I'm currently a part of a large messageboard that has recently started a new dicussion which basically tries to disprove the Bible, specifically the Old Testament.
These people will bring up laws created in 1400 B.C. and then use them as 'proof' of the Bible's irrelevance today. A very popular argument has been brought up time and time again - God's commandment to abhor pigs in many a different circumstance. You can read his laws re this in several O.T. books, including Dueteronomy and Leviticus.
People - please - read very carefully. God's laws always had and always will have a purpose!
The command to not consume meat from, or touch pigs was a huge revelation at the time the books of Exodus, Dueteronomy and Leviticus was written, around 1445 B.C.. Why was this such a huge revelation? Well, as you can imagine, 'medicine' at that time was very immature. Blood-letting had begun around 3000 B.C and that stuck around longer than anyone could have ever imagined. So you can picture the confusion and awe that was created from God's commandment to abhor swine.
Why the commandment and why was it so special? Pigs were and are today known scavengers. They will eat practically anything, which then causes them to ingest tapeworms and develop parasites. Those people who had/have regular contact with pigs are at a heightened risk to acquire these parasites and tapeworms and as a result, develop liver and lung tumors and trichenosis. Pig farmers today still have to be incredibly careful in certain farming practices in order to prevent attaining these diseases.
Considering that many Jews at the time of their exodus from Egypt were shepherds of livestock, (including pigs) that commandment was an absolute divine protection from an unseen harm. Also consider that NO ONE at that time, except the Israeli Jews themselves, received and then practiced this law! It was a huge milestone in public health hygeine practices.
Several Old Testament books provide more of a historical and social backdrop than suggestions to alter our current laws and commandments. Practicing Jews and specific Christian denominations choose to abide by the past laws to ignore swine, shellfish and other meats as a source of food even today. Whether we decide to do this or not, (I do not) the important thing is to practice it not for the sake of tradition alone, but to show it as our personally chosen practice to honor God.
Romans 14:6-8a addresses this-
"Those who have a special day for worshiping the Lord are trying to honor him. Those who eat all kinds of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who won't eat everything also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God. For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die. While we live, we live to please the Lord."
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