Bible and meat eating ?

[sosurreal09]

Im not sure if this is Legit but my father is a heavily religious man and read us the Bible every night before bed...he always told us we eat animals because God said to. I was wondering if anyone actually knew what I was talking about and what chapter and verse it could be found on TYIA

[Mrs.Music]

There's a sort of Bible/Google website... I'll see if I can look it up for you. That's what we grew up believing too. God made the animals for us to eat them, so don't feel bad... That sort of thing. I've decided this is true. But only to the point where there's no cruelty. I'm not eating veal or foie gras just because cows and ducks were meant to be eaten, kwim?

ETA: http://www.biblegateway.com/

And here's the first verse I found on it. Don't know if it's what you're looking for.

Romans 14:2
One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

[KaylaBeanie]

I don't believe the Bible specifically says "eat meat" or "don't eat meat" anywhere, it's all open to interpretation. There just so happens to be a large organization of Christian vegetarians who abstain from meat because they feel that is what the Bible is instructing them to do.

[Nazsmum]

After Noah's flood the Lord told Noah to start eating meat. (Genesis 9)

[Bluegoat]

Also, God gave the Jews instructions about eating meat, which would be redundant if they didn't! And Christ seems to have eaten meat too.

There have always been Christians who avoid meat as a spiritual discipline, and one increasingly see people who avoid it due to issues with factory farming and so on.

[cappuccinosmom]

Romans 14

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Neither meat eaters nor carnivors can make a legalistic rule about eating habits for Christians. We're accountable to God. We're not forbidden to eat meat, and we're not forbidden to be vegetarian. Even if we consider a person to be doing something out of "weak" faith or fear, it's not our place to judge them (and it would be foolish to make a huge deal out of something that is such a small issue in light of eternity.)

Do what you believe is right and healthy. Don't bludgeon other people about it if they're different. Don't let others bludgeon you about it. This is an issue where we do have individual choice and there's no need to argue about it.

[sosurreal09]

im not judging anyone i am just a young christian trying to find answers i meant no offence.

TY for the unenegative responses and the info. I do appreciate it...I think I have been struggling with the whole cruelty to animals thing a bit...i dont do dairy period and nevr veal or duck. i try my best to by free range meats and things....but it is pricey...anyways thanks for the info

[weliveintheforest]

Originally Posted by sosurreal09

im not judging anyone i am just a young christian trying to find answers i meant no offence.

I don't think anyone was offended by your question.

My (limited) understanding is that before the fall, Adam and Eve would have been vegetarians since there was no death. Later on when it was time for the flood, Noah was instructed to take some animals for food. So, somewhere in between there people started eating meat, and it must have been fine with God.

[cappuccinosmom]

im not judging anyone i am just a young christian trying to find answers i meant no offence.

I don't think anyone was offended.

If my reaction came off as strong , it's because I've seen too many Christians getting way too legalistic about the issue, one way or another. This is an issue of personal freedom.

[Nazsmum]

I did not eat meat for about 15 years. It was something that I want to do. I don't think that the Lord looks at what we eat.

We are free to eat what we want. We have freedom in Messiah.

[A-mac]

In the mosaic law there were requirements meant to prevent certain forms of cruelty to animals that were common at that time. I don't think it's unreasonable to correlate that with the cruelty that we see at this time.

[dirtyhipegirl]

Originally Posted by cappuccinosmom

Romans 14


Neither meat eaters nor carnivors can make a legalistic rule about eating habits for Christians. We're accountable to God. We're not forbidden to eat meat, and we're not forbidden to be vegetarian. Even if we consider a person to be doing something out of "weak" faith or fear, it's not our place to judge them (and it would be foolish to make a huge deal out of something that is such a small issue in light of eternity.)

Do what you believe is right and healthy. Don't bludgeon other people about it if they're different. Don't let others bludgeon you about it. This is an issue where we do have individual choice and there's no need to argue about it.

My thoughts exactly. I'm ashamed to admit I used to be one of those Christians that preached vegetarianism.

[cappuccinosmom]

In the mosaic law there were requirements meant to prevent certain forms of cruelty to animals that were common at that time. I don't think it's unreasonable to correlate that with the cruelty that we see at this time.

Sure. But they don't translate to forbidding meat-eating. And in the New Testament it's *clearly* not forbidden to eat meat.

[Smokering]

With the Romans passage - in context, it's not condemning vegetarianism qua vegetarianism. The "meat" referred to was meat that had previously been offered to idols. Some Christians were like "Eh, meat's meat, idols have no power, everything belongs to God, we're free to eat it if we want" - a mature spiritual attitude - while others were like "OHNOES, that's evil idol meat!" and wouldn't touch it. Paul's point was that the latter Christians would be sinning if they ate that meat, given that they thought they shouldn't; so mature Christians should not try to tempt them into eating it. But nor should the non-meat-eaters tell the mature Christians that they were sinning by eating what was, after all, perfectly ordinary meat. So the passage isn't really about vegetarianism at all.

I think it's impossible to reconcile a Christian worldview with a vegan worldview - ie, the idea that eating/using animals is inherently immoral (often, though not always, combined with the idea that putting humans above animals is "speciesism"). God gave Noah and his descendents permission to eat meat after the Flood - I wouldn't go so far as to call it a command to eat meat, but He certainly said it was OK. But I think there's no problem at all with Christians choosing vegetarianism or even strict vegetarianism (practically equivalent to veganism, but coming from a different philosophical position) - whether for health reasons, concerns about animal cruelty, budget reasons or whatever. In fact, I think it's pretty difficult to reconcile Christianity with factory farming. Just think what an impact all the Christians in the USA could have if they refused to buy CAFO meat!

[bluebirdiemama]

Originally Posted by Nazsmum

After Noah's flood the Lord told Noah to start eating meat. (Genesis 9)

Originally Posted by Mrs.Music

Romans 14:2
One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

I don't think the Bible is saying eat it or not... I think it's saying we can eat it. My interpretation of the verse from Romans is that someone's faith is weak if he thinks that he dietary choices are going to keep him from God's grace.

[katelove]

Have a look at Acts 10 & 11 also. Where God tells Peter in a vision that he can eat meat which Peter had considered "unclean".

I think the Bible is pretty clear that Christians can eat meat if they choose too. I think it would be wrong for a Christian to abstain from meat because they considered it "unclean" because Acts tells us that God has declared the meat "clean" and acceptable for us to eat.

However, I don't think it would be wrong for a Christian to be vegetarian or to abstain from certain products for health reasons or to avoid being party to animal cruelty. I think the Bible is also clear that we are to be good stewarts and treat animals well whether we are using the for meat or labour or whatever.

[sosurreal09]

i agree

[Arduinna]

Originally Posted by katelove

Have a look at Acts 10 & 11 also. Where God tells Peter in a vision that he can eat meat which Peter had considered "unclean".

I think the term unclean here could be in reference to those non-kosher animals that God had classified as unclean previously, because many other rules for Jews such as circumcision are also not for Christians. But I've never studied it in depth.

[Nazsmum]

Peter was given a vision of Unclean animals to show him that Jesus make all things clean. Right after this vision he went to a non-jewish home. So it has nothing to do with eating/not eating meat.

Daniel gave up eating meat. He only did this because he did not want to defile himself with the king's food or wine. For 10 day they only ate vegetables and drunk water. (Daniel 1:8-16)

In Romans and in Corinthians the meat is being offered to fasle gods and some christian, like Daniel did not want to defile themselves.

I our walk with the Lord we will come across things that are OK for you but not for me. Eating meat or not eating meat. Drinking wine or not. So on.