Toto

Did John the Baptist eat "locusts and wild honey"?

I didn't realize what a hot topic this is, but it has generated a lot of pixels on the internet - probably because it relates to vegetarianism.

E.g.:

John ate carob?

The word "locust" as applied to plants is probably a modern association
that postdates New Testament times by many centuries.

Seventh Day Adventists

I could point out that wild honey is not like the clear, sanitized stuff you buy in little plastic containers in modern commerce. Wild honey undoubtedly contained lots of insect parts and pollen.

Chili

That is really too bad because it shows that they fail to use their own faculty of reason as Christians and really are eating locusts and wild honey themselves (ouch!).

Lets first identify John who is from the netherworld and seems to be alive there or he would not be eating anything. The netherworld is our Tree of Life which depends on the Tree of Knowledge (commonly known as our faculty of reason), to gain food, wisdom and beauty (Gen.2:6). From here we can conclude that the Tree of Life without the faculty of reason is equal to the non-rational animal man over whom John has the authority to speak, so to speak, which now means that when John began to ring the alarm bell in the conscious mind (the world), that little or no good food [for thought] was coming his way it is easy to conclude that there is something wrong with the Tree of Knowledge that is failing to deliver in the manner it once promised it would (this promise was made when we became rational beings and took charge of our destiny). In the Catholic tradition the prevailing mood wherein John is heard crying is recognized with the Advent period.

If the above is true it can be argued that they willfullfy starve themselves from the wisdom, beauty and food that the faculty of reason once promised and have placed themselves in the desert where they are forced to regurgitate and eat their own vomit for the rest of their life and until they die nonetheless.

In reality John is non-rational animal man (also called Lord God) but that's another story.

(As an aside, in Catholicism the Capuchins are a closed cloistered bunch and they are allowed to ring the alarm bell in the steeple when they have been hungry for some time . . . and this, supposedly, must or is allowed to happen one in every life-span. There are a lot of details surrounding this monastery that enhance this effect).

llDayo

If John the Baptist is real and followed the Xtian/Jewish ways then he was probably poor and couldn't afford steak. That's why he ate bugs.

IamMoose

Lots of cultures eat locusts *shrug*. Though I'd never heard of Middle Eastern ones doing so but .. needs must, as the saying goes.

The argument for vegetarianism amuses me, cos you can argue about bugs till you're blue in the face but there's just no getting around the bread and fishes.

Garnet

This is NOT a good thread to read while eating granola.

pierneef

I was always told they were carob pods rather than locusts. Then when I was in Malta I found a carob tree and tried to eat the pods. It isnt self-evident how John would have done this. What Americans know as "carob" comes processed like little chocolate nuggets in bags. Having chewed my way through half a ripe carob pod, I decided to believe they were locusts instead.

pierneef

Is there any tradition of carob growing in Galilee ?

I dont know, honey basted BBQ locusts may be OK, rather like caramelised shrimp (which after all, are simply water insects)

IamMoose

LOL!

Locusts are supposed to taste rather good - you take the wings off - but I am not sure how hungry I would have to be before I'd be prepared to chow down on one...

Angyson

So what if he did ? Did you expect him to be dining on caviar in the wilderness ?

Shven

A better argument against biblical vegetarianism is 1 Timothy ch4 v1-3

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils ... commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."

There are plenty of biblical references as to why eating meat is acceptable. but this one is unique in that it suggests that 'commanding to abstain from meats' is a 'doctrine of devils'

Though of course, the Christian vegetarian argument is that this is only condemning enforced vegetarianism and that vegetarianism by choice is perfectly acceptable to God.