Acceptable to eat “halal” meat?

Halal is an Arabic word meaning “permissible.”  Halal meat comes from animals that have slaughtered in keeping with Islamic laws of the Qur’an.  Included in the slaughter process is a ritual with prayer to Allah or the mention of his name.  “Can Christians eat such meat?” you wonder.

The situation associated with your  question is similar to what the apostle Paul addressed in 1 Corinthians.  In ancient Corinth meat that had been associated with pagan worship practices was available for sale in the marketplace.  Some Christians believed it would be wrong if they bought and ate that meat.  Other Christians were convinced there was nothing wrong with the meat.

How did the apostle handle the situation?  For starters, he reminded the Corinthians that there is only one God—the God of the Bible, the Triune God:  “We know that ‘An idol is nothing at all in the world’ and that ‘There is no God but one’” (1 Corinthians 8:4).  The food that had been sacrificed to idols was perfectly fine because, as Paul pointed out, idols do not exist.  Similarly, meat today slaughtered in the name of a false god is not tainted, because the god of Islam does not exist.

“But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled” (1 Corinthians 8:7).  Whether we are talking about ancient Corinth or 21st century America, if Christians believe it is wrong for them to eat meat that has been associated with idolatrous worship practices, then it is wrong for them.  The apostle Paul reminded the Christians in Rome of that same truth:  “But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean” (Romans 14:14).  When a person’s conscience has labeled something as “sin,” that person needs to keep the law the conscience has established, or else the person sins against his or her conscience (Romans 14:22-23).

On the other hand, Christians who recognize their freedom in buying and eating meat associated with idolatrous practices can consume that product without sinning.  At the same time, such Christians will exercise their Christian freedom with a loving eye toward those whose consciences are guiding them in a different direction.  This is where the apostle Paul’s instruction comes into play:  “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

So, you “should steer clear of halal meat” if your conscience is telling you to do that.  If it is not, you can purchase it—again, with a loving concern for those Christians who do not agree with you.

I will provide a similar response to your question in a future “Light for our path” column in Forward in Christ.