I have to confess ... I don't always wash my hands before eating. Now ... my mother was not neglectful. She did teach me to do such. But over the years ... I have fallen.

However ... there is good news. While studying the lesson this week ... Thursday's lesson to be specific ... I found that I have good company.



Even if it is not in the scriptures .... why disobey this basic principle of health?

Forgive me if some of you have discussed this in Sabbath School. But, I was unable to attend.

Oh, Redwood, you need to at least wash your hands before potluck. Seriously.

Carolaa .... If I did that .... some might think that I was Pharisitical.

Later .... In an effort to be a good speller ... I will correct it to ... Parasitical. No .... that still doesn't look right. But it may say something.

Ewwwww.
Often in potluck there's only one laddle to use in each dish.
In some cultures, eating by hands is necessary to pay respect so either you wash your hands or not it's your call i guess...can deal with the consequence later (~_~)

So...let me get this straight.

Go to church. Shake hands. Wash hands before potluck. Use same ladle as Redwood who(for purposes of this post only I propose) did NOT wash his hands. Then go eat--with the same germs from ladle as Redwood had on his hands.

OR...

After filling my plate with all the calorie-rich potluck foods, I go back to the restroom to wash my hands and then resume my eating.

Too much work.

Eating at home is cleaner and safer.

It's only Pharisaical (I think that's the correct spelling) if you stand on the street corner and broadcast what you are doing with trumpet fanfare and such. Just go about your business quietly and you'll be healthier AND safe from any such accusations.

Although Cricket has a point about picking up utensils after others have touched them who haven't washed their hands. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that! I suppose you could always take your own serving spoon...

Another thing I hadn't thought of until someone recently pointed it out to me --

Do you ever take your leftovers home from potluck to finish later? I'm talking about the dish you took that didn't get quite eaten up. I can't stand to see food go to waste, so I used to always take my dish home and eat the leftovers later -- until someone told me that was gross, because who knows what little kid had their licked-clean fingers in it, and there aren't any sneezeguards, and it had been sitting out for at least 2 hours, and...you get the picture. Ew.

Hehe. I can't believe you hadn't thought of that! Potlucks are pretty disgusting any way you look at it. IN MY OPINION.

I've always loved potluck and never understood people who wouldn't stay by and eat together. I figured they were antisocial or uppity, but my eyes have been opened to see that there are alternate reasons I hadn't thought of.

This has become a disgusting thread. Who in the world started such gross thoughts.

All it takes is a good spoon, ladle, spatula, (or something that won't fall in), then use the utensil. When you eat, eat with a fork! - And don't touch your food! Take the leftovers home and reheat them (it'll kill the germs). Cold stuff might be a problem, but then the pie is never leftover! Yum!

All I can say is that if the disciples didn't wash their hands at potluck ... why should 'I' ?

Answer: Weaker people, badder germs (as an English major, I can play with the language all I want).

Back in the old days (I remember 'em - shock) they used to re-use syringe needles, too. Autoclave and re-use. Who's your doctor, Redwood, so I can tell him you don't mind getting used needles stuck into you?

ewww I also remember the old timey needles. Lots of reusables back then. But being in the food industry, I can tell you that there are alot of equally gross things out there along with non hand washing. (shudders)

Back then the earth was less populated. The plane wasn't invented yet. Now the bugs and ticks traveled by jetplane and according to Richard Branson in near future they will release a jet that can travel from US to Australia in 30 minutes.......that's way more faster.

Yes, I remember those reusable needles. I used to watch my grandmother boiling water to sterilized those needles and when she stucked it into the patients' bum they scream, i guess the needles got dull from reusing many times.

I think a box of wet naps on every table would be good.

Do as you please, but washing your hands is still one of the most effective ways of warding off infection.

As soon as the after-church handshaking was over today, I headed for the restroom to wash my hands.
People cough into hands; blow their noses into their hands. Come out of toilets and restrooms without washing their hands.

Only heaven knows where those hands have been.

Gerry

If ever asked to give grace at potluck make one should always make sure they asked a special blessing from God for all who washed there hands first and thank God again that they are not like those that didn't wash their hands.

OOoooo a triple whammy. Prayer, judgement and guilt all at once.

From the current selection of posts ... I would say the handwashers cleanly win hands down.

Potluck is Goodluck.

Redwood,

I found this for you....Just for you.....

And personally, I think EVERY bathroom needs one of these devices...

Meh - there's good research to show that kids who aren't exposed to their fair share of dirt and germs young end up with more allergies and illness. Germs help build up your immune system. So man up, you bunch of wimps, and chow down at the potluck: you'll geta blessing from the food, another from the company, and yet another from an enhanced immune system!

They did not have modern facilities back then so it wasn't like the disciples could just pop in to take care of business.

We, here in the USA most often meet in buildings that require by law, running water and working plumbing.

While germs are no respecter of Christian vs worldly bodies, cleanliness is love in it's most basic form. Just like eating pork and other unclean foods while it was and is not fit for human consumsation whether Jewish or Gentile.

(And we wonder why MRSA, the bird flu etc, is spreading so rapidly.)

I tend to carry that alcohol stuff in my church tote so I can cleanse my paws.

Blasphemy

Good one Neil. I would suggest that we could also have one that rings for those who don't "Obey the Law" And are "Going to H*ll". That way we could divide the Saints and the sinners. You could call it a Saint detector. So all will know.

The comedian, Bill Engvall, has something along those lines...

He claims that there are people who do stupid behavior or ask stupid questions...For example, he was come up a dock after a sucessfull fishing trip where he had a fairly good string of trout that was caught. A passerby asks, "you catch all those fish?" to which Bill answered- "Nope! Talked them into giving up". Here's your sign...

Apparently, there are people who ask the most rediculous/obvious questions or who do the most obviously stupid behaviors...We need some sort of sign that these people are this way so as to protect them from embarrasement, or their own behavior....

A guy was trying to buy a VW bug from Bill. After driving the car a couple of miles, they pulled back into the driveway, and the prospective buyer gets out to inspect the car....He looks at the twin muffler pipes on the VW and reaches down and grabs them. "Ouch!" he says " Boy, they're hot." Here's your sign....

Red, just ran across this. It's interesting.

In maths we can take out the common factor and see what is revealed:
(Pot is Good)(luck)

As an unqualified legalist, I just love the Distributive Law...

Graeme

Interesting.

Do you think that handwashing is one of those traditions that has been done away with?

Done away with? Well it sounds like it wasn't anything to begin with. Modern medicine and common sense tells us it is healthier to wash than not. But it's neither a requirement nor a sin, not to wash.