What about cheese?

Is some cheese OK to eat, or is all cheese not OK to eat?

Why?

I think it would depend on the quality of the cheese.

The quality of cheese, or the type of cheese, or both?

My wife and I really enjoy Veggie Shreds (by Galaxy Nutritonal Foods) and Tofutti Brand products, both of which are nondairy milk byproducts, such as cheese and sour cream. We do not like most of the nondairy substitute products manufactured by other companies.

From what I've read, we should never eat cheese at all:

"If milk is used, it should be thoroughly sterilized; with this precaution, there is less danger of contracting disease from its use. Butter is less harmful when eaten on cold bread than when used in cooking; but, as a rule, it is better to dispense with it altogether. Cheese is still more objectionable; it is wholly unfit for food."
{MH 302.1}

---

"You, my dear brother and sister, can have a much better condition of health than you now possess, and can avoid very many ill turns, if you will simply exercise temperance in all things, temperance in labor, temperance in eating and drinking. Hot drinks are constantly debilitating the stomach. Cheese should never be introduced into the stomach. Fine flour bread cannot impart to the system that nourishment that you will find in the unbolted wheat bread. The common use of bolted wheat bread cannot keep the system in a healthy condition. You both have inactive livers. The use of fine flour aggravates the difficulties you are laboring under."
{15OT 57.2}

---

"In regard to cheese, I am now quite sure we have not purchased or placed on our table cheese for years. We never think of making cheese an article of diet, much less of buying it. I tell you, Lucretia, how your buying the cheese at our house looks to us -- that you did it to tempt us just as _____ tempted my husband in his feebleness. You said you heard Brother White ask Mr. Walling for a taste of cheese. He had none. You bought a few pounds. You asked him one day if he wanted some cheese. He said 'No.' You asked me. I said I did not eat it. The cheese lay in the cupboard untouched until Mr. Lasley and Walling came to dinner. It was then placed before them. We took a small bit of cheese, as we do sometimes when it is passed to us. But we do not, understand, buy cheese, or make a practice of eating it. My husband felt when he saw the bit of cheese that was in Walling's wagon that he would like merely a taste of it."
{15MR 246.02} (1873)

---

"When we commenced the camp-meeting in Nora, Ill., I felt it my duty to make some remarks in reference to their eating. I related the unfortunate experience of some at Marion, and told them I charged it to unnecessary preparations made for the meeting, and also eating the unnecessary preparations while at the meeting. Some brought cheese to the meeting, and ate it; although new, it was altogether too strong for the stomach, and should never be introduced into it."
{RH 07-19-70 para. 5}

---

"For your own personal enjoyment in this world I entreat of you both to be health reformers. Emma, educate your appetite. Banish butter, cheese, flesh meats, and every article that is not the most simple and the best calculated to make a healthy quality of blood." -- Letter 47a, 1874, p. 2
{7MR 347.02}

"We took breakfast in the tent adjoining ours and were made sorry to see butter and cheese upon the table. Both are injurious to health. I understood our people had discarded these things, but they are again using them. Health reform is not carried out among our people as it once was. Some are departing from the health reform. I am sad. . . ."
{7MR 348.01}

"It seems so hard for some, even for their conscience' sake, to deny themselves the things that do not tend to health. We felt drawn out to speak to some on this subject. I shall not be clear unless I speak decidedly, for the spirit of self-indulgence will increase unless we take a decided stand. I have had grace given me to present decidedly the subject of health reform. Butter, cheese, flesh meats of dead animals, rich cake and poor cookery create disease and will certainly corrupt the blood, bring disease and suffering, and pervert the discernment. I beseech our people, to consider that health reform is essential and that which we place in our stomachs should be the simple nourishment of good, plainly prepared bread and fruits and grains. I shall have a much sharper testimony to bear on this subject. We must deny perverted appetite. I urge upon our people to learn the art of simplicity in eating. When will our people heed the word of the Lord given to caution them?" -- Ms 5, 1879, pp. 3, 4.
{7MR 348.02}

---

"Fleshmeats, butter, cheese, rich pastry, spiced foods, and condiments are freely partaken of by both old and young. These things do their work in deranging the stomach, exciting the nerves, and enfeebling the intellect. The blood-making organs cannot convert such things into good blood. The grease cooked in the food renders it difficult of digestion. The effect of cheese is deleterious. Fine-flour bread does not impart to the system the nourishment that is to be found in unbolted wheat bread. Its common use will not keep the system in the best condition. Spices at first irritate the tender coating of the stomach, but finally destroy the natural sensitiveness of this delicate membrane. The blood becomes fevered, the animal propensities are aroused, while the moral and intellectual powers are weakened, and become servants to the baser passions. The mother should study to set a simple yet nutritious diet
before her family."
{CTBH 46.3}

---

As a counterbalance, there is this:

"The question whether we shall eat butter, meat, or cheese, is not to be presented to anyone as a test, but we are to educate and to show the evils of the things that are objectionable. Those who gather up these things and drive them upon others, do not know what work they are doing. The Word of God has given tests to His people. The keeping of God's holy law, the Sabbath, is a test, a sign between God and His people throughout their generations forever. Forever this is the burden of the third angel's message -- the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ."
{2MR 107.01} (1881)

So cheese eating is not to be a test of fellowship. But still it's a fact that everything that's wrong with cow's milk is more so with cheese; since cheese is a concentrated milk product.

Read Robert Cohen's take on cheese:

http://www.notmilk.com/deb/071199.html

What about Yogurt? Technically it is a cheese, and is suppose to be good for the stomach due to the cultures in it. I sometimes eat yogurt (kefir) and it heps out my stomach, and the part you bolded John regarding spicy foods there is medical studies indicating that chili peppers is anti-cancer, ginger cleans the blood, and also is medicinal.

Cheese does mess up my stomach, and we buy a cheese for some homemade burritos that tastes just like the real thing, and melts nicely, but there are days when I do buy some cheese for my salad its a Canadian feta type of cheese and use it when we eat a salad, and that doesn't mess up my stomach.

God Bless,
Will

When we have 'scientific' studies that contradict the SOP, we just have to make a choice as to whom we're going to believe -- God, or human science.

You also can't necessarily trust the so-called results of scientific studies.

If we need to choose between what EGW said and what the scientific studies say, I believe it would be wiser to choose what EGW said.

So what is considered spicy?


God Bless,
Will

P.S.
Has anyone seen a soybean like yogurt? I found one at the health food store, but have not been brave enough to try it out so was wondering if anyone here was brave enough

I guess 'spicy' would be anything that uses pepper or other hot spices like turmeric.

I haven't seen soy yogurt -- not that there isn't such a thing -- but have seen soy-derived and rice-derived nondairy 'ice cream' that's pretty good.

[edit - struck out "not that there isn't such a thing"; Will just said in the post above he'd seen some soy yogurt! duh]

[ July 05, 2004, 09:53 PM: Message edited by: John ]