The parallel is quite clear: a Christian, who in any situation is called to think about the One God and who has acquired such a habit, does not badly touch the dead remains, just as there is no loss for him when eating food sacrificed to idols.

So it is necessary to distinguish between ontology (or theology) and pedagogy.

From the point of view of being, which is really existing, an idol is nothing, and that which is sacrificed to idols does not harm man. "There is no secret power in them," writes Clement of Alexandria about idolatrous meals[274].

Therefore, when buying food for oneself in the market, one need not be interested in whether it is sacrificed to idols or not – "lest they again become discriminating beyond what is due, they would not refuse what is sold at the market, for fear that it may be sacrificed to idols, [the Apostle] says: Everything that is sold, eat without inquiring about those who sell, without asking whether not things sacrificed to idols are sold, as if your conscience is jealous of you. and you want to clear it. Or thus: lest thy conscience be jealous of thee, thou shalt not investigate; for in the proceedings you will find out that what you are supposed to buy is sacrificed to idols, and your conscience will be troubled"[275]. "Everything that is sold in the market, eat without any examination, for peace of conscience" (1 Corinthians 10:25).

From the pedagogical point of view, before using this knowledge of one's own, one must think: whether it will not harm the person who does not yet have such knowledge, whether it will not compel him to touch the food that he himself still considers unclean, and whether this will not thereby confuse his conscience. "But I do not mean my own conscience, but another's: for why should my freedom be judged by the conscience of others" (1 Corinthians 10:29). For this reason, the Apostolic Council, convened to settle disputes between Jewish and Gentile Christians, in fact called on both sides to make concessions: it called on the Jews not to embarrass the Gentiles by demanding circumcision, and it called on the Gentiles not to confuse the Jews by eating things sacrificed to idols.

Now it is clear "in what difficulty he (the apostle) was. He wants to prove two things – that one should abstain from such a meal, and that it cannot harm those who eat of it. These subjects do not quite agree with each other. Hearing that idolatrous sacrifices do no harm, the Corinthians could use them as indifferent. And when they heard the prohibition to touch them, they could suspect that these things were forbidden because they could be harmful. Therefore, rejecting the concept of idols, he puts the temptation of the brethren as the first reason for abstinence" [276].

The Apostle Paul, having said: "An idol is nothing in the world" (1 Corinthians 8:4), immediately adds with contrition: "But not everyone has such knowledge" (1 Corinthians 8:7). And if such a Christian, weak in the faith, begins to imitate the action of a more perfect Christian, then he will act against the dictates of his own conscience. "By doing so, he will offend his conscience and sin against God; for one should not act against one's conscience in any case"[277].

Thus, "I do not teach to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, as if they were unclean,"[278] but for the sake of condescension to the weaknesses of others... In fact, there is "nothing to argue about"[279].

Here is a summary of these apostolic thoughts of St. Ephraim the Syrian: "And we know about the sacrifices of idols, since we all have knowledge. And although this knowledge puffs up those who go there (to the pagan temples) for food, yet love, which spares its neighbors, does not allow them to go there. But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet known, as it should be for him to know. But he who loves to help (his neighbors) has learned. As for the eating of idolatrous sacrifices, we know that nothing is an idol in the world. For although there are things to which worship is given, either in heaven or on earth, since in heaven the sun and moon are called gods, and other things also on earth, yet for us God the Father is one. But not everyone has knowledge of the subject I have mentioned. There are some prostitutes among believers who go to the house of the idol to eat; Since the faithful see that priests and teachers go there, and because of the ignorance of their minds I consider themselves unclean, as soon as they think that what we eat here is like an idolatrous sacrifice. Take heed, he says, and take heed lest this power which you have, either by eating everything or by not restraining yourself from entering those places, in any way serve as a stumbling block for the weak. But if any of the brethren is unsteadfast in his mind, and sees thee, having knowledge, reclining there, then he, having a false view of the sacrifice, being carried away by the desire to eat things sacrificed to idols, behold, the innocent one has perished, for whose sake Christ died. Therefore, do not lead your brethren into sin and do not offend them, that is, do not make them waver for the sake of their weak conscience. Do not consider this as something easy, since you sin against Christ if you do not protect your brethren. Truly, if my brother is offended because of the food that is thrown into the latrines, then not only will I abstain from meat, which is eaten in the house of the idol in a few days, but I will not eat meat at all forever, lest I offend my brother... We do not say that an idol is anything; for I know that what the Gentiles sacrifice, they offer to demons. For this reason I exhort you to avoid them, since our communion with demons removes you from communion with our Lord: for you cannot drink the cup of the Lord, nor the cup of demons; and to sit at the table of the Lord, and at the table of devils. Or do you want to make Him jealous by this? And although everything is possible for the sake of freedom, not everything that is possible is useful to our neighbors. We should seek not only our own benefit, but also our neighbors. Whatever is sold at the market, eat, only do not approach the altar of demons. For the sake of conscience, do not ask about what you find in the market – I do not mean the conscience of those who are questioned, but of those who inquire. If any of the unbelievers calls you to dinner, and you wish to go, then eat everything that is offered to you because of hunger, without asking anything for the sake of conscience, so as not to weaken it. But if anyone says, "This is a sacred sacrifice," then do not eat for the sake of the one who declared. For the earth is the Lord's with its fullness. And although here He will not give you food, yet in another place He does not forbid you. For the sake of conscience, whether he will be weak or firm. As for my conscience, I am not talking about my conscience, but about another's. Why should my freedom be subjected to the judgment of another's conscience? That is, if they are offended, will I also become like them?" [280].

How many times do you hear the call here - "do not ask", but there are still those who like to order barcode examinations...

It is not an idol that harms a person, but a person harms himself if he attaches any importance to food sacrificed to idols. After all, if an idol is nothing even in the world, then why ascribe to it any significance in the Church, in the life of a church person?

Here it is time just to calmly explain to people how to treat pro-pag symbols. One should not kiss pagan faces and signs and expect help from them, one should not treat them religiously, one should not attach to them the importance that the pagans see in them, but one should not be afraid of them – "idols, i.e., trees, stones, demons, can neither harm nor benefit"[281]. But if to pay the tax you need to take a coin with the image of the man-worshiping Caesar in your hands, you do not need to be more religious than the pagan publicans themselves. If for them this coin is not an idol or a religious shrine, but simply a banknote, then all the more should a Christian not see something more in this coin.

And yet, what cannot but be a sad sign of our own missionary and pastoral inadequacy is that even 2000 years after the Apostle Paul, these "weak" and "imperfect" (Blessed Jerome calls them "Judaizers"[282]) constitute a frightened and frightening majority even in the Church... It is impossible to confine oneself all the time only to condescend to the weaknesses of the weak. After all, it is necessary to preach the truth to them! Bl. Theodoret said of such "infirm" that "it is not eating them that defiles them, but their conscience is defiled, not accepting perfect knowledge, but being still possessed by idolatrous delusion"[283]. So how long will this "more" last?!

However, it is worth saying right away what is the difference between the situation that the Apostle described and the one that has developed with today's "barcodes". In the time of the Apostle, not all meat sold in the market was "sacrificed to idols." And Christians had no inevitable need to visit notorious pagans or buy branded meat. Christians arbitrarily went to places where impurity could be found, but in principle they could not go there. Accordingly, the Apostle warns: if temptation for other people is born from your freedom, then it is better to use your freedom more wisely, so as not to seduce others. Don't you need to go to the temples? "Well, don't go!" Therefore, the Apostle's word is addressed primarily to these "strong" and "free" Christians, and not to those who are embarrassed by such behavior of their fellow believers.