From a poster:
"Animals are God's creatures, not human property, nor utilities, nor resources, nor commodities, but precious beings in God's sight. ... Christians whose eyes are fixed on the awfulness of crucifixion are in a special position to understand the awfulness of innocent suffering. The Cross of Christ is God's absolute identification with the weak, the powerless, and the vulnerable, but most of all with unprotected, undefended, innocent suffering."
--Rev. Andrew Linzey
Why should Christians be Vegetarians?
Jesus' message is one of love and compassion, yet there is nothing loving or compassionate about factory farms and slaughterhouses, where billions of animals live miserable lives and die violent, bloody deaths. Jesus mandates kindness, mercy, compassion, and love for all God's creation. He would be appalled by the degree of suffering we inflict on animals to indulge our acquired taste for their flesh.
Christians have a choice. When we sit down to eat, we can add to the level of violence, misery, and death in the world, or we can respect His creation with a vegetarian diet.
Choose Compassion, not cruelty
The Garden of Eden, God's perfect world, was vegetarian (Gen. 1:29-30). Immediately, God calls this ideal and non-exploitative relationship "good" (Gen. 1:31). There follow many years of fallen humanity, when people held slaves, waged war, ate animals and committed various other violent acts. But the prophets tell us that the peaceable kingdom will be nonviolent and vegetarian; even the lion will lie down with the lamb (e.g., Isaiah 11). Jesus is the Prince of Peace, who ushers in this new age of nonviolence. When Christians pray, "Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven," the one prayer given to us by Jesus, this obligates us to change our lives, to make choices that are as merciful and loving as possible. There will be no factory farms and slaughterhouses in heaven.
God created every animal with the capacity for pain and suffering. But on today's factory farms, animals are dehorned, debeaked, and castrated without anesthesia. To maximize profits, they are crowded together in the least space possible, and are genetically bred, so that most suffer lameness, crippling leg deformities, or bone breaks, because their legs can't keep up with their scientifically enhanced bodies. Finally, they are trucked without food or water, through all weather extremes, to a frightening and hellish death.
Compassion and respect for all who suffer
A vegetarian diet is good for your health and spares animals unimaginable suffering and violence. Remember: As we do to the least, so we do to Him.
Does the Bible require it, no, but the idea is clearly there.
God's law forbade meat eating until Noah and his family left the ark. then it was permitted with conditions; for instance eating a limb of a living animal, drinking blood etc. Factory farming is evil, the equivilent of eating a limb etc. IMHO.
I don't think Christians are commanded by the Bible to be vegitarian, but it is a very Christian principle. Thanks for raising the issue!
Indeed. This has been one of the hottest of issues throughout the history of the Church. When I started this list it was to deal with people who say the Bible condemns homosexuality (which it doesn't). What does the Book literally say about this or that topic... and this is important... but at the same time,
"You have no need that anyone should teach you, for the Spirit will teach you all things."
How will the Spirit do this?
From within.
Through impulses, inner promptings, feelings... through the heart....
But this can't be legislated by Church authorities. This cant be debated. This can't be... controlled.
What would a Church that honestly accepted the priesthood of all Believers look like?
The letter kills, the spirit gives life.
How can a person of the spirit not mourn for the suffering and torment unnecessarily inflicted on billions of innocent animals? Human beings do not need to eat animals. Indeed, those who do not are healthier for the most part than those who do. The Seventh Day Adventists and others have clearly proved this. How can Christian love be celebrated while eating the dead flesh of our fellow creatures?
My point is, biblically speaking, Christians are a free people who are empowered by God to make their own decisions. Yet I, as one insignificant person among billions, look at some of the decisions made and watch in slack-jawed disbelief.
"How in the name of all that is holy can a person believe or do.... such and such."
How can people support a system of brutality, mutilation and the torture of billions of innocent cows, pigs, lambs, chickens, etc. etc.
How can well meaning Christians turn their backs on around 10-15% of the population and sincerely believe that the God of Love rejects them?
How can... I could go on and on....
I just don't get it some times....
John of AllFaith:
Should Christians be Vegetarians? Absolutely! Yes!!
~Pastor John
Reply from same member:
Pastor John you bring up yet another great point... alot of Christians are so consumed by what the bible commands and forbids that they overlook the unspoken principles. I think some people need it spelled out for them so that they can see what they believe, they can understand that, but they lack the wisdom to decipher it for themselves and use the mind that God has given them. I think that is very unfortunate because they lack the personal relationship that Jesus wants us to have with him. Some of these people have a better relationship with their church and what their pastor tells them to believe, more then they do with Christ. How sad.
-Mike
John of AllFaith
Hi Mike,
~Pastor John
Who cares, I'm glad YOU'RE here!
