christianity and judaism

Can you clarify what you mean about attitudes about blood?

I can speak knowledgably about the Jewish religion. In Judaism, there are dietary laws called Kosher laws. For detailed answers click on the following hyperlink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashrut

Also on the holiday of Passover (approx around calendar time of Chrisitian
Easter), the Passover meal uses wines to symbolically represent blood shed tolining as slaves and for the 40 yrs in desert fleeing from Pharaoh in Egypt.

toiling

The historical evidence that has come to light in the last 50 years is that slave labor was not used to build the pyramids. Jews may have been transported to Egypt to be used for slave labor, but there is no historical evidence that this is so.

I believe there are several strictures relating to menstruating women in Leviticus and Deuteronomy, but you'd have to go read those books yourself. The first five books of the "Old Testament," the Pentateuch, are a recital of the Law. That's where you'd find the information you seek about Judaism. The "New Testament," and the supplementary material--Acts, Epistles, etc.--would be the place to go to get this sort of information for Christianity. The entire Christian cannon can be read in a matter of a few days.

Look--you could actually do your own homework!

Isn't there also, in the Last Supper (I almost wrote Lsat Supper, which would be a tad different), "This wine will be my blood, this bread will be my body."?

Also, lamb's blood in Judaism.

As Hillel was told, go now and study it.

Yes indeed, Boss--the wine and the "host," the unleavened bread, represent the blood and flesh of that boy Jesus. In Catholic mysticism, one has the doctrine of transubstantiation, which holds that as the priest blesses these items within the context of the liturgy, they literally become the blood and flesh of the putative savior.

Lamb's blood betokens innocence, n'est-ce pas? Did not the Jews mark the lintels of their doors with the blood of lambs, so that when the Angel of Death came for the first-born children of Egypt, he would know them, and pass over them--hence, Passover?

Innocence and Springtime, as it's a Spring holiday. Some similar symbols to Easter, e. g. eggs and a hidden item to be found by a child.

setanta: what does the issue of whether or not slave labor was used to do with the question asked?

It points to the likely high bullshit content of the biblical account.

Actually, according to the Hagaddah, it's that the Jews were slaves in Egypt and built cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses. No info on pyramids.

I was watching something, might've been on The History Channel (creeping senility prevents further identification thereof); their theory was that the Hebrews were probably folk tossed out of Egypt for some other reason, then they met up with the Canaanites who really were ex-slaves, and instead of conquering them (a la the Joshua story, with the walls of Jericho coming down, yadda yadda), they intermarried.

Given that the Bible has multiple creation myths, to my mind it kinda makes sense that the earlier version (1.0?) of the Israelites would be a mix of peoples. I love how people look at the Bible as a historical work or even a scientific (ha!) one, but the reality is that it's one big advertisement for the religion. E. g. here are a bunch of stories showing why this is the better way versus those cow-worshipping folk down the street, and here's what happens when you screw up, and here's how heroic and righteous our people are, so why not join up?

That way, you can kinda combine the expulsion of problematic people (the Hebrews) with what was perhaps even a voluntary manumission (the Canaanites) and convert it into a heroic/religious slave revolt story whereby not only do the Israelites look good but it also furthers the whole overarching plot line of: here's our faith, we're #1!

And don't get me started on Pharaoh in Exodus. After the Red Sea goes back to the way it was, and all of the army, horses and chariots sink to the bottom, he's left to go back to Egypt, which is starving and demoralized and sick, and explain himself. If Pharaoh's got any sense, he either flees to Midian or elsewhere and goes into the archaic version of The Witness Protection Program, or he commits hara-kiri. Otherwise he's setting himself up for, if he returns to Egypt, being torn apart by the populace with the last of the strength that they've got.

I find an explanation to the effect that the oldest stories of the Torah are just justification for a "Jews are superior" PR campaign to be more plausible than a contention that it is reliable history.

Poor kiki09, you stumbled into a bunch of realists and what you wanted was someone who would point out the differences between the blood sacrifices of the Jews and being saved by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, hallelujah! Right.

All I can tell you is that, in both religions, there is plenty of blood to around. In the plagues visited upon Egypt, the Nile River runs with blood, someone mentioned the mark of Passover was blood smeared on the doorframes of houses, there is the slaughter/sacrifice of animals and birds at the Temple and many more.

In Christian beliefs, along with the Catholic belief in transubstantiation, there is the constant reference to the blood shed by Christ during his Crucifiction.
(A really gory depiction of the events was filmed a few years ago by Mel Gibson) It's supposed to inspire the viewer to sacrifice something of themselves, but such things leave me cold personally.

Other things come to mind, as I'm writing this it being reported that a new book about Pope John Paul II alleges that the pope engaged in self-flagellation in order to feel closer to God. That can be bloody but not neccessarily so.

And, poor kiki09, you have so much to explore as you wade through the blood mysticisms, blood rites and baptisms of blood (not what you think. It's dying unsaved but full of hope for redemption, so no water baptism, just blood, yours.)

Make sure you look up the Stigmata.

Oh, and St. Marguerite Marie Alacoque, who tis said once carved the name of Christ onto her chest and brought us the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

I always thought that it was the oddest named Catholic ritual: The Feast of the Sacred Heart.

Joe(How do you want yours? Medium rare?)Nation

What Kiki wanted was for someone to do his or her homework without being obliged to crack a book or stop texting his or her friends.

It is forbidden to eat blood in Christianity.

This was part of Judaic law



This sentiment was echoed in the New Testament, as the early Christians were discussing how much of the Law of Moses they needed to follow. On the dietary restrictions the leaders of the early church wrote in a letter to be distributed to Christians.

Yeah, Joe - you got it.

Then there's alwys this chestnut of prejudicial lies about 'blood libel'. It always rallies the troops for recruitment of naive and uneducated newbies. Then bigots really show up as it stirs them up to a fever pitch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_libel

"Blood libels are false and sensationalized allegations that a person or group engages in human sacrifice, often accompanied by the claim that the blood of the victims is used in various rituals and/or acts of cannibalism. The alleged victims are often children.

Some of the best documented cases of blood libel focus upon accusations against Jews, but many other groups have been accused throughout history, including Christians, Cathars, Carthaginians, Knights Templar, witches, Wiccans, Christian heretics, Romani people, Mormons, neopagans, Native Americans, Africans, atheists and communists."