Is It a Sin to Eat Pork?

Question of the week: Should we not eat pork? Is it poisonous to eat? Is the consumption of pork a sin?

My answer: These questions are subjects of divergent debate among Christians. What follows is my personal understanding of what the Bible and science say.

Centuries ago, nearly all pork was filled with the trichinosis parasite, Trichinella. Pork that was not thoroughly cooked was “poisonous” in that eating pork filled one’s body with the dangerous parasites. Today, some pork still contains Trichinella. To be safe, one should only eat thoroughly cooked pork or verify that the source of the pork is completely free of Trichinella. 

Some cuts of pork contain dangerously high levels of saturated fats. Thus, it is wise for fitness and health reasons to select cuts of pork that are lowest in saturated fat and to limit how much pork one consumes at one time.

Paul states in Romans 14:20–21 that “all food is clean.” Therefore, it is not wrong to eat pork. However, Paul adds, “It is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.” That is, we should not eat pork in front of someone who believes it is a sin to eat pork. For example, if we are having a meal with a devout Jew or Muslim, our meal should not contain any pork.