Well my parents brought me up to be a christian but somethings vex me, such as the fact that jesus was not a vegetarian. What are your religions and how does it go with your dietary habits?

i was raised methodist. Now i dont really know what religion i am. its hard to explain. i do not believe in hell whatsoever. and i believe in god but its hard to explain,im just happy the way i am

Hi Brandon,

Don't forget the commandment "Thou shall not kill" (but it doesn't specify if this applies to humans only, or to all sentient beings), and that Jesus was not Christian but Jewish. Jewish people have strict rules for food (like separation of meat and milk), but they are not "vegetarian by default".

I was (softly) raised a Catholic, and now I consider myself a Buddhist. The way I see it, I could not be a Buddhist without being at least vegetarian, if not vegan. But my vegetarianism does not come from my being a Buddhist. It is more than my own spiritual reflection and evolution led me to become both a Buddhist and vegetarian. Other Buddhists, like in Thailand, have no problem with eating meat...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2009 04:27PM by Frank83.

Hey Brandon,
I know how you feel. I was raised catholic and went to a church for four years where the priest hunted, the church regularly put on meals (including, SURPRISE! meat), and served meat at retreats (Oddly enough, it was named for St. Francis [Patron saint of animals]). Everyone always looks at me weird when I tell them I'm vegan. However, here's some food for thought...
It's well known that Jesus was Jewish. As a Rabbi, he would have adhered to Jewish law the Torah explicitly states that man not incur tsa?ar ba?alei chayim (suffering to animals). In Genesis, God gives man and the animals every seed-bearing plant and seed-bearing tree. It's only after He saw how corrupt flesh had become on the earth. The prophets Joel and Amos talk about vegetarianism being a sign of the messianic days. So, meat = corruption and vegetarian = like eden and like the days in the coming of the messiah. Moreover after the Flood, God said He would never destroy the Earth like he did (under the stipulation that man must not consume ?flesh with its life-blood in it? (Genesis 9:4) when that idea went out with the tide, didn't it?
In the New Testament, I'd challenge any Christian to find a passage where it says, "And Jesus took the flesh of the animal and ate it." It never mentions that. It never explicitly describes a situation where Jesus is alive walking around and takes a chunk out of the side of a cow. Jesus preached non-violence and compassion, and not just to humans, but to ALL creatures.
CLEARLY, Jesus would want us to live compassionately and non-violently. CLEARLY, you cannot live that way without having it on your plate. Let everyone know that "I'm veg(etari)an because Jesus commands compassion and non-violence."
-Joe.

Brandon and everyone,

Jesus did teach vegetarianism as shown by his closest followers, the Essene's. Sadly though the scriptures were edited to fit the lifestyle (flesh eating amongst other things) of the heathen mindset of pagan Rome, and are still supported today by so-called Christians.

After the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag-Hamadi Library, early Christian writings started to bring to the surface very similar texts/writings, but without some of the most crucial aspects you find today in Christianity.

Also, it is VERY IMPORTANT to understand, that all holy texts have a esoteric/mystical meaning behind the written words, so you cannot read these literally and expect to get a lot out of it. What this means, in regards to food, is that "food" is an allegorical meaning for knowledge. When Jesus "fed" thousands of "hungry" people with "fish", it really is referring to him giving them some knowledge that fills their souls. Food is referred in this way because of the physical journey it takes within us, which is allegorical to how Jesus taught us to seek the Kingdom Within.

The contents of the early Christian texts that were kept from corrupted hands clearly show it to be an early Esserian writing. The ancient community of the Essenes, who practiced community of good, daily ablutions, daily "worship", and renounced flesh eating, strong drink, the sacrifice of animals, and the doctrine of "atonement" for the sins of some by the vicarious and involuntary suffering of others, as held by the Pharisees and Saducees.

For this and other early Christian writings, see [earlychristianwritings.com]