I believe it is my duty to uphold my end of the Covenant, as He has upheld His.

[beardo]

Actually, I don't wanna have dinner with you.

[spank86]

Why do Jews have a big nose?

Because air is free.

@Yaakov: Just out of curiosity do you keep kosher?  Why do the kosher laws exist (or is it even a case of rationality vs "God says this so this"?  I'm just curious; my mother has a theory about kosher law that it was originally about cleanliness in many cases (like, pigs and shellfish, being such utterly filthy animals), although she maintains that the meat and milk combo is purely a matter of ethics.  What do you think?

For the record I'd die before permanently giving up bacon, lobster, and cheeseburgers, but as I'm sure I've made clear I'm not a religious Jew.

Interesting idea although Pigs are actually pretty clean animals. I seem to remember hearing somewhere a suggestion that it was mostly stuff that would go bad quickly in a hot climate and so the laws were to prevent people from getting sick from gone off food?

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Do you have any idea what pigs will eat? They are scavenging animals. Hardly a clean beast.

[Rama Set]

If they are domesticated, they will eat what you feed them.

[rooster]

I just think pig tastes nasty regardless. I never eat it pork.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Rama, that is true. ANYTHING you feed them.

[Rama Set]

Rama, that is true. ANYTHING you feed them.

Yeah!  So if you feed a pig quality food are they dirty animals?

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Well, I suppose not. But ask your avg hog farmer what he feeds his pigs. I live in Iowa. Hogs are big business around here as you would guess. They are cheap to feed & raise, cheaper by far than cattle. If farmers were to have to start treating pigs like cattle, their meat would cost as much as beef. The incentive to own them would disappear. So, given what they eat in the wild, & what humans are inclined to give to them even under domestication, I think the designation of the pig as 'filth' stands.

[spank86]

Do you have any idea what pigs will eat? They are scavenging animals. Hardly a clean beast.

Well being as they're omnivorous they'll eat anything but in the diet of wild pigs carrion and other refuse would form an extremely small part.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Hm, I was told differently. But even a small part is still a part.

[spank86]

Hm, I was told differently. But even a small part is still a part.

Cows eat grass they've pissed on.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

I assume that's true. All animals, by virtue of being witless beasts, do things that people would not do.

[spank86]

I assume that's true. All animals, by virtue of being witless beasts, do things that people would not do.

Exactly. Making pigs generally no more unclean in their diet than other animals.

Cows are a good example in many ways, the whole BSE issue in England was allegedly exacerbated by the delightful process of feeding them (in part) their deceased brethren.

[Yaakov ben Avraham]

Yes. I agree. But a cow, when left to its own devices, feeds on grass (even peed-upon, I'll grant). A pig, when left to its own devices, feeds on God knows what.

[spank86]

Yes. I agree. But a cow, when left to its own devices, feeds on grass (even peed-upon, I'll grant). A pig, when left to its own devices, feeds on God knows what.

Acorns, roots, tubers, and yes the occasional carrion (otherwise known as meat... potentially meat from a dead cow that's eaten peed upon grass, ewww).