Deuteronomy chapter 14

vs 1

Now we will be given a reason for God not wanting people to take part in this practice in the next verse. Just the thought of cutting myself for any reason fills me with feelings of wincing pain. Cutting my hair I could handle. But apparently it's a no go if you're doing it for dead people.

vs 2

Ok, so the reason given is pretty expected - you are a holy people of God. But why does God not have a process of remembering or doing things for the dead once they're dead? It doesn't really get a theological explanation. But it's another suggestion at the idea that the understanding of death is a final one, and that you won't be changing anything for dead people if you start cutting your hair or yourself for them. I don't exactly know what this represented in the other religions around, but that might give us some insight.

vs 3

You mean like...

vs 4-8

A list of animals you can't eat. I'm sure a dietician could tell me any number of reasons why we should eat one and not the other. I bet another dietician could tell me the opposite, and a third one would say that we should only eat tofu.

The point is that God tells them not to, so they don't. Here's my problem - Deut 12:15,22. How are these explained in the light of these verses here?

vs 9-10

More, different, kinds of animals to eat and not eat. I am not going to draw anything of theological significance from this. I refuse to.