Christians: Why aren't you a vegetarian?

Question

http://www.all-creatures.org/cva/wwje.htm

This website gives insight on the relationship between the Bible and the concept of animal compassion.

With all this evidence of vegetarianism being the ideal lifestyle, why aren't there more vegetarians amongst Bible readers?

I'm not a Christian myself, but I do study religions, and I'm very interested in topics such as morality beliefs amongst religious groups

I'm not pushing anything, I'm just curious. I personally have high respect for vegetarians (I am one myself). Thanks for your input. I just want your opinion.

At least skim the website before answering with stupid questions like "I need protein" or "there's no passages that say that". You could see plenty of contradictions.

ANd yes, there are contradictions in the bible. Before Noah, every being ate plant matter...even more basic than a normal vegetarian diet (that includes milk and eggs). That was ideal.

So, from what I understand...the Bible says both, but many of you will go with what's convenient.

Oh, I'm sorry for not clarifying. I know plenty of Christians who are vegetarian. I mean in general. I apologize for not stating that. Good for you :)

Answer 1

Why Christians are not vegetarian?
I think the answer is simple:

Because they like to eat meat.

And when you like something, than it is very difficult to give up. Good reason and arguments does not help most of the time.

I could give 1000 reason why being a vegetarian is better for his religion, spiritual growth, health, once emotion, the environment and of course for our nice animals.

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.

The mass animal slaughter brings a lot of problems. One very big Problem is Global Warming. Yes animal create a lot of methane gas.
Look at the ABC report: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GlobalWarming/story?id=2723201&page=1

WHY YOU MEAT EATERS DESTROY OUR ENVIRONMENT?

Jesus is not happy seeing that!!! Why you meat eating Christians support destroying our Planet earth?
Is this not a reason alone to stop eating meat?

In Asian countries they eat dogs and cats - our so beloved pets. You see these pets as your dearest friends! You feel it is cruel and disgusting eating dogs and cats.
Cows are my friends!

WHY YOU KILLING MY FRIENDS???

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.

Answer 2

It is true that man’s original diet was vegetarian. But Jehovah later expanded it to include animal flesh. Some 4,000 years ago—in the days of righteous Noah—Jehovah caused a global deluge and brought an end to the then existing wickedness on earth. Noah, his family, and the living creatures he took into the ark survived the Flood. After they emerged from the ark, Jehovah for the first time stated: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to you.” (Genesis 9:3) At the same time, however, God gave the law: “Anyone shedding man’s blood, by man will his own blood be shed, for in God’s image he made man.” (Genesis 9:6) Clearly, God did not place animals on the same level as humans.

The earth’s climate evidently had undergone drastic changes because of the Flood. Whether Jehovah introduced the addition of meat to man’s diet because he anticipated the needs of future generations living in the areas where vegetation would be scarce, the Bible does not say.

While the use of animals for food is not against the will of God, their cruel treatment is. “The righteous one is caring for the soul of his domestic animal,” says the Bible at Proverbs 12:10. And the Mosaic Law enjoined proper care of domestic animals.—Exodus 23:4, 5; Deuteronomy 22:10; 25:4.

the question of becoming a vegetarian—or remaining one—is strictly a matter for individual decision. Because of health, economics, ecology, or compassion for animals, a person may choose to follow a vegetarian regimen. But he must recognize it as only one way of eating. He should not criticize those who choose to eat meat, just as one who eats meat should not condemn a vegetarian. Eating meat or refraining from it does not make one a better person. (Romans 14:1-17) Neither should one’s diet become the prime concern in his life. “Man must live,” Jesus said, “not on bread alone, but on every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”—Matthew 4:4.

As for cruelty to animals and misuse of earth’s resources, Jehovah has promised to bring an end to this corrupt and greedy system and to replace it with the new world of his making. (Psalm 37:10, 11; Matthew 6:9, 10; 2 Peter 3:13) In that new world, man and animals will be forever at peace with one another, and Jehovah will ‘satisfy the desire of every living thing.’—Psalm 145:16; Isaiah 65:25.

Answer 3

Sorry Ameena you really thought you would get a good answer out of these dopes? The Christian nation is one of the most ruthless and merciless nations on the face of this earth. They are murdering animals at an alarming rate. The amout of damage done to the enviroment alone because of the practices it involves to raise this "meat" is not enough for these people. The fact that hundereds of thousands of tons of grain is wasted to feed these animals when it could feed those starving is not enough for these people. The meat eating nations will pay for their actions in the blood of their families and loved ones. There is no doubt about that. Eating meat is an action of such dark ignorance. I live in Germany and they have Butchers everywhere even in malls. The STINK is abominable. They don't realize this. They don't realize that their corrupt morals will bring dire reactions upon them. Just as these people treat cattle are they now being handled by their leaders. Just as they can see no wrong in brutally murdering these poor creatures so will they be slaughtered by war in the coming future. What you do comes back to you. There is no doubting this. 9/11 was just the begining. The meat eating nation has such a vacant vaccum of a heart lacking in all good properties especially MERCY.

I know thousands of vegetarians. They are healthy as can be. They do not take supplements. There is absolutely no scientific proof that humans need meat. That is absurd. No saintly person would ever condon the eating of meat. And I tell you truly. I do believe Jesus exsisted but I do know that his teaching were not only distorted but they were completely lost and the figure which is Jesus is absolutely missing in the form of his true teaching in present day Christendom. That is why the Christian communitiy is so violently hated by the world. If they were truly followers of a saintly and godly philosophy they could absolutely not be meat eaters. They are instead violent and confused peoples who have created hate and opposition for God throughout the western world.

Thou shall not kill

what is to not understand in this commandment.

Thou shall not kill

I killed an Animal

Thou shall not kill

Understand? Do not kill

Do you eat your dogs? No. Why? because you have a relationship with them. You can see they have feelings, personality, they are people just like you and me. People LOVE their dogs. This love should be extened to all beings at all times. That is true love and true Philosophy and true religion. Not a religion which condons mass murder at the rate of 8,000 per second. Bloody hells of misery and suffering which destroy not only lives but the whole earth.

Meat eating is going to bring about World War III. Mark my word.

Answer 4

The laws of Moses give specific kinds of meat we are allowed to eat and how to prepare them. Then in Acts God gave Peter a vision of even more meat we were allowed to eat. "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." Acts 10:9-16

Answer 5

(Genesis 9:3) GOD commands, "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."

(Romans 14:2) One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

(1 Timothy 4:1-3) Now the Spirit speakes expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

The website insists that all these passages are meaningless because none of them are literal and all of them are figurative. If you choose to re-interpret anything you don't like, then of course you can make any book say anything you want. But that doesn't make it accurate now, does it?

Answer 6

if you look in the old testament, and parts of the new testament, you will see no such thing as animal compassion. Except for maybe a family pet or something.

Edit: Give me a scripture address to show me that people before noah only ate plant matter.

Edit: If you look in the new testament you would see that all things have been considered worthy of eating. People who don't eat meat should not look down on those who do, and those who do eat meat should not look down on those who don't.

Answer 7

In simple terms:

1) The vast majority of Christians like meat
2) Meat is good for you
3) Meat is not prohibited by the Christian religion

Answer 8

In no religion is meat forbidden today! Yes there maybe certain types of meat but not all meat. The only meat which if forbidden to Muslims, Christians and Jews is Pork!
Pork was forbidden in the times of Moses and when Jesus came he himself said he has not come to abolish the ways which where laid before him. Therefore means they are also not allowed to eat Pork.

Answer 9

If you read the bible, you'll see animals were to be used as food too, and even when Moses and the Israelites were wandering the wilderness God sent thousands of birds to them to eat, etc. Also Jesus on the last evening meal ate lamb w/ his disciples. Animals are to be treated compassionately, but may be used for food too. Thats the only time one may be killed.

Answer 10

Jesus said that nothing that you eat is important, whatever goes inside doesn't matter, the important thing is what you say or what comes out of the mouth not what comes in it. Also, in the old testament God said that animals were created for humans, and for their diet