<P> While the majority of Christians agree that the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament were lifted with Christ's New Covenant, a view known as Supersessionism, there are Torah - submissive Christians who believe that they should still be observed . Supporters of this view may argue, for example, that in the Old Testament, Daniel spoke of unclean food and drink as "defiling one's body" Daniel 1: 8, and that in the New Testament one's body is said to be the "temple of God", and "If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him". Some read Jesus's reply to questioning by the Pharisees in Matthew 15: 1 - 2 and Matthew 15: 19 - 20 as implying that his statements about "which goeth into the mouth" (Mark 7: 14--23 and Matthew 15: 10--11) referred to the question of hand washing, rather than clean and unclean foods . </P> <P> Others also argue that the dietary restrictions predate Leviticus, and that Paul in Colossians 2 was referring to the ceremonial feast days such as the Feast of Unleavened Bread and not clean and unclean foods . Others argue that the liberal view would imply the acceptance even of alcohol, tobacco, rats and roaches as "clean food"; and that God never declares something an abomination and then changes His mind . </P> <P> Supporters of the stricter view have also disputed the interpretation of Peter's vision Acts 10: 5 - 10, claiming that God was merely instructing him not to refer to gentiles as "unclean" since salvation had been extended to them . This is expressly stated by Peter later in the chapter at Acts 10: 28 ("but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean .") In Acts 10: 14 Peter makes a distinction between "common" (Greek κοινόν) and "unclean" (Greek ακάθαρτον) to which God replies in the next verse "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common (κοίνου)". </P> <P> One modern example of a Torah - submissive group is the Seventh - day Adventist Church whose co-founder Ellen G. White was a proponent of vegetarianism . Many Seventh - day Adventists avoid meat for health reasons, though vegetarianism is not a requirement . Members of the United Church of God as well as other Sabbath - keeping Christian Churches also believe in abstaining from unclean meats . </P>

What is an unclean animal according to the bible