The Australian government recently banned live cattle exports to Indonesia because their methods of killing are allegedly cruel and painful.

The ban seriously disrupted many Northern Territory and Queensland communities where thousands are employed in the cattle industry.

Then, the other day, we’re told that the exporting would resume.

The reasons for these changes – who leaned on who – we’ll probably never be told.

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Islamic teaching is that cattle should be slaughtered by knife cut — severing the major neck blood vessels.

At the moment of cutting, the animal’s head must face Mecca (Makkah) the Muslim holy city in Arabia.

The resulting edible meat product can then be labelled “halal”, i.e. permissible for Muslims to eat – because it has, at least implicitly, been dedicated to the Islamic god, Allah.

The Koran says, “do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is grave disobedience”.  (Qur’an 6:121)

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It is all part of Sharia law.

Worldwide, big business is knuckling under.

McDonalds now sell, for example, halal chicken nuggets. Kentucky Fried, Pizza Hut and others do likewise.

None of which affect me.

However, the other day I was about to eat a slice of Coon cheese, when I spotted on the wrapping that word “halal”.

What to do?

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Should a person professing to be a Christian eat food that has been dedicated to what is, to him, a false god?

Similar questions arose back in Biblical times and were dealt with by Saint Paul (in chapter 8 of his first letter to the Corinthians).

His attitude was that, although dedicating food to a false god has no effect and it is still just food . . . there is another angle to consider.

By taking that food, might we give the impression we are acknowledging that act of dedication as being valid?