Vegetarian Religions

For the most part, vegetarianism, the forbidding of eating any type of meat, comes from religions that originated in ancient India: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. However, certain sects of Islam, Sikhism, as well as Taoism, neo-paganism, Wiccan, and a few others also follow a plant-based way of eating as part of their religious practices.

Then there are some religions that teach their followers to avoid certain types of meat, such as pork: Islam and Judaism.

Why Judaism and Christianity are Not Vegetarian Religions

Depending on which article you are reading, you will usually find that Christianity and Judaism are also included as vegetarian religions. However, the basis for such claims are very thin, and in the case of Christianity pretty much non-existent.

Why Judaism is NOT One of Those Vegetarian Religions

Here are a few things I noticed in one article about why Judaism and Christianity support vegetarianism:

Judaism – One passage from Genesis: “I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit; they shall be yours for food." Now, a Christian should know that that God said this BEFORE the fall in the Garden of Eden.

Until man sinned, there was no need for the shedding of blood. But as soon as Adam and Eve sinned, God Himself killed animals to cover them. From that point on man ate animals…certain animals.
Also, a little further in Genesis and we find the story of the two sons of Adam and Eve offering up sacrifices to God. Which offering did God accept? The animal. Which did He reject? The plant.

Judaism – Second passage from Daniel: this is where Daniel and the three Hebrew young men ask to be fed vegetables instead of meat. That wasn’t because meat was not healthy. It was because in those days, the meat served at the King’s table was taken from animals offered in sacrifice to idols.

Biblical Evidence that Christianity if NOT One of the Vegetarian Religions

Christianity – No Biblical passages at ALL support abstaining from meat and only eating a plant-based diet. In fact, just the opposite,

When God was giving the dietary laws to the children of Israel, He was very clear as to which animals the people were allowed to eat.
When the Israelites complained about just having manna to eat, God sent quail.
Jesus prepared fish and had it waiting for the disciples when the came in from fishing.

Christianity – The only reference for Christians adhering to a plant-based diet is because the Jehovah’s Witnesses have that as one of their tenets.

Then the article goes on to say that “Research on followers of this religion has been helpful in demonstrating better health and lifespan”.

Not ALL research. In fact, if you really start researching, you will find plenty of testimonies on Youtube by former vegetarians and vegans that explain how following a plant-based diet almost killed them.

I can also tell you of a incident of the damage caused by following a plant-based diet.

My former husband’s first wife decided to become a Jehovah’s Witness and began following a strict plant-based diet. Sometime later she began having problems with her eyes. When they went to a specialist in San Francisco, one of the first questions she was asked after her exam, was: “Are you Jehovah’s Witness”? When she replied in the affirmative, he responded: “Yes, I see often see retinal degeneration from adherents to vegetarianism.” There wasn’t anything that could be done. She eventually lost her vision.

Vegetarianism is Not About Health

So, with the very real tie of vegetarianism to religions, one cannot say plant-based diet is primarily about health. It’s not.

It really is a religious or belief-based way of eating that has everything to do with the spiritual and very little to do with health. I’ve seen overweight vegetarians, although that is a rarity, but not surprising considering how it can mess with the metabolism. I’ve also seen severely emaciated vegetarians. Neither condition is healthy.

Going Back to the Beginning

Years ago, I knew a couple of that loved Jesus Christ and strove to follow Him in all things. They also pretty much followed a plant-based diet. When I asked them why, their answer was, "well they didn't eat meat in the Garden of Eden."

Suddenly, without any thought, the response came, "Yes, but that was before sin. Once man sinned they were instructed to eat meat. Then I was able to share a truth that I'd read in a book by a woman who the Lord had led into ministering to witches and satanists. One thing the Lord showed her, due to the physical fatigue that would follow after intense spiritual warfare, was basically this:

"Spiritual warfare physically drains protein from the body. In order to keep from becoming to drained to continue in the battle, you need to eat meat to replenish that physical strength."

Why Pagan and Demonic Religions Require Abstinence from Meat?

If you think about it, Satan wants to keep Christians too weak to actually be able to war against his evil kingdom. So the more people he can convince to eat a plant-based diet, then they will be too spiritually weak to do battle.

Why do you think most, if not ALL, pagan and demonic religions have abstinence from meat one of their basic tenets? For those other non-Judeo/Christian religions that may not have this as a basic tenet of their religion, the followers of these religions are drawn to that way of eating.

Also, I've also noticed that many vegans and vegetarians are often athiests, for them abstaining from meat gives them a sense of "righteousness."

So, if you choose to follow one of the vegetarian religions, don’t try to justify it by saying how healthy it is, and for Heaven’s sake don’t attack those that choose to eat meat for their health, both physical and spiritual.

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