I checked this up in the bible and the way I understand it is that you can eat almost anything that you feel is appropriate... if you believe meat is ok then eat it, but if you don't then it would be a sin for you to eat it.
I never thought about what I ate as a child until I was made to help out during the slaughter of some sheep on our farm. I watched a ewe die after her neck was slit when I was about 13yo and at that point I felt that to eat mammals was wrong. I was able to watch chickens being beheaded and I helped pluck them and it didn't worry me.... just the death of a mammal. I was "made" to eat mammals until the day i left home at 17. I haven't eaten a mammal since. I have been tempted on very cold days at the footy though mind you! (to eat a hot pie) but I feel that it would be a sin for me personally to do this. I also feel ok about eating fish... i can fish and scale them etc no worries. Given that pigs are mammals then I also would never eat them either. However I have worked in commercial kitchen and i have absolutely no problem cooking and serving meat for others... *shrug* this is all intuitive.
ETA: Thanks so much for taking the time to explain your faith to us Yael!I used to live in Caulfield and often wondered about the Jewish traditions. I have the deepest admiration for all that you have described, it doesn't sound weird to me at all, just fascinating and giving me lots to think about. I truely admire the self discipline that the Jewish faith encourages of it's followers... our society would benefit from taking a leaf from your book
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