Just wondering, really. What does that commandment mean? Should Christians be eating meat? Why or why not?
2007-01-30 04:59:38 · 23 answers · asked by liddabet 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The original language of the Hebrew is clear: "Thou shalt do no murder". Clearly this is intended to mean another human being.
2007-01-30 05:03:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Do you think it is proper to kill vegetables? After all, they are life.
The problem is in the translation. It should read, "Thou shall not murder". I am not trying to rewrite the Bible. If you look at the context, you will see where many times killing is justified, and sometimes even commanded.
Obviously killing an animal is not the same as killing a human being. This idea is popularized by people who promoted the idea that we are just another species of animal. If you accept this doctrine, you might think that the other animals have the same right to life as humans. This is contrary to scripture and common sense.
I enjoy shooting, but I don't hunt. The reason that I don't hunt is because I have no desire to kill anything. I don't think that there is anything morally wrong with hunting. I have no problem eating venison. At the same time, I have no problem shooting a rat, because a rat is harmful.
2007-01-30 05:16:10 · answer #2 · answered by iraqisax 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The commandment means that you should not kill people, not animals. If it pertained to animals, God would not have commanded the ancient Israelites to kill lambs and bulls for sacrifice. Also, when Noah got off the boat, God said it was now OK to eat meat. (Before the Flood, everyone was vegetarian.) The Flood had caused limited vegetation at first, so God added meat to their diet to make up for a lack of other nutrients.
It's OK in God's eyes for humans to eat meat, but He did command that only "clean" animals were fit for human consumption, and He forbade humans to eat animals that were scavengers or predators, including pigs and shellfish. "Clean" animals include the two-toed, cud-chewing ungulates like cattle, sheep, goats, deer, elk, moose, etc. Their multiple stomachs seem to have some kind of filtering mechanism that other animals don't.
My church, the Seventh-Day Adventists, in general prefer to eat vegetarian, mostly for health reasons and partially because it was the original diet of Man in the Garden of Eden.
2007-01-30 05:11:54 · answer #3 · answered by FUNdie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read the whole bible, not just a part and claim thats what christians should do. If you did you'd realize that christ ate meat several times, and the sacrifices that are required in the old testament require animal death. In Hebrew kill means murder, you cannot murder animals, only kill them. You can however murder a human being.
2007-01-30 05:05:06 · answer #4 · answered by Baradore 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
all the commandments refer to God and to our "neighbor" (fellow human beings). Some people believe that Adam and Eve were vegetarians and it wasn't until the fall, that killing animals for sacrifice was introduced. Supposedly, it was only after Noah that people started to eat animals. But back to your question, the commandment has nothign to do with animals, only people. The Jews received the commandments and shortly after God gave them quail to eat, so it wouldn't make sense.
2007-01-30 05:06:12 · answer #5 · answered by IKB 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hmmmmm.... good question. But, what about God's command to Noah and his family upon them leaving the ark? They were told that all animals moving on the face of the earth should serve as food. Doesn't sound very vegetarian to me....
2007-01-30 05:08:39 · answer #6 · answered by View from a horse 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, God has provided all things for us to enjoy. Jesus ate fish. I personally really hate the thoughts of some poor animal dying but on the other hand I love ribs. We live under no condemnation for eating meat in the eyes of God.
2007-01-30 05:05:47 · answer #7 · answered by angel 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I believe God means that people shouldn't murder each other. From what I understand, God gave man domain over the animal kingdom. I am not saying it's wrong or right. Jesus fished. Think about it, would God or Jesus condone killing fish if it were wrong? I guess the same rules apply to other meat related products.
2007-01-30 05:06:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can eat meat. This command is best understood as "do not murder."
Let me find my answer to a similiar question as this...and I will give you a link. The answer there talks about the Hebrew words that are used.
Search for my answer. It was not choosen as best, but I believe it is the first post.
2007-01-30 05:03:41 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, it's only dealing with killing humans. 1 Tim. 4:3-5 says that God created meats to be eaten.
2007-01-30 05:12:23 · answer #10 · answered by LENZ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋