Joe,

The cost of Halal certification is more than negated by the additional sales. For this reason, as far as I know, no company factors the Halal certification into their pricing.

If you’re worried about paying additional costs for certifications, then I hope you’re also avoiding all organic, non-GMO, and gluten free foods. I do, but as a means of protest against food quackery (although I do acknowledge that about 1% of the population genuinely require gluten free options).

--

ttbn,

The Bible may not mention black people specifically, but its endorsement of slavery is extremely racist. And, yes, even your beloved New Testament endorses slavery. (1 Peter 2:18, Matthew 5:17).

For such a big fan of the Bible, you certainly don’t seem to know much about it.

Hi Joe, slavery was practiced in America until 1865, that is not 4 or 5,000 years ago, there are still those in the US who will profess to be Christian, but take the bigoted racists view that African Americans are inferior.

On the point of the life time of Noah, you are way out on that time line. According to the wise ones of Christianity, the Earth was created about 6,000 years ago, that's straight from the Bible. Starting with Adam, and that no good wife of his Eve, and a few begettings after them. Noah was 950 years old at the time of the flood, and lived for a long time after. By any reasonable calculation Noah could not have passed away before, say last Tuesday, so its all current, I hope Father Joe is along shortly to back up these facts.

I assume you and others rightly bang on about the shocking teachings contained in the Koran (unlike the Bible I have never read it), I make a point about what is contained in the Bible, and you tell me to move on. I don't justify the shocking teachings of Islam by pointing to equally shocking Biblical rubbish, I just say they both are a danger, and society should be careful about all religion. When did you come to the conclusion that Christianity is now a benign feel good religion and not what it has demonstrated to be in the past.

A J Philips, what makes you think all slaves were black.
Many Europeans were forced into slavery. You have forgotten about
the Barbary Coast and the moslem pirates that used to capture ships in
the Mediterranean and sell the crews in Nth African slave markets.
There were also European slaves from moslem invasions of Europe.
In BC times slavery was common after wars defeated armies.

Bazz,

I didn't mean to imply that all slaves were black. But the Bible's instructions on who to enslave usually refers to other groups.

Interpret that how you like, but that was good enough to justify the slave trade for 245 years in a country that was supposed to be founded on freedom.

Dear Paul,

According to the bible [Genesis, 6:11], Noah was 600 (or perhaps 599) years old at the time of the flood, then altogether lived for 950 years.

Also, if you read the bible carefully, you would arrive at the conclusion that the world was created around 1-3 million years ago, not 6000. This is because Adam and Eve were created in Genesis 2, separate from the rest of humankind that was created in Genesis 1.
(otherwise, how would Cain have a wife?)

Slavery was the norm since the beginning of agrarian culture. The bible attempts to somewhat restrict whom, when and for how long can people be made slaves, that's relative to the lack on any such restrictions at that period. Slavery is still the norm today in many countries as even I was personally taken as a slave when I turned 18 to serve in the army against my will. Even in Australia, prisoners are kind of slaves and to some extent also insolvent people.

As far as I can tell, there haven't been slaves in the US for 150 years. There are still many slaves in Muslim north Africa and perhaps elsewhere. The Buzu slaves in Mauretania are fortunate now, because they have now gained the right to vote.

The slave markets in Moorish [i.e. Maurish/Berber] Spain were amongst the most architecturally beautiful in the world. The slaves brought there, from the Baltic, from Ireland, from south-east Europe, from Africa, from Persia, were amongst the most cosmopolitan, and cultured, of any slaves in Europe at the time. Some became teachers and intellectuals and courtiers, some even converted and could then become slave traders.

AJ, 245 years ? Given that the Muslim slave trade continues, when did it commence ? From stories in the Koran, perhaps around 628 AD ? i.e. for nearly 1400 years now ?

Paul, I was referring to the mythical 'Flood' which had to 'happen' some time around 2400 BC. But isn't it clever to do the calculations and find inconsistencies - better still, impossibilities ! - in old stories ? Amazingly clever !

Of course, even the Hebrews after Noah and Abraham knew that Egyptians were Hamites, and yet ruled a huge empire. So, wishful thinking on their part: the high will be made low, etc. ? Paul, they're all stories: not necessarily true. Stories. Move on.

What's the gist, the core values, of any cultural and/or religious body of yarns, in this case of Judaism and Christianity, not just the pissy fripperies about burning bushes and blokes being fed in the desert by crows - all pre-scientific oral cultures have such fantastic stories. We don't (or shouldn't) mock Aboriginal stories for their impossibilities, we just assume they serve a moral purpose regarding proper behaviour, etc. What are the 'lessons' underlying stories ? Move on from getting your kicks from juvenile attacks of obvious concoctions. Leave that to school-kids.

Joe