Biblical Perspective on Consuming Fish Heart and Blood

I cannot find any specific information regarding the consumption of a fish's heart; however, I can provide guidance on the use of fish as food and the principles of healthful living.

Biblical Classification of Fish

The Scriptures establish a clear distinction between clean and unclean creatures in the water. For a fish to be considered clean and suitable for food, it must possess both fins and scales Leviticus 11:9+1. Anything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is considered an abomination and should not be eaten Leviticus 11:10-12+1.

Health and Safety Considerations

Even when a fish meets the biblical criteria for being clean, there are modern risks to consider:

• Contamination: In many localities, fish have become unwholesome due to feeding on the filth of sewage from large cities14MR 326.2+1.

• Disease: Fish that partake of unwholesome drainage can bring disease and death to those who eat them, even if they are caught in waters that appear pure14MR 326.2+2.

• Individual Reactions: Consuming a heavy meal of fish can lead to acute physical distress or sudden illness in some circumstances8LtMs, Lt 132, 1893, par. 13.

The Move Toward a Simple Diet

While the Savior used fish to feed the multitudes and even ate it Himself after His resurrection to prove His physical reality, the current light on health reform suggests a higher path Luke 24:41-43SW February 9, 1904, Art. A, par. 6+2.

• Flesh as an "Evil Thing": Flesh food is described as an "evil thing" that can animalize human nature and weaken physical, mental, and moral powersCCh 235.6+2.

• Disease Risks: Meat eating is associated with the cause of cancers, tumors, and pulmonary diseasesCCh 235.6+1.

• Better Alternatives: Grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts contain all the food elements needed for health and vitality1SAT 354.1+2.

• Simplification: We are encouraged to discard rich and complex dishes to preserve our time and mental clarityCME 36.3+2.

If you choose to eat fish, ensure it is of a clean variety and from a source free of pollution14MR 326.2+2. Ultimately, we are called to eat and drink to the glory of God, recognizing our bodies as His temple 1 Corinthians 10:311LtMs, Ms 2, 1858, par. 12.

Consuming the raw heart of a fish is not in harmony with biblical instructions or health reform principlesCCh 230.8+1. While you wish to show appreciation for the life of the animal, the Scriptures and the light given on health reform provide specific directions regarding the treatment of blood, the preparation of food, and the elevation of our moral nature.

The Sacredness of Blood

The most critical biblical prohibition regarding your plan is the absolute command against consuming blood.

• The Life is in the Blood: From the time of Noah, God has commanded that "flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eat" Genesis 9:4.

• A Perpetual Statute: This was established as a perpetual statute for all generations, requiring that you eat neither fat nor blood Leviticus 3:17.

• Severe Consequences: The Lord stated He would set His face against any soul that eats blood and would cut them off from among His people Leviticus 17:10.

• The Heart and Blood: Because the heart is the organ that circulates the blood, consuming it raw—and thus consuming the blood it contains—directly violates the command to pour out the blood and cover it with dust Leviticus 17:13.

Health and Spiritual Influence

Choosing to eat raw organs to signify "good luck" or "appreciation" aligns more with traditional or worldly customs than with the sacredness of the truth9MR 388.2+1.

• Animalizing the Nature: Eating the flesh of dead animals has a tendency to animalize the nature and rob men and women of the love and sympathy they should feel for everyone5MR 408.1+1.

• Raw and Unclean Conditions: Flesh meats are often diseased, and consuming them can plant seeds of disease in your own tissue and bloodTSDF 173.2+1.

• True Appreciation for Life: The highest appreciation we can show for life is to recognize that the life of no living thing should be taken to sustain the life of a Christian if other food is availableCD 412.2.

• Avoiding Superstition: Practices based on "luck" are not in accordance with the faith side of our experiences, where we are to move from principle rather than impulse or tradition8MR 136.2+1.

The Better Path

God is leading His people back to His original design, which is to subsist on the natural products of the earthCTBH 119.1.

• Original Diet: In the beginning, God gave grains, fruits, and nuts to be man's "meat" or food Genesis 1:29.

• Body as a Temple: We are instructed to guard the powers of our body and mind so that God is not dishonored by our actionsCCh 230.8.

• Refining the Taste: Instead of indulging a perverted appetite or seeking rituals in the death of animals, we should educate our taste to enjoy the simple, wholesome bounties of nature5MR 408.1+1.

Whether you eat or drink, you should do all to the glory of God 1 Corinthians 10:31. Following the biblical mandate to abstain from blood and the health counsel to discard flesh meats will preserve your physical and spiritual health far more than any ritual of the heart Leviticus 17:142MCP 390.4.