Does God prefer men to be vegetarians?
Question:
Whether it’s right or not, Jesus was a vegan. I would better not to laugh or underestimate it if I were you. I was laughing at the same thing for years before I realized and was shown that vegetarianism is repeating advice from the Bible.
I was a super meat lover. I ate almost all kinds of meats and I am a Christian, until one day there was a cancer life and death problem with my late father. Fasting was done and I chose not to eat meat as my fasting because I loved it so much. Asking His guidance every time, I almost failed the fasting, guess what? I don’t really memorize Bible, but He showed me phrases from the Old Testament to the New Testament in His way, about being a vegetarian or pescatarian (eating fish) is a much better option. I was so disappointed. Why no meat? I loved meat so much.
Then I realized He never forces us to not eat meat, but He does advise us to live healthily. Looking back at how unhealthy the meats are processed in the modern era and then looking again at how well they managed meat processing in the Bible, then I can understand the point of vegetarianism advice in the Bible. All those Old Testament passages about eating vegetables and Torah ways to process meat are right. If it’s not processed well, better stay away from meat due to wrongly processed that pump up the high carcinogenic sides even though carcinogens might be in other things we use daily (shampoo, toothpaste, etc).
Short story, within the life and death process of my late dad until the end, He once again showed me the survivors are those who changed drastically being vegan instead of staying with meats. Hence, I don’t laugh anymore at those who met the advice of vegetarianism in the Bible. I, in fact, stopped eating meats since then. Death is undeniable, but living healthy to keep spreading God’s words is a must. These vegans, have their own signs and journeys coming up to that point.
Answer:
What an interesting way to start: "Whether it's right or not," which means regardless of the actual facts, and then you follow it with a strong assertion that I'm not supposed to deny. But if I accept something that is not factual, then you are urging me to accept a lie. But you start by claiming that you don't know what the actual facts are.
Still, you made an assertion that you claim must be accepted. Therefore, it is up to you to support your claim. While you constantly state that the Bible supports your view, you presented no evidence. You're off to a bad start.
Next, you claim that God showed you from phrases in the Bible that being a vegetarian or eating vegetables plus fish was a better way. One, you have only your claim that God showed you these things, thus it cannot be evidence. Jesus himself pointed out that a witness of one proves nothing. "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true" (John 5:31). And once again, you can't produce the phrases that convinced you that others might examine whether you kept these phrases (not whole passages) in the context in which they were originally written.
You then contradict yourself. You claim that you were shown from the Old and New Testament that God said to eat no meat, but then said that the meat processing in the Bible was acceptable. Again, you make an assertion without evidence. You don't document how modern meat processing is different from the Old Testament. You claim there are carcinogens added (contrary to Federal law in the United States), but you cannot list what they are, nor did you offer evidence that such is actually in the meat. If meat processing in the Bible is acceptable, then eating meat is acceptable. That means at a minimum you could raise and butcher your own meat and still be able to have the meat you liked. In other words, your conclusion that vegetarianism is the only alternative is false by your own testimony.
You again claim that God showed you that vegetarians live longer, but it clearly doesn't come from the Bible. You want me to accept this, but it is offered only as your claim.
Still, even with your lack of evidence, we can put your claim to the test. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (I John 4:1).
You make the claim that Jesus was a vegan. That means, by your own words, that he ate only vegetables. As I pointed out in Was Jesus a Vegetarian? the claim is false. Jesus ate fish (a no-no for a vegan): "But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, 'Have you any food here?' So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence" (Luke 24:41-43). Jesus also ate lamb at least once a year because he kept the Passover. "Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it"" (Luke 22:7-8). It was a requirement of the Old Testament law that everyone keeping the Passover had to eat lamb. To not do so was a sin, and Jesus did not sin. "... observe the Passover to the LORD. 'In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 'They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it. 'But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to observe the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not present the offering of the LORD at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin" (Numbers 9:10-13). Therefore, the Bible proves your assertion wrong. Jesus was neither a vegan nor a pescatarian.
You claim that God wants men to be vegetarians, yet it was God who told Noah, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs" (Genesis 9:3). That meat is a part of the Christian's diet is confirmed by Paul. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (I Timothy 4:1-5). Paul is quite clear that those claiming that God wants certain foods eliminated from people's diets are teaching doctrine from demons and not from God.
These are factual evidence that you can look up yourself. "But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men" " (Acts 5:29). Vegetarianism is a man-made philosophy. If an individual wishes to follow it, that is his choice, but he is not allowed to impose it on others and he stands condemned if he claims that this is God's teaching when God has said otherwise (Galatians 1:6-10).
"For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand" (Romans 14:2-4).
There are several interesting points here. First, it is wrong for a vegetarian to judge someone who eats meat, and it is wrong for someone who eats meat to look down on someone who chooses not to eat meat. Yet, you violate this command by condemning those who do not agree with you. I don't mind if you choose not to eat meat. I only oppose your claim that God requires or prefers vegetarianism because that claim is a lie.
But I want you to notice that Paul states that the vegetarian is in the weaker position. He can't really justify his position. It is fine if he wants to live that way, but it isn't a lifestyle required by God.
Finally, there is the claim that vegans live longer. What is should be noted is "There is no proof that a healthy vegetarian diet, when compared to a healthy omnivorous diet, will result in a longer life" (Myth: Vegetarians Live Longer and Have More Energy and Endurance). The skewing of the facts is due to "healthy lifestyle habits, such as not smoking, abstaining or practicing moderation in alcohol use, exercising, getting enough rest and seeking help for health problems" (Vegetarianism). In other words, vegetarians practices other lifestyle habits which are known to increase longevity, thus it is difficult to separate the lack of meat as the sole reason for any extended life if such might be detected. Therefore, we once again have a claim that is unsubstantiated by facts.
