Jesus in the temple (Greco)
Many times vegetarians and vegans ask the question, “is there a Christian church, group, or denomination, which it makes sense for me to join?” For most of us, the answer to this question is “no.”
Vegetarians in the churches are not numerous. The few existing Christian vegetarians are mostly interested in health. Most Christians (even most Seventh-Day Adventists), if they think about it, would say that Jesus ate meat or at least fish. To say that it’s wrong to eat meat would condemn the founder of the religion. So what’s an ethical vegetarian or vegan to do?
We care about this issue for several reasons. Christianity is the dominant religion in our culture. Most people answer questions about basic values through recourse to religion, and in our culture this means Christianity. Most committed vegetarians think of their diet as a reflection of their beliefs about the sacredness of life. Christians constitute about 3/4 of population of the U. S. and Canada. If we are to have a vegetarian world, we will need to deal with the churches at some point, even if it is only to oppose Christianity.
We care, also, because we need to do what the churches should be doing, and aren’t. We have a huge environmental crisis which literally could wipe out all life on earth through a runaway greenhouse effect. With peak oil and resource depletion, we have hit the “limits to growth.” Yes, we need to go vegan, but we need even more than that. We need to limit population, stop consumerism, drastically reduce use of fossil fuels. We need something really big; our society, our culture, and our way of life need to change. Where are the churches in all of this?
How can we promote such a consciousness revolution? Forget, for the moment, about creeds, organizations, and church politics. How would we do this?
We could join a Christian church, and then persuade everyone else in that church to go vegetarian. However, on purely practical grounds this is not likely to work. If you are a committed, ethical vegetarian you will be in a small minority, and most of the people in any church will reject your fundamental values. The church is likely to support “charities” like Heifer International, which are actually engaged in work to promote livestock agriculture. You will be expected to tithe and give a substantial portion of your income to support an organization that rejects your basic values. Even if this church tolerates your vegetarianism, every meal at the church is going to be a problem. Church dinners will typically give you a close-up look at animal corpses and secretions.
There is no logical contradiction here, as long as you can find a church that tolerates your food practices. But there is an existential contradiction. Sure, you can play the martyr and stay in a church that doesn’t support your basic values, but why?
The rejection of vegetarianism by the churches has nothing to do with the religion of Jesus, by the way. It is an outcome of the struggles in the early church. Jesus disrupted the animal sacrifice business in the temple, an act of animal liberation (Matthew 21:12-13 and parallels). Jesus, James his brother, and all the disciples, were vegetarian and taught vegetarianism. These early Christians also believed in simple living and nonviolence. But I don’t see a practical way to promote these ideals within the church. If we are going to promote such a consciousness revolution, we need to go outside of institutional Christianity.
How do we get to this consciousness revolution? I would welcome anyone’s ideas on this point. We can speak about it, talk about, and manifest it in our lives. At some point institutional Christianity will likely come to its senses, sit up, and take notice. But for most of us, joining a Christian church is not the best way to further this process.
Sadly you are correct. Church events incorporate animal foods. Unhealthy practices contribute to cloudy and corrupt thinking. You are correct, holding to our Christian principles and maintaining our vegan ethics leaves us lonely and without friends.
Thank you for your comments.
God bless,
Larry
I have plenty of friends, and even some in churches. But I find them through vegetarian / vegan groups. I probably could find vegetarian friends in churches, but it’s more trouble than it’s worth, based on my personal experience and that of others.
I always said that I am vegetarian because I am christian. Even more after having read The Lost Religion of Jesus. And truly I feel very much alone in my Church. Nobody I know understand my feelings, and nobody has ever heard about a vegetarian Jesus. Those I talked to find me very “exotic”, and even foolish. I have come to stop explaining my point of view. It’s no use.
i think jesus or as i call him YAHUSHUAH(his real name).iesus means “hailzeus”.google it if u dont believe me.HE didnt come here to start a religion(christianity).that is saul or pauls idea.the messiah came to renovate the minds of the lost and replant his fathers doctrine back in to the world. religion divides,kills and anialhites truth.who else duz that?O YEAH SATAN…WAKE UP PEOPLE..REPENT….
I suppose the only real solution would be to start forming “Ebionite” home churches where vegetarianism is assumed. This is, of course, not very pragmatic, as we know so little about how the Ebionites ran their liturgy and exactly what were all the scriptures they rejected as issuing from the lying pens of the scribes. There is also the issue whether or not non-Jews could even be Ebionites without some prior, at least minimum, conversion to Judaism – albeit an extremely sectarian Judaism whose features are defined within Ebionite boundaries. As far as I’m aware, the Noahide Covenant that James – at least according to Acts – recommended for Gentile converts permitted the eating of animal flesh, while avoiding food offered to idols. So although the idea of a modern Ebionite “church” would be one way to settle in comfortably with fellow vegetarians, creation of such a group seems nearly impossible.
Watching your recent video upload is next up on my list! Your work, this entry, and the comments included here are deeply important to me. I thank you and look forward to further discussion.
This is a good topic. The truth is that we should seek out the truth. That is the answer for all problems.
If the leader of the church is preaching incorrect doctrine, then he is not speaking Gods word, which is unlimited, but from his own limited understanding. Therefore, we should seek out one who is knowledgable in practice (devotion) and philosophy. Such was Jesus, and those who follow him. Just because people label themselves Christians doesn’t make them Christians. And just because someone stands at a pulpit, doesn’t make him chosen, or sent.
If a person preaches killing animals unnecessarily, they are preaching lust, not love. Because it is the lust of the tongue, which they cannot give up. Truly Jesus taught thou shalt not kill. He taught non violence, even in the face of violence. There is no interpretation necessary, except when something is not clear. The new texts have changed it to thou shalt not murder. Because that fits what they think is right.
The correct way to know what is right is to hear from God’s chosen / sent. To hear from scripture. And to hear from God in your heart. There are many scriptures to support that one needs Gods messenger. You shall not see Jesus until you proclaim blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Likewise the Saint Elihu speaks of 1 in a thousand who finds a ransom. And Saint Paul speaks of this also, referring to himself.
Because people today reject the first, they are left to their own limited ability and therefore their philosophy and devotion is not complete. Full of confusion yet despairing, they go through the motions of accepting the man at the pulpit, but in most cases he is not entering, nor permitting others to enter the kingdom of God.
The solution is to sincerely pray for God for help, and then recognize when he gives it. Ask and ye shall receive. To find the true church of Jesus Christ, one must find a perfect follower (disciple) and learn from him. It is a great start to avoid animal eating, and I praise you who do so.
Further I recommend meditating on the name of the Lord, Christ – Christos – Jehovah, day and night that you may become perfect and happy. God bless. Aloha.
I don’t know. As a Christian and a vegetarian, I feel that vegetarianism is a reflection of my values whereas Christianity is a reflection of my spirituality. I also feel that these are two different things that intersect in some areas.
Jesus was the first social activist, after all…
It reminds me of this video I recently came across– it’s a cute little song about how Jesus and his followers actually Occupy Jerusalem.
Anyways, here it is: http://youtu.be/a6akkb_afqs
Which, it has a point.
Interesting music video! And, yes, I agree — Jesus didn’t die for our sins. My thought is that what provoked “Occupy Jerusalem” in 30 CE wasn’t just that some people were buying and selling, but that some were buying and selling animals to be sacrificed. “In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business . . . he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple . . .”
A few questions for you, are you currently in a church? May I ask which one, and how the other church members handle your vegetarianism (and you, their nonvegetarianism)?
Also, how do you separate your values from your spirituality? Isn’t the one the source of the other, or are these basically different realms?