Why aren't Christians Vegetarians?

Question

I am just curious as to why, because after a bit of research (I'm thinking about doing a project on religion) I found this site which talks about why Christians should go vegetarian.
http://www.jesusveg.com/index2.html

Beaverscanttalk: as silly as it sounds, I have to do a course that is entitled 'animals and society' so it will deal with these things. :)

Snout: I'm glad you don't find it silly. Some people do, thats why I am one of the very few who selected this optional course. Plus I'm a Jain so I'd find it so much easier to relate to certain aspects of the course.

Answer 1

First of all, well done! Your a Jain, a vegetarian, and an American. that makes you a very strong willed person, and mentally balanced. It takes a lot of work to maintain such strength on a constant basis, I know from experience, and the social peer pressure in school increases that several fold, so I say again well done.
The answer to your question is, quite simply, interpretation which leads to justification of choices which leads to acts that would not occur if the interpretation were different.
So, what's the difference in interpretation mean? Well, say for example, the things other answerers have quoted from teh bible. One answerer says that Jesus fed the people and himself with grapes, the other says lamb. Two contradictory positions interpreted from the same book, by people from the same religious order. Is it possible that both are true? yes, people often hear (or in this case read) only what they want to hear (or see). so in one part he's feeding grapes, in another he's feeding lamb.
It's also possible that there was a failure in interpretation during translation of the book into the language the readers that answered above could understand. It's even possible that one of the answerers is answering based on one translation into English, and another answerer is answering based on a different translation into English.

These are just a few select examples of how interpretation can have a monumental effect on the understanding of the text, which leads to different choices, with different justifications, and sometimes entirely different belief systems. Just one last example: Do you know how many different types of Christians there are in this world, that all read the same book?!?!?!

Answer 2

From an old testament point of view there are verses that point to the fact that early on within the human race, eating herbs and fruit was indeed the stand.

Gen 1:29 And God said: 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed - to you it shall be for food;
Gen 1:30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, I have given every green herb for food.' And it was so. (Jewish Publication Society)

The Hebrew word, "'ôklâh" means to 'consume, devour, eat, food, meat'. So such was indeed considered to be the 'meat' to be eaten.

It is clear to see that there was a change. At the Passover, the blood was used on the doorposts and the lamb was eaten (a practice that Jesus used and what Christians now call communion).

Would have to spend some time really go thru it all to possibly determine the time that such a change took place - which I don't have right now. I have church today with a meal afterwards - and start jury duty Monday on a capitol murder case that is possibly going to last over 2 weeks - that I am HOPING not to get sequestered and having to spend all that time in a hotel with no computer access.

Answer 3

Most people who chose to live as vegetarians for ethical reasons do so because of beliefs about the consequences of their actions to other sentient beings.

These beliefs are common in some Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, and atheists and people with pagan or animist beliefs sometimes come to similar conclusions.

Some Christians, such as Seventh Day Adventists and some following Franciscan traditions, also embrace vegetarianism.

Aside from ethical concerns about harm to other beings, religiously based vegetarianism is sometimes based on beliefs about ritual purity, perceptions of self denial, and beliefs about health.

[Edit] I don't find a course aiming to explore the ethics of the treatment of animals "silly" at all.

Answer 4

So what, canine teeth and our ability to digest meat is a result of the fall? When Paul was talking about how we Christians could eat even 'unclean' animals he was really advocating veganism?

If someone wants to be vegetarian for idealogical or health reasons, it's fine with me. I'm just offended at the distortions and pulling they've subjected scripture to.

But then PETA does that with most anything.

Answer 5

Christ was a vegetarian! He reminded everyone that blood consumption was taboo!
I suppose it was the way they would take the life of a lamb for sacrificial purposes in the temples in those days that struck Him wrong. No adolatery. No Idolizing graven images! The "Thou Shalt Not Kill" commandment meant animals also!
We are poisoned with the meat and blood of animals. It is a cardinal offence to take a life. The most horrible act to perform.
At the wedding, He feed the many with wine and GRAPES, ...NOT fish.
He was an Essene from the Nasorian group at Cashel and they were Vegetarians. His mother Mary was raised by the Essenes also.

Answer 6

That person who created that email probably has an agenda and is full of bullsh#t and should be ignored. Its purpose is just to gather some supporter and only people without a common sense are interested with those teachings.Have you heard the saying " If only all people in this world have common sense , this planet will have a better and calm place to live." That saying applies here big time.

Answer 7

There a re a group of Christians that are vegetraians,I think they are seventh-day advetists.I know they are vegetarians,but I'm not sure if they are also a dividon of Christians.

Answer 8

How does vegetarianism lead you to wanting to do a project about religion? haha I thought about becoming veg once not because of the animals but more for health reasons. I like most vegetarians except the ones that back PETA they are complete idiots and are backing an evil organization.

Answer 9

Well, considering that Jesus partook of Passover LAMB as well as fish, and in the book of Acts, God told Peter to kill an animal and eat it, I'd say that the author of that website has missed the point of what being a Christian is about.

Answer 10

Because the Pope likes to sit down to a big steak.