>>>>>>>>>So are we back to you don't think contraception is healthcare? Because if that is the case then I strongly disagree.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>So are we back to you don't think ham sandwich is food? Because if that is the case then I strongly disagree.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>What if he's Jewish, you insensitive clod! :)
>>>>>
>>>>>I believe Islam has a similar dietary restriction.
>>>>>
>>>>>And of course, I'd think vegetarians would have trouble with ham too.. unless of course it's the veggie type (I don't recall if there is such a thing, but since there are things like veggie burger, veggie cheese, veggie frankfurter and veggie fish fillet, I'd be surprised if there wasn't such a thing as veggie ham).
>>>>
>>>>You can find kosher "bacon" and "lobster" (and probably several other items as well) made from kosher products but somehow manufactured to approximate (sometimes pretty well) the texture and taste of the real thing.
>>>
>>>It's amazing what you can learn here. I did not know lobster is unkosher. Being from Maine, that would be a real bummer ;-)
>>
>>No shellfish is kosher. To be kosher, a fish must have fins and scales.
>>
>
>Not being argumentative, but doesn't that strike you as a little arbitrary? I am the last person anyone should listen to on matters of religion or spirituality. It just seems random to me. "Sketchy," to borrow one of Emily's favorite words.

I'd heard that there are various health-related and/or philosophical explanations behind Kosher Law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_Law#Explanations

One of the strangest-sounding things I'd heard about was connected to the restriction of consumption of "meat" for Lent, and that capybaras and beavers are categorized as "fish" so it's OK to eat these (apparently definition was adjusted to allow for local food availability and culture).