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One flesh, a different pov

Maybe the revulsion stems from the fact that the word flesh is mostly used in a human context in this country.
My flesh and blood.
Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bones.
Here she is, in the flesh!
Fleshly desires.
Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And, of course, the ever popular “one flesh”.
 
Bartato said:
I think his comment does express a common American sentiment. We do tend to feel a certain revulsion to the word "flesh" being applied to meat. Maybe I'm just not that sensitive to it.
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It has always made me think of cannibalism. Maybe I’m just weird and he and I are equally weird- and that’s why we (@Asforme&myhouse and I) are so good together.. and prefer to eat meat not flesh 🤣
 
Bartato said:
To me "flesh" sounds awkward but not vomit inducing. On the other hand, the Spanish word "carne" which means flesh sounds wonderful since it is associated with Mexican food. 🤔
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Ever had someone open a grill with half cooked meat and ask you which flesh you’re going to have?
 
Not to derail this thread about flesh, I read in the Texas Monthly magazine some time back in the column called “the Texanist” that in some parts of the south the various parts of the chicken are know my terms such as second and third joint for the breast and thigh because using those words is too close to human anatomy for some.
 
But I ask, "What about the 'dividing assunder' " aspect of the "one flesh". Here's my take- with old eyes (read that the ancient Hebrew mindset and subsequent greek) see the "one flesh" and the "dividing assunder" as a very physical action in the pagan worship that surrounded them at the time. Pagan Temple prostitutes would engage in the copulation with sacrificing (paying) customers. The resultant "one flesh" is the fetus that grows until birth at which time the ultimate payment for wrongs would be the dismembering of said child during the pagan temple sacrificial rites- hence the "dividing assunder". I know that is repulsive, but it is a matter of record. Child sacrifice was a reality but we tend to spiritualize things that are abhorrent in order to massage our conscience. Fast forward to today: "One flesh" happens but then so does this "dividing assunder" at the hands of the abortionist. The only difference is the place of the dividing- TWO inches (or less) from the safety of the womb to the exposure to the air. Now however there is no safety inside the womb from the murderous intent of the mother and her doctor.
To be sure, some of God's children engaged in those very idolatrous actions when they had convinced themselves it was OK due to the fact that IT WORKED! Please the "gods" with a sacrifice here and there and all will be well- The weather will be friendly, their crops will grow, the livestock will flourish and the rest of the children will live. After all, people dont follow methods that dont work(for long). So the SAME promise to the children of the world comes back to haunt us: Sacrifice your little ones and all will be well. You will not have to worry about another mouth to feed, the diapers to change, the time and effort to care for an unproductive member of the house. Just abort it. So simple. It is socially acceptable. You can hide your temple activity with a snip here and there. No one will know. It is "family planning" after all and "health care" at that!
God please have mercy, we are wretched and wicked!
 
Excellent commentary, @Maddog!
 
Bartato said:
I was thinking about how we as believers are to be "one spirit" with the Lord. Among other things, I take that to mean that our hearts, minds, and wills are submitted to and conformed to Christ, as our Head. We love what He loves. We want what He wants. We follow where He leads.

Could the one flesh of marriage be something similar? The man is the head of a new unit, a new family. The man and woman are united in his vision, and work together to pursue it.
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I have always viewed this as becoming a family unit. Remember the man leaves his unit to create a new unit. When adding another wife she becomes one flesh with him as well into his unit. I also have a little different view of the word joined, the greek meaning glue together, like if a man joins himself to a prostitute he becomes one with flesh with her. I lean away from it just being sexual intercourse but im not set in stone on that view. Keep in mind the prodigal son joined himself to the world. While he did have sex with prostitutes I think the point is that he put his everything into the world and joined himself.
 
Bartato said:
I think his comment does express a common American sentiment. We do tend to feel a certain revulsion to the word "flesh" being applied to meat. Maybe I'm just not that sensitive to it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, a derisive term among American Torah keepers for pork is “swine flesh”, flesh is definitely not the preferred way to describe eating meat. We don’t refer to anything else that way and the “flesh” kind of implies it’s not for eating.
 
The Revolting Man said:
Yeah, a derisive term among American Torah keepers for pork is “swine flesh”, flesh is definitely not the preferred way to describe eating meat. We don’t refer to anything else that way and the “flesh” kind of implies it’s not for eating.
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My grandparents had a booklet in their office for patients to read titled "Swine's flesh as food" (if I remember right) that discussed all the reasons it was inferior to clean meats. But yep, there in what I wrote you see the contrast in the way the words are typically used.
When my guys get injured they will say a cut got into the meat (of their hand) but they don't use flesh even of self.

Kinda interesting.
 
The Revolting Man said:
Yeah, a derisive term among American Torah keepers for pork is “swine flesh”, flesh is definitely not the preferred way to describe eating meat. We don’t refer to anything else that way and the “flesh” kind of implies it’s not for eating.
Click to expand...
I have to agree that "swine flesh" doesn't have quite the nice ring to it that "bacon" does.

Rabbit flesh, squirrel flesh, catfish flesh, and squid flesh don't sound very good either.
 
But turkey bacon or rabbit bacon or beef bacon or cat bacon or dog bacon or.... it all how you frame it.
 
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