Is there anything in Christianity that supports Vegatarianism?

Question

Hi,

I am Catholic and was wondering if there is anything in the bible that supports vegatarianism...Jesus ate fish !! (and multiplied them for people to eat !!)

Thanks !!

Answer 1

Yeah, the PETA people put it up on a billboard. It was in the old testament something in genesis saying that animals weren't to be eaten unless you found yourself in a time of famine.

Answer 2

I am not a Christian or a Jew, but I have a degree in Ancient Greek, Ancient History, and I have studied the history of the early church and the theology of Christianity.

The short answer is NOT REALLY, but there are some interesting points to make.

Here are the reasons why NOT:

-- "Thou shalt not kill" only refers to killing for personal reasons during non-war situations. It is clear that it does not mean all killing because God not only kills people in the Bible, but commands certain men to do this (Joshua, Elijah). Not only that, God commands the death penalty for certain crimes in the Jewish Law.

-- Even if you run with the idea that God doesn't want us to kill each other (which seems reasonable from a Christian point of view), you must remember that the Bible puts animals and humans in two entirely different categories. Only humans received the "breath of life" and was giving a soul (read this in Genesis). Only humans have souls.

Having said this, there are a few elements of the Bible that MAY lean toward a vegetarian point of view:

-- Read the story of Cain and Abel: Cain was seen as a wicked and violent man, who also made his leaving by eating milk and meat from his flocks. Abel raised plants in the field and lived off these alone. He is depicted as a righteous man and God was more pleased with Abel's sacrfice of grain than Cain's gift of milk.

-- All through the Old and New Testament, farming is considered the most noble way to make a living, and grain and fruit are consistently used as metaphors for goodness and the products of hard work. Fishing is a close second, as many of Jesus' disciples were fisherman from the seaside village of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Third would be milk, which is sometimes used as a positive image (along with honey).

-- To my knowledge, Jesus does not eat any meat except fish. His diet seems to consist almost exclusively of grain products, fish, and wine.

-- Jesus does seem to show some empathy toward animal life that was a little uncommon for this period. His use of the image of the lamb is striking, especially since the Gospel of John views Jesus as a "Paschal Lamb", the ultimate flesh sacrifice to God, butchered in Jerusalem at Passover. Jesus also talks about God's love for the beasts of the field, especially the birds of the air whom God sees fit to feed.

-- In the Garden of Eden, it seems that man was supposed to simply shepherd and care for the animals. If you read the story in Genesis, you will see that only the eating of plants is described before the Fall. Also, many of the descriptions of Paradise or the Kingdom of God in the prophetic works (the book of Daniel, etc.) show LAMBS lying in peace with the LIONS -- images that suggest that animals eating animals is part of the sinful nature of the world: In other words, no meat was eaten in the innocent age in the Garden of Eden, and no meat will be eaten after Jesus returns and the Final Judgment occurs.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I'm Catholic too and I'm also a vegetarian. There was a part in the bible when God listed all the herbs that bore seed etc for Adam and Eve to eat -to EAT. He actually said that they could eat it. As for animals, he said that we may only eat bird in times of famine/cold, and he also nevr said that we SHOULD eat them. He only said that we had dominance over the animals - but that could be interperated in many different ways. The word of God also states that we have to rest on Sunday so that our oxen/a s s (as in donkey) may rest as well - and there was all this stuff on helping your animals and not mistreating them.
But God wouldn't punish anyone for eating/not eating meat - as you said, Jesus wasn't a vegetarian but he didn't waste or was cruel either. If you're worried about moral issues then there's nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, which actually saves animals.

Answer 4

No, unless your an SDA, and you interpret Daniel eating beans and fish in Ch. 2 or so as your rule, in addition to Adam & Eve eating only fruits and veggies as your model (back to the beginning b4 sin).

However Paul warns us about ascetic vegetarians in 1 Tim 4:1-4.

And for you Old Testament types, read Isaiah 25!!!

Answer 5

nope nothing at all the bible actually talks about eating meat hundreds of times, and says that a man that refuses to sit down and eat meat with another man has some problems. Look it up in a concordance.

Answer 6

Paul addressed a slightly different yet related question in 1 Corinthians 8:

4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

7But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. (NIV)

Point: if vegetarianism makes you feel closer to God, be a vegetarian. If eating meat does not offend your conscience, then eat meat. Just don't make the decision--either way--for other Christians.

Answer 7

Originally in Genesis, people were given the herbs of the field to eat, then after the flood (Gen 9 i think) God gave people meat to eat. Either way, it is a choice, not right or wrong.

Answer 8

I haven't found anything that per se' supports vegetarianism but I do know that God has said he will basically let man kill himself off and that is what humans are doing by consuming the hyped up, super injected, improperly housed and inspected animal flesh.

Everyday when you hear about cancer statistics going up it is mainly for the meat eaters. Makes ya think. hmmmm

Answer 9

no, I dont know why catholics do that, but I think its a tradition or something. It is written all God created is good. We eat all others because we human beings are their gods. Plant and meat are all good for you. so nothing supports vegitarianism

simple and clear

Answer 10

Remember, the Bible is not all New Testament. Try reading the Old Testament.