Taking passages out of context is essentially the same as lying, unless you are unaware that is what you are doing.
I've taken nothing out of context that I'm aware of.
This passage is talking about eating meat (food) sacrificed to idols, and deemed 'unclean" because of its religious use.
Not quite. What you're discussing is expressed explicitly in Acts, the previous book...
15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
There is also 1 Cor.
8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
Nothing in Romans speaks of idol offerings while the other books do. Do you not think, perhaps, that Paul was speaking of foods deemed kosher and not kosher as in the similar passages about circumcision and uncircumcision? Pork, for instance, was not kosher. Many things are determined by man not to be kosher against the very precepts of G_d.
I believe you might consider your own warning. You've not taken things out of context, you've taken things out of the wrong books.
You're absolutely right!
No excuse, but it was late and I was thinking of the Corinthians passage, which I happen to believe is describing the same principle. I do not believe this is similar to the kosher not kosher or circumcision and uncircumcision issue, especially the latter, which refers more to the distinction between the letter and external acts (which can be faked) and the spirit and internal state, (which is what a man really is and both he and God know it.) The Romans passage is more general than the Corinthians passage, including any reason one might esteem certain foods or practices "unclean" or "offensive to God." But the passage is certianly not one of license, which is what my point actually was. If anything, this passage is a restriction of Christian practices. It does not say, since some people's beliefs convince them things are unclean which really are not, it is alright to eat anything, but just the opposite, even if you know something is not unclean, but it might harm or weaken a Christian brother who does not have your insight, it is better to abstain.
The view I was countering is the view that whatever a person deems clean is clean. This essentially means, anything a person believes is alright to do, they may do. But this view would allow anything, including, as I said, theft, and murder, and anything else, so long as a person just believes it is alright.
The passage cannot be correctly used to justify what other passages very clearly condemn.
By the way, based on this and other passages, I believe one should always be suspicious of any group or movement that places great emphasis on any aspect of diet (forbidding or requiring certains foods or drink) or observation of particular days, or any ritual.
Hank