But God said...!

As a vegan one of the comments I frequently hear from my Christian brothers and sisters (and I love each and every one of them) is, "But God said we could eat meat".  Because this happens so frequently, either explicitly or implicitly, I felt it important to voice my opinion on this now that I got some of my other opinions out of the way.  Unfortunately this is where me and my vegan friends part company and I will probably be stripped of all my vegan memberships.

The problem with being vegan and Christian or, for that matter, anything and Christian, is that sometimes our ideals and reality clash in a great big ball of fire, leaving us dazed and confused.  We would, sometimes, much rather ignore one set of facts in favor of another.  However, I think it is when we are forced to accept a set of facts that we would rather ignore that we find ourselves facing what is true and necessary and therefore worthy of acceptance.  We may not like it, but them are the breaks.

One set of facts that I was forced to accept early on is that the bible contains numerous passages that unambiguously tell us that God is o.k. with us eating animals. This is evident when Noah first exits the ark (Genesis 9:1-5).  The law gives numerous regulations concerning what the Jews could eat and not eat (Leviticus 11).  In the twenty-first chapter of John, Jesus encourages his disciples to eat breakfast consisting of some of the fish they caught.  Even Jesus ate fish! (Luke 24:41-43).   It would be extremely difficult for me to make a claim that eating animals is morally wrong in the face of these facts.  Therefore the only conclusion I can make is that God is o.k. with people eating animals.

Let's be clear that I am coming from the position that I believe the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God.  All of it!  So when I see the Bible say things like the above references I don't have the luxury of simply throwing it away because it doesn't appeal to me like many others do today.  This is exactly the problem with liberal Christianity.  Once we make ourselves and our opinions the rule by which we judge the truth claims of Scripture anything goes.  I simply cannot live that way.  It isn't reasonable and it simply doesn't work.

I have heard many attempt to explain how Jesus didn't really eat fish or God didn't really tell people it was o.k., but these attempts usually start with the presupposition that the Bible is full of errors or simply written by men.  On a rare occasion someone makes a valiant attempt at explaining their position from the original languages, but these attempts are extremely weak and frankly I have yet to read any sort of explanation along these lines made by people I deem qualified to make them.

God spoke, and He is o.k. with eating animals.

But what does this mean for me and the other Christians out there who have make an ethical choice not to eat meat?  Are their concerns invalid?  Are they wrong?  Are they fighting against God?

No, I don't believe so on all accounts.  If my meat-eating friends would take a few minutes to actually listen to why some of us have decided to shun animal flesh they will probably find they actually agree with us more than they care to admit.  But, on the other hand, the one thing that turns people off is the threat of a conversion.  It makes people gun-shy and reactionary and therefore not very good listeners.

What this all means for me is two-fold.  First, I can't simply condemn people or even look down on them because they eat meat.  I certainly can't make a theological case for abstaining from meat based on a God given imperative (although perhaps I could make a theological argument on other grounds).  This means, above all, I need to love my carnist brother and sister no matter what they choose to do.

Second, I must always remember that animals are not humans.  This is the sort of confusion that lends itself to a number of unfortunate conclusions when this is forgotten.  Animals are important.  They are lovely, amazing, surprising and undeniably intelligent beings created by the Great Creator.  But they are not humans.  If they were then eating them would be a sin.  God made man and women, not animals, in his image, and as such they will always be secondary (Genesis 1:26-27).  This means when it comes to a choice between people and animals I must always choose people.  They are precious to Him.

Yes, this means that if I were in a situation where I would have to choose to eat meat in order to reach someone for Christ, I would choose to eat the meat.  Maybe not in America but if I were to do mission work in another country this opportunity could present itself and I am ready.

But that isn't the end of it.  As a follower of Christ I am not simply allowed to follow the status-quo either.  My entire life must be an expression of my relationship to my Creator.  That means, for me, that I am not going to do something simply because the Bible says I can.  Notice, I never said that the bible requires us to eat flesh (although the levitical priests might be so required).  I, like so many others, choose to abstain because I have seen the abuse and cruelty leveled against creatures who cannot help themselves all for the entertainment and pleasure of the powerful.  I have chosen to open my eyes and drink deeply of the horrors that we call the modern farming industry.  And the abuse is prodigious. And for what reason?  So we can wear clothes made from their skins?  So we can eat more than we need and die from the results of morbid obesity?  No thank you.  I choose to not do so.

No, I won't condemn others, but I will challenge them.  I will be the exception to the rule that drives people crazy because they can't get me to fit into their version of reality.  No, the Bible doesn't say it is a sin to eat meat.  But what it does say I must follow:

...whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
(James 4:17 ESV)