Vegetarianism and the Bible?

Question

I'm vegetarian. I've had people tell me that they aren't veg because God says that it's ok to eat meat and that it's written in the Bible. Any thoughts on the subject?

(I still won't eat meat because I think it's morally wrong and unnecessary! I just want to know what others think of this topic.)

Answer 1

Carnivores tend to get very defensive for some reason. I don't really know why they care what others eat anyway. I think you should eat a healthy diet that satisfies both your body as well as your conscience.

Answer 2

The Bible can be used to argue for vegetarianism and for eating meat. It just depends on which chapter you look at.

In Genesis, when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, the Bible very strongly implies that a vegetarian diet was offered by G-d. Then there was the whole thing with original sin, disobeying G-d, getting booted out of the garden, etc. After that you can read about humans having permission (or even the suggestion) to eat meat.

Answer 3

There is a long and detailed description in the Book of Leviticus about what animals are permissible for food and which ones aren't.

Meat is definitely permitted in the Old Testament.

The New Testament is more vague about it, but there is at least one reference to Jesus serving "loaves and fishes." I don't think it mentions if he actually ate it, but it implies that he must have thought it was okay if he served it to others.

However, the fish is also a Christian symbol, and someone could justifiably argue that it was meant to be symbolic.

I can't recall any reference to Jesus eating lamb, but that's another symbolic animal to Christians.

Some people claim that Jesus belonged to an obscure sect called the Essenes who ate no meat. I don't think anyone can prove that, however.

Also, Bible scholars know that the New Testament was written many years after Jesus was no longer a living man. The Gospels contradict each other in some other details, so I don't see how we can be absolutely certain the food references are accurate.

Answer 4

actually before noah  according to the bible all humans were vegetarians.  coincidentally this is also when humans used to live incredibly long lives of 500 600 700 or 800 years.

Answer 5

the Bible doesn't command us to eat meat

Answer 6

well according to most of my staunch catholic friends, christians are not meant to eat pork

Answer 7

well jesus was a vegetarian so......its ok!

Answer 8

he says its okay but not mandatory. you could come back with "i refuse to kill gods creatures, even if he says its ok" maybe as a sarcastic remark.

Answer 9

What does Popular Mechanics say about it? That's a good book too.

There are differing viewpoints as far as interpreting scripture. One undeniable fact though is that Jesus ate both fish & lamb.

Hey Indy---the Passover ritual includes eating lamb. There's several references but you'd have to do a search as I am not a religious man and therefore don't know the passages exact locations.

Here's some info:

http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVa...

EDIT: To those who would argue that, as vegetarians, bible entities lived for hundreds of years, might I point out that "years" as we know them are in accordance with the Roman calendar and the Romans were nowhere to be found in the biblical times that these people supposedly lived for 100's of years. In other words, years were a completely different measure of time at that point.

"Some people claim that Jesus belonged to an obscure sect called the Essenes who ate no meat. I don't think anyone can prove that, however. ---that's a PETA ploy as explained in my link.

Answer 10

i never heard of that. im a vegetarian too, for ethical reasons,too

Answer 11

well I'm not that familiar with the bible but i pretty sure that the they way animals are killed now is not what he had in mine and I'm pretty sure he would approve of the sad harsh conditions  they live in  

Answer 12

its not BC any we have alteritives now to almost everything

Answer 13

In Romans, chapter 14, the Bible says:

"One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak eats only vegetables.  The man who eats everthing must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.  Who are you to judge someone else's servant?...He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God....Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.  Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way...If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.  Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died...For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of tighteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Basically, in my interpretation, it is doesn't matter which you choose - eating meat or not - just give thanks to God for the food you have chosen to eat and be respectful of other people's decisions.  I don't agree with the way animals are treated in US industrial processing.  I was a vegetarian for a long time, but I do eat organic meats now.  I don't mind what other people choose to eat because it is their decision and I have no control over that.  I can't save all the animals, but I know that by my choosing not to eat meat for one year, I saved the lives of about 90 animals.

Sorry for the long response, but those are my thoughts on it.  :)

Answer 14

A lot of people in the bible also had lived a long and healthy life because they were vegetarian or vegan. People had lived on a vegan diet way long before someone had started to hunt for meat.

Answer 15

hi!

i'm a Christian vegetarian, like many others on this site.

i think veganism Christianity go well together! here is why:

Jesus taught about love for others, compassion, and mercy. Even if the Bible tells us that we CAN eat meat, it doesn't say that we HAVE to. I try my best to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and I think that being a vegetarian is a great way to exhibit the kindness and compassion that He taught of.

Besides.....the Bible says "Thou shalt not kill".......not "Thou shalt not kill other humans." God only gave humans the permission to eat meat after the flood because there was no vegetation. Even then He said that it would have to be free of blood and that eating animals would cause them to fear us and attack us. Think about it....before the flood everyone MUST have been vegetarian....if people and animals were all eating each other, how would they have been able to stay on an ark together without mass slaughter? Doesn't make sense, does it? If you tell them to read Genesis 9, they can see all of this play out.

Also, think about the Lord's Prayer...part of it is:

"Thy kingdome come, Thy will be done

on Earth as it is in Heaven."

There is no killing in Heaven, as the lion will lay with the lamb. If we are supposed to be doing God's will as it is in Heaven, we should do no killing of living beings either. Just a thought. =)

when all else fails, i just show people this:

"Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so." Genesis 1:29

your friends are correct in that God did give people permission to eat meat in Genesis 9, but He only did so because the great flood had occurred and there was no vegetation for people to eat.  He even says that by doing so animals will learn to fear each other and humans.  He offered to let us eat meat because we had to eat something to survive, not because people were really craving a bbq sandwich.  

i recommend asking some Seventh-Day Adventists about this....they are a Christian church that preaches the values of vegetarianism to their followers.

i also STRONGLY recommend you visit www.jesusveg.org

it is run by PETA, who i don't necessarily agree with, but if nothing else it will really get you thinking!

BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL =D

EDIT:  to chyna, below:  great reference! i look at that passage differently though....it's part of a parable, and the different diets are being used to represent the different kinds of people being talked about in the parable.  if you read through the whole chapter you might see what i mean.  regardless, a good reference bc no matter how you take it, it's telling people to be accepting of one another.  thanks for the well-researched input! people rarely actually use Bible verses on questions like this.

EDIT: TANLL-  i know where to find the verse about Jesus eating fish, but where is the one about Him eating lamb?  i'd like to look it up.  just curious....thanks!