Forum:

Vegetarianism

This topic was explored in CEL's magazine, Green Christian volume 66.

CEL also has a leaflet "Vegetarianism"

The article below has been sent in by Leanne Rigby:

Livestock production is, according to the 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report, a leading cause of climate change and pollution. This report names the meat industry as more harmful than even transport in the level of energy used, pollution and

deforestation caused, and the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted. One NASA scientist has calculated that producing 2.2 pounds of beef is equal to driving 155 miles in a European car, making our current food industry more toxic to our precious planet than the fossil fuel based transport industry.

It has been calculated that a vegan diet saves 50% more carbon than switching from SUV to hybrid vehicle technology, over the course of a year. The data is clear. We need to stop eating meat to save our planet. At the very least we can make a vast contribution by reducing our meat intake.

Many people do not believe there is much that they can do to help since most green technologies are beyond their control, for whatever reason. But everyone is at liberty to switch to a vegetable based diet. It does not cost time or money, and a groundswell of people switching to a veg diet could be achieved quickly. Veggi-ism is a way to effect a massive change, and we need one in the next two years if the ice caps are to be saved and the planet is to survive. Although each person may not choose to become vegan, all can at least limit their meat consumption, and in doing so save tons of carbon each year, and typically increase their health.

The scientific data is clear, and I include a link to a leaflet which has various interesting facts about vegetarianism and global warming and various other links to interesting veg/climate-related articles for your perusal. I also believe that a vegetarian diet is also thoroughly commensurate with the bible's teachings. I include in the email a link to the website of the Christian Vegetarian Society, who make many excellent arguments, properly referenced by the Bible, and a document which contains extractions from the Bible (not properly referenced I am afraid, but I'm sure they will be easily cross reference able with those from the CVS site.

Not only is the methane (it is given off in vast amount by livestock and is 25 times more warming than carbon) currently an issue, but very soon water poverty will follow as a potent global issue. Here, agricultural issues again will be a massive challenge. They will be helped if the profligate demands of meat production are reduced. More water is used to produce beef, than almost anything else in the industrial world (please see the recent Times newspaper reports).

I expect there has been debate at some point as to whether Jesus taught vegetarianism or not, and I don't suppose the matter got very far as it doesn't seem to have become part of Church teaching. However, whatever the Church believes about whether Jesus specifically advocated vegi-ism or not, I'm sure that he would approve of a vegetable based diet, for our own individual health and that of our planet.

Web links to articles on, and the general costs and benefits of meat eating and vegetarianism:

www.meatthefacts.org has various interesting articles about climate change but this one about the impact, in comparison to other environmental aggressors is particularly potent: http://meatthefacts.org/wp/?tag=livestock-long-shadow

Video of world religion's scriptural quotes on animal welfare and meat eating:

Christian Vegetarian Society website:

http://www.cvauk.homecall.co.uk/page12a.html

10 Good reasons to eat more like a veggie:

Health and other costs of meat:

New York Times article very balanced, (and by a non-vegetarian)

Article in The Times on meat eating and the planet:

Addendum of texts/Biblical references which seem to support a balance of approval to vegetarian eating:

"And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree-yielding seed;

to you it shall be for meat 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."

~ Genesis Holy Bible

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every TREE OF THE GARDEN THOU MAYEST FREELY EAT.

~ Genesis Holy Bible

Even as the green herb have I given you all things. But FLESH WITH THE LIFE THEREOF, which is the blood thereof, SHALL YE NOT EAT.

And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

~ Genesis Holy Bible

"The multitude of your sacrifices-what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals;

I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND LAMBS AND GOATS..

When you spread out your hands in prayer,I will hide my eyes from you;

even if you offer many prayers,I will not listen. YOUR HANDS ARE FULL OF BLOOD; wash and make yourselves clean.

Take your evil deeds out of my sight! STOP DOING WRONG!

~ Isaiah,

Holy King James Bible,Old Testament BETTER IS DINNER OF HERBS WHERE LOVE IS, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

~Proverb Holy Bible

It is better NOT TO EAT MEAT OR DRINK WINE or to do anything else that will cause any man to stumble.

~ Romans New Testament of the Christian Bible

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over him: "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.

Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see."

So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

So the guard TOOK AWAY THEIR MEAT AND THE WINE THEY WERE TO DRINK AND GAVE THEM VEGETABLES INSTEAD.

~ Daniel,Holy Christian Bible

It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that YE SAYING NEITHER FAT NOR BLOOD.

~ Leviticus,King James Bible

Speak unto the children of Israel , saying, Ye shall EAT NO MANNER OF FAT, OF OX, OR OF SHEEP, OR OF GOAT. ~ Leviticus, King James Bible

And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but YE SHALL IN NO WISE EAT OF IT.

~ Leviticus, King James Bible

Moreover YE SHALL EAT NO MANNER OF BLOOD, W HET HER IT BE OF FOWL OR OF

BEAST, in any of your dwellings. ~ Leviticus, King James Bible

And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel , or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood;

I WILL EVEN SET MY FACE AGAINST THAT SOUL THAT EATETH BLOOD, and will cut him off from among his people.

~ Leviticus, King James Bible

Therefore I said unto the children of Israel , NO SOUL OF YOU SHALL EAT BLOOD, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.

~ Leviticus, King James Bible

For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel ,YE SHALL EAT THE BLOOD OF NO MANNER OF FLESH: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

~ Leviticus, King James Bible

YE SHALL NOT EAT ANYTHING WITH THE BLOOD: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times. ~ Leviticus, King James Bible

"And Eating of their Flesh and Drinking of their Blood to their own Destruction, Corrupted their Bodies and Shortened their Days even as the Gentiles who knew not the Truth, or who knowing it, have changed it into a Lie"

~ Lection The Gospel Of The Holy Twelve

God in the beginning gave to man the FRUITS OF THE EAR TH FOR FOOD, and did not make him lower than the ape, or the ox, or the horse, or the sheep, that he should kill and eat the flesh and blood of his fellow creatures.

Ye believe that Moses indeed commanded such creatures to be slain and

offered in sacrifice and eaten, and so do ye in the Temple , but behold

a greater than Moses is herein and he cometh to put away the bloody

sacrifices of the law, and the feasts on them, and to restore to you the pure oblation and unbloody sacrifice as in the beginning, even the grains and fruits of the earth.

Of that which ye offer unto God in purity shall ye eat, but of that kind which ye offer not in purity shall ye not eat, for the hour cometh when YOUR SACRIFICES AND FEASTS OF BLOOD SHALL CEASE, and ye shall worship God with a holy worship and a pure Oblation.

~ Lection The Gospel Of The Holy Twelve

Behold the fields yielding their increase, and the Fruit-bearing Trees and the Herbs.. Woe to the strong who misuse their strength Woe to the Hunters for they shall be Hunted.

~ Lection The Gospel Of The Holy Twelve

Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat. ~ Proverbs, Holy Bible

Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them.

~ 1st Corinthians, Holy Bible

Point added by Barry Miles

A major report in the Guardian newspaper (20th August 2008) analysed water use in UK, including "virtual water", which is the big figure rather than direct water consumption such as showers and taps. It has been known for some years now of the massive negative impact of livestock on global warming, land use and other resource use, but there are some stark figures in the Guardian report which bring home the water issue here. A UK citizen on the usual diet including meat and dairy consumes 5,000 litres of water a day, while a UK vegetarian consumes 2,000 litres a day. 62% of this comes from overseas, including some very dry countries.

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and THOU SHALL EAT THE HERB OF THE FIELD

~ Genesis Holy King James Bible, Old Testament

"He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man." ~ Isaiah Holy King James Bible, Old Testament