SPLIT: FISH-less Fridays & doctrines of devils

[Robert_Michael]

I have a question. The Bible says that those who teach that we must abstain from certain food are teaching doctrines of devils. How did the Catholic church justify this teaching of theirs?

Thanks.

 

[bpbasilphx]

\ I don’t ever feel comfortable eating meat on a Friday (what will I do when Christmas is on a Friday???\

**The Friday abstinence has NEVER applied to the Feast of Nativity, even before Vatican II.

And in the Ordinary Form, any solemnity–including Annunciation or Assumption or Transfiguration–dispenses from the Friday abstinence.**

\I have a question. The Bible says that those who teach that we must abstain from certain food are teaching doctrines of devils. How did the Catholic church justify this teaching of theirs?\

**Apples and oranges, Robert. Or actually, avocados and armadillos. (Apples and oranges are at least fruit.)

The verse in quesiton says FORBIDDING certain foods, not simple occasional abstinence from them.

The Pythagoreans, for example, forbade the eating of beans lest one of them be a reincarnated ancestor.

Next, it’s not a “teaching”. Nobody is saying that any food is evil or unlawful or unclean–unlike Judaism even today. And may I point out that even St. Paul himself kept kosher, and avoided meat offered to idols or other foods forbidden by Judaism?

The Catholic Church (and Orthodox, for that matter) has never absolutely forbidden ANY food. In fact, there are certain periods in both churches where fasting and abstinence are dispensed.

It’s a DISCIPLINE. Saying “No” to little things like food makes it easier to say “NO!” to big things like sin.**

 

[Robert_Michael]

Thanks!

 

[Shin]

I have a question. The Bible says that those who teach that we must abstain from certain food are teaching doctrines of devils. How did the Catholic church justify this teaching of theirs?

Thanks.

Yet the Bible also says the Apostles instructed us to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols. So if you take what you said strictly, the Apostles are teaching doctrines of devils.

But that is not the case. The Church, as demonstrated by the Apostles who met and decided in their council what could or could not be eaten, has authority to decide what the believers should and should not eat, and when.

The Douay Bible elucidates the true history of this passage:

1 Now the Spirit manifestly saith, that in the last times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and doctrines of devils, 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy, and having their conscience seared, 3 Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the faithful, and by them that have known the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected that is received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

3 “Forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats”… He speaks of the Gnostics, the Marcionites, the Eneratites, the Manicheans, and other ancient heretics, who absolutely condemned marriage, and the use of all kind of meat; because they pretended that all flesh was from an evil principle. Whereas the church of God, so far from condemning marriage, holds it a holy sacrament; and forbids it to none but such as by vow have chosen the better part: and prohibits not the use of any meats whatsoever in proper times and seasons; though she does not judge all kind of diet proper for days of fasting and penance