Christianity and veganism

Arguments

The Seventh-day Adventist Church

The most prominant of the vegetarian-oriented Christian groups is the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA)Church (1). Its founder and prophet Ellen White, was vegetarian; the church officially promotes lacto-ovo-vegetarianism, though fewer than half of its members practice it (2)"<and some branches also persue a vegan lifestyle, as detailed below> "The SDA prophet asked her readers a century ago to 'think of the cruelty to animals that meat-eating involves and its effect on those who inflict it.' (3) In the book on their fundamental beliefs (4) there is a mention that 'God's original diet for man did not include animal flesh food because He did not envision the taking of animal's life.' Otherwise the church's vegetarian liturature concentrates on human health. However the strong vegetarian stand by SDA's has lessed animal cruelty more than any other Christian church..." (5)

Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement

This church separated from the main SDA body over conscientious objection to war. By emphasising the prophet's pacifism, they could not ignore her vegetarian stand, a membership condition (6). Some are vegan. members must 'abstain form such ffods and drinks which are injurious to the body such as flesh foods, fish, animal fats, alcoholic drinks...'(7) They note that 'grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables consitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator'.(8)"

Creation 7th Day Adventist Church

"This small group (9), which claims members worldwide, separated from the SDA church in 1991. Unlike the parent body, its members are expected to be vegetarian."

International Missionary Society (11)of the Seventh Day Adventis 111 Part

"The International Missionary Society is another split fromt he SDA church, and its members are vegetarian."

Evangelism Australia

"An independent SDA organisation, Evengelism Australia (18) has centres for week-long health courses that serve only vegan food."

Remnant Herald

"This organisation is separate from and critical of the SDA church while stating they remain loyal members. Their study of writings of their church's prophet leads them to adhere to veganism, while the main church's same study has it recommending vegetarianism (19). This is understandable. One page of her writings has both 'some, in abstaining from milk, eggs and butter, ave failed to suppy the system with nourishment' and 'time will come when we may have to discard some articles of diet we now use, such as milk and cream and eggs'.(20)"

Hour Apostolic Sabbatarian Church

"Vegetarianism is a strict doctrine of this church.(10)"

Albert Schweitzer Fellowship

"The fellowship (12) is loyal to and supportive of the work established by the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Albert Schwietzer, a Christian theologian and humanitarian who moved from his Swiss residence to set up a jungle hospital in Lambarene, Gabon. His 'reverence for life' philosophy ensured that he would be vegetarian early in the last century when such was far from common..."

Bible Christian Church

"After 120 years, the Bible Christian Church ceased in 1930, owing ot a shortage of vegetarians and the church's insistance that its members take a vow not to eat meat. Ministers of this church founded the original Vegetarian Society (in Britain), as well as the American Vegetarian Society and the International Vegetarian Union. (13)"

Catholic Church

"St Francis of Assisi was a vegetarian Catholic monk; Franciscan, Trappist and Benedictine monks remain Catholic vegetarians."

Christian Science

"The Church of Christ, Scientist, to give it the official name, was founded more than a century ago by Mary Baker Eddy. Some early and quite a number of later members, including current members, were and are vegetarian (and to a lesser extent vegan), but the church 'has no religious policy regarding adhering to a vegetarian or vegan path; its members are free to make their own decisions regarding these matters'. (14)"

Actually, there is one direct reference to vegetarianism as a dietary health system and is thus not in accord with its teachings if it's followed as a form of a health care approach. However, it is true that members are free to make their decisions, and many do decide to follow this dietary path in loving respect to animals. A significant minority of college-age and young adult Christian Scientists choose to be vegetarian. An even smaller number choose the vegan way as being more in harmony of with Mary Baker Eddy's few statements addressing how mankind treats animals. For example, in SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, she sets forth on page 514, line 19: "The individuality created by God is not carnivorous, as witness the millennial estate pictured by Isaiah (11:6-9)..." and in her Message to the Mother Church, 1901, page 20: 6-8, she unequivocally states: "Christian Science gives neither moral right nor might to harm either man or beast."

New Church

"Once known as the Church of the New Jerusalem, and now, more sensibly, as the New Church, this was a pioneer Christian vegetarian group. Founded by Emmanual Swedenborg was vegetarian (16). The New Church's influence on the vegetarian movement has mostly been through one of its offshoots, the Bible Christian Church. Joseph Brotherton, a founder of the UK's Vegetarian Society and anti-death penalty and child labour campaigner, was a member. New Church members today have little interest in vegetarianism."

Salvation Army

"The Army's founder, William Booth was a vegetarian. That is of no interest to modern Salvationists, most being unaware of this fact. A vestige of the founder's stand is still in print: 'It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh meat of any kind is essential to health'. (17)"

Essene Nazarean Church

"The Essene Nazarean Church is an 'esoteric spiritual order, which fully embraces the deeper levels of the ancient Nazarean <and vegan> Way of Yeshua Ha Machiakh <Jesus the Messiah>. (21)"

Order of Nazorean Essenes

"The Order of Nazorean Essenes, is a peculiar blend of Buddhism and Christianity <or as it describes itself 'a Buddhist Branch of Original Christianity> (22) is vegan."

Universal Equalitarian Church

"This somewhat grandiose church name is usually followed by the sub-title 'Where All Species Are Created Equal', which says it all. (23)"

Objections

Nil

References for the Arguments

1. Waddel, John 'But You Kill Ants', Australia 1985, pp119-121
2. [1]
3. "Amongst Adventists, only 5-10 per cent are totally vegetarian, about another 20-30 per cent are ovo-lacto-vegetarians, and the you have about 50 per cent who are really little different from the general population" Record 22/02/03 p6
4. Ellen White, 'Ministry of Healing' p315
5. 'Seventh-day Adventists Believe'...pp284-286
6. [2]
7. [3] 71 Garfield Road, Riverstone NSW Australia 2765
8. 'Principles of Faith and Church Order' p7
9. 'Food Selection and Health' p2
10. [4]
11. email: verlis@nwol.net 233 Mulberry St, Kermit TX USA 79745-4213
12. 121 Toongabbie Road, Toongabbie NSW Australia 2146. [5] Offers a Miracle Makeover Health Correspondence Course advocating their vegetarian position.
13. [6]
14. [7]
15. Letter 27/02/03 from Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Sydney
16. [8] 30 King Edward St, Penguin TAS Australia 7316
17. The Church's Sydney office believes it was only in their founder's declining years that he was a vegetarian, perhaps because his body then allowed him to consume little more than bread and water.
18. Order and Regulations of the Offices of the Salvation Army, in Hall, Vegetarian Yearbook.
19. [9] PO W322, West Kempsey NSW Australia 2440
20. [www.remnatherald.asn.au] Remnant Herald PO Box 175, Kalorama VIC Australia 3766, (03) 9751 1932.
21. Ellen White, 'Testimonies for the Church, vol 9 p 162
22. [10]
23. [11]
24. [12] email: equalitarian2003@yahoo.com. PO Box 364, Lamar, Missouri USA 64759

References for the Objections

This article is based on a GNU FDL Vegan Wikia article: Christianity

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