Are there any Christian vegetarians/vegans here?

Cis.jd

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I am not a vegan/vegetarian, but I have known christians who are strictly vegetarians/vegans.

Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am interested in knowing why. Do you have any reasons why you don't eat meat, other than taste? Do you think it is wrong, despite the scriptures having Jesus eating fish?

I too have been wanting to go vegan, just based on watching some documentaries on animal slaughter.
 

HTacianas

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I am not a vegan/vegetarian, but I have known christians who are strictly vegetarians/vegans.

Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am interested in knowing why. Do you have any reasons why you don't eat meat, other than taste? Do you think it is wrong, despite the scriptures having Jesus eating fish?

I too have been wanting to go vegan, just based on watching some documentaries on animal slaughter.

If you want to be a vegetarian for personal reasons it's fine. But applying it to Christianity isn't a good idea.

One of the early heresies was the gnostic teachings on vegetarianism. Paul wrote about it:

1Ti 4:3 - 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.

1Ti 4:4 - For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;

Note that it is not vegetarianism itself, but attaching a religious significance to it.
 
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Cis.jd

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If you want to be a vegetarian for personal reasons it's fine. But applying it to Christianity isn't a good idea.

One of the early heresies was the gnostic teachings on vegetarianism. Paul wrote about it:

1Ti 4:3 - 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.

1Ti 4:4 - For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;

Note that it is not vegetarianism itself, but attaching a religious significance to it.
I don't know if i fully want too. Most of my favorite foods have meat. I just want to see the reasons for christians who choose to be herbivores..
 
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Basil the Great

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I have read that there is a town in California with an unusually high number of people living into their 90's and beyond 100 and that supposedly the reason is that the community has a large number of Seventh Day-Adventists, many of whom are reportedly vegetarians. I tried to go veggie a few years ago, but could only last for three weeks. Having said that, I rarely eat red meat and never eat pork.
 
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HTacianas

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I don't know if i fully want too. Most of my favorite foods have meat. I just want to see the reasons for christians who choose to be herbivores..

If it helps, there are Christian monks who are vegetarians. It's part of their fasts. Meat is viewed as a luxury so they deny themselves.

Mat 16:24 - Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Daniel said of his fasting:

Dan 10:3 - I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
 
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Quid est Veritas?

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I have read that there is a town in California with an unusually high number of people living into their 90's and beyond 100 and that supposedly the reason is that the community has a large number of Seventh Day-Adventists, many of whom are reportedly vegetarians. I tried to go veggie a few years ago, but could only last for three weeks. Having said that, I rarely eat red meat and never eat pork.
7th Day Adventists generally follow a much healthier lifestyle than their peers in the population, abstaining from smoking and alcohol and encouraging exercise. Generally they encouraged a diet without red meat, but containing milk and eggs (lacto-ovo-vegetarianism in modern terms), but as this is part and parcell of a healthy lifestyle, whether their longevity can be purely dietary is unlikely. Besides, religious people are healthier than their atheist peers following similar lifestyles, so it is likely multifactorial.
 
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splish- splash

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I am not a vegan/vegetarian, but I have known christians who are strictly vegetarians/vegans.

Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am interested in knowing why. Do you have any reasons why you don't eat meat, other than taste? Do you think it is wrong, despite the scriptures having Jesus eating fish?

I too have been wanting to go vegan, just based on watching some documentaries on animal slaughter.


I can't imagine myself becoming a vegetarian. Love meat. Some people do it out of the compassion and love they have for animals as they feel, killing animals is cruel. Others for health reasons.
 
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Quid est Veritas?

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Heavenhome

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I'm not vegetarian but gave up red meat after seeing a news story about abuse at an abattoir. It was the look in the eyes of a cow just for an instant that hit me.
And I never ate meat again.
I haven't missed it at all surprisingly.
I do eat free range chicken and occasionally fish.
I could never eat red meat again, also there are lots of plant based foods, burgers for instance, that never used to be around so its much easier.
Each to their own and I don't think anyone should deride each other for their choices.

Personally I would like to be vegan but don't know if I could.
 
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Cis.jd

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I'm not vegetarian but gave up red meat after seeing a news story about abuse at an abattoir. It was the look in the eyes of a cow just for an instant that hit me.
And I never ate meat again.
I haven't missed it at all surprisingly.
I do eat free range chicken and occasionally fish.
I could never eat red meat again, also there are lots of plant based foods, burgers for instance, that never used to be around so its much easier.
Each to their own and I don't think anyone should deride each other for their choices.

Personally I would like to be vegan but don't know if I could.
Your diet is the type of diet I want, for reasons you just said.

However, i've tried those vegan burgers that people say tastes just like a real burger from high end places in NYC and I hated them. It was nothing like a good bacon+mushroom cheeseburger.
 
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Heavenhome

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I haven't tried any burgers from fancy places but we have " Hungry Jacks" here in Australia (are they in thd US?),and they have recently brought out what they call a "rebel burger" and it does taste good.They have a vegan one too but I haven't tried that.

I've tried a few from the supermarket which weren't bad either.If you add tasty condiments and toppings they are satisfying.

I will be honest that once or twice when I first started I felt like a steak but that picture came into my mind again and instantly the desire went away. So it really did have a massive impact.
If you ate chicken you could have a chicken burger too.:)
 
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faroukfarouk

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I haven't tried any burgers from fancy places but we have " Hungry Jacks" here in Australia (are they in thd US?),and they have recently brought out what they call a "rebel burger" and it does taste good.They have a vegan one too but I haven't tried that.

I've tried a few from the supermarket which weren't bad either.If you add tasty condiments and toppings they are satisfying.

I will be honest that once or twice when I first started I felt like a steak but that picture came into my mind again and instantly the desire went away. So it really did have a massive impact.
If you ate chicken you could have a chicken burger too.:)
I eat veggie burgers...but definitely not for mystical/'religious' reasons...
 
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solid_core

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I think its best to eat meat only sometimes, for example once a week.

People today eat too much of meat, so much that its unhealthy for them and forces the production of meat to be cruel to animals. Limiting meat to be on the plate only once a week is a huge jump to health and ethics.
 
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Basil the Great

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I'm not vegetarian but gave up red meat after seeing a news story about abuse at an abattoir. It was the look in the eyes of a cow just for an instant that hit me.
And I never ate meat again.
I haven't missed it at all surprisingly.
I do eat free range chicken and occasionally fish.
I could never eat red meat again, also there are lots of plant based foods, burgers for instance, that never used to be around so its much easier.
Each to their own and I don't think anyone should deride each other for their choices.

Personally I would like to be vegan but don't know if I could.
I have had very little red meat now for probably 25 years.
 
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