Ok, to my knowledge, eating pork, or catfish, or whatever it was that you were eating is perfectly fine. That is Old Testament or Old Law that you quoted. So eat all the shell fish you want. And yes, people get extremely wrapped up in "rules and laws." Look at the Pharisees. There's a passage in Bible where the Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus and making it look as if He has broken the law of the Sabbath.

Matthew 12
10 And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--so that they might accuse Him. 11 And He said to them, "What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out?
12 "How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13 Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.
14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

He is saying that law is not a reliable guide to holiness. People should be judged on the heart, not on superficial actions.

Being a good Christian is not all about how you act, what you eat, how you look, it is about a relationship with Almighty God. It's about change, growth, and striving to be more like Christ. "For man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

The most important thing that happens within Christian spirtuality is when a person falls in love with Jesus. Trust Him and giving everything over to Him. All He wants is a relationship with you. Sure, you're gonna screw up. alot. He's gonna love you regardless.

I've been browsing over the ongoing debates about religion. Here is a passage from one of my favorite books, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

"I was watching BET one night, and they were interviewing a man about jazz music. He said jazz music was invented by the first generation out of slavery. I thought that was beautiful because, while it is music, it is very hard to put on paper; it is so much more a language of the soul. It is as if the soul is saying something, something about freedom. I think Christian spirituality is alot like jazz music. I think loving Jesus is something you feel. I think it is something very difficult to get on paper. But it is no less real, no less meaningful, no less beautiful.

The first generation out of slavery invented jazz music. It is a music birthed out of freedom. And is the closest thing I know to Christian spirtuality. A music birthed out of freedom."

I have not joined in any of the discussions because of the above. It is so hard to get this stuff down on paper. Think about the person you love most in this world, then try and right down on one page why it is you love them so much and what they mean to you. No cheating and writing down, "words can't express ..." It is almost impossible to be able to pinpoint a feeling you have inside you, ecspecially concerning your relationship with Christ.

I hope that I am not coming off as "preachy". I'm pretty sure I haven't damned anyone to hell yet. Correct me if I'm wrong, of course. I just want Jesus to happen to you the way He happened to me.