Bernard,
I will agree to disagree with your assessment of his article.
Thanks Molly. I would have to disagree, too.

It was not meant to be as much of a defense of religious practices as a pointing out of the fact that the food laws of Leviticus were health food laws, which are still applicable today...if not more so. Personally, I find it fascinating that those laws found in the Old Testament dovetail so perfectly with current scientific knowledge and that our ignorance of them (and other related guidelines) has led to so much of the things with which we are now dealing.
Sadly, many are so tired of hearing about "religion" that they either scoff at or turn away from anything with a Biblical connotation. I do understand why. But people of faith should be able to see the wisdom in these OT passages and yet, they either are ignorant of them or choose to ignore them.
However, if we are seeking the truth about how disease has developed and what we are going to need to do change the horrific health crisis in which we find ourselves, we need to see ALL of the things we have done wrong that has brought these plagues upon us. After 10 years of intensive research- studying everything from Alzheimer's to Zinc deficiency- I have come away with one simple truth: We have done this all to ourselves. Granted, in many cases we are truly ignorant (unknowledgeable) of what we have done- starting with the PRENATAL effects of food intolerance, malnutrition, chemical exposure, estrogen dominance, etc.- but in the final analysis, most of it was preventable..."if that were possible".
But this is GOOD news. If we could have prevented it, then we can take the same approach to help deal with it. Work backwards. The information we now have on food intolerance is absolutely amazing. Keep your eyes on celiac research, with gluten intolerance being the "poster child" for the "big 4 foods. Also, keep your eyes on the autism community. They are putting together THE model for disease. Autism is "the perfect storm" situation and their ever-growing list of insults IS the "who's who" of what we have been doing wrong for years and years. And the generation that includes my children (I am 55) are "the worst of the worst"- kids born to celiac/food intolerant parents and into a world of fast food, pollutants of all kinds, and lifestyles like the world has never seen. Throw in the vaccines (that are both harmful and too much for these afflicted kids to handle) and they start dropping like flies, as predictable as anything we should know.
We still have little idea about the TRUE roles of viruses and bacteria in our health. But we are in the age of discovery. The newest research is providing real answers. The roles of viruses and intracellular bacteria in "idiopathic" and "autoimmune" conditions are finally being accurately described. Very soon, the crazy notion that our immune system attacks itself for no good reason will finally be put to rest. And what they will find is resident viruses and bacteria reacting to OUR challenges...the malnutrition and pollutants, et al...and our medical salvation will come when we stop making these guys mad and get ourselves in shape enough to deal with the challenges that are out of our immediate control (e.g. air pollution). We'll never get rid of viruses and bacteria. They are here to stay and a necessary part of our existence. So, we must stop challenging them and work on becoming healthier. Hey, that's the plan anyway.
I hope this helps,
John