I am a Raw Vegan Christian--Anybody Else? :)

May 25, 2012
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I just wrote this blog post. Since I can't include links, I will paste it here and hope you will visit my blog (search for "tashaleeorg" and you should find it) to read my other health devotionals. :)
Raw Vegan Christian


Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ~2 Corinthians 9:7

Early in my transition to a plant-based raw food diet, the majority of my struggles were emotional. I frequently had feelings of self-pity that God was calling me to eat this way. I often felt jealous of other Christians that felt no conviction regarding healthy eating. I had deep feelings of loneliness because such a major life transition was very difficult, and I desperately wanted to have other Christian journeying companions--yet to be a "raw vegan Christian" at the time, even on the internet, seemed almost unheard of--much less, a high-fruit/low-fat raw vegan Christian.

I recall one year that was extremely difficult. We were a part of a wonderful house church. We loved the teaching and the members. At the beginning of our involvement, a meal was served beforehand, ended quickly, and teaching began. I focused on loving others and engaging in conversation, and before I knew it, it was time for "content time". As the year progressed, however, the meal became longer and longer, and it became increasingly difficult for me to deal with, emotionally. Although I stayed true to my convictions at house church, the following days I had severe struggles with self-pity and loneliness. When we moved, we were sad to leave our wonderful house church...yet for me, it was a HUGE relief.

God gave me a wonderful gift in our move. Not only was my hubby very supportive of my eating convictions (he was quite impressed with the changes in my health) and had become a vegan himself, but God gave me a Christian friend who lived in my area and was also a high-fruit/low-fat raw vegan. It blessed me beyond belief to be at Christian fellowships with someone who also refrained from eating the food that was being served. It was an indescribable gift and treasure for me. Through the long, difficult year, God had really grown me in learning to walk with Him in those "alone" times and get my eyes on Him and His suffering when I am feeling self-pity. But now, He had led me into a time of refreshing fellowship. I was grateful for the growth through the hard time, but....no doubt, I was sooo happy to be in a new season! :)

God eventually led my friend to a slightly different style of eating, which was definitely sad for me, but by this time I was feeling much more comfortable with the diet God had called me to. My hubby was very supportive, and the sad feelings passed before long. I felt happy in following God....which brings me to today.

Last month, following the advice of some long-time low-fat raw vegans, on my trip to visit family & friends in my home state, I gave myself the freedom to not be perfect with my eating. It was incredibly liberating to not feel like a "bad person" because I ate some non-optimal foods (that in the past, I may have considered reasonably healthy options). I was able to feel and see the HUGE difference in how I feel, look, serve, and function when I am eating low-fat raw vegan vs. a more traditional diet. I could not deny the huge increase in insulin I needed, the lethargic and depressed feelings in my body and mind, the poor digestion, bloating, gas, snoring, odors, and--the brain fog. Wow. I felt BAD, physically, that whole month. Before eating low-fat raw vegan, I never realized that I was feeling bad...now that I have felt incredible, light, energetic, alert, sensitive, focused, and happy--I know that I want to follow God in this because I like who I am when I am who He created me to be. I have so much more to give to the world when I am "my best self"--eating optimally for optimal living.

This year, God has really helped me to deal with my issues of pride and judgment. He has really humbled me and reminded me that transitioning is HARD--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He has reminded me that the circumstances that led to my education about eating raw foods for healing...well, it was certainly atypical. Of my own accord, I would not have sought education about eating for health. My history was anything BUT healthy eating, and I fought against anyone who had anything critical to say about my food choices.

Just one more reminder that ANYTHING good in me is from God, not from me. Being a raw vegan Christian was not my idea; it was God's. But I am soooooooooo glad He had this idea. His ways and thoughts are higher than mine. It has been such a growing process and I am sure it will continue to be. I am no longer fighting God on this one. It is a true gift to honor God and offer Him my best as make each food choice for His glory, each day.

God, my thanks are beyond words. What an incredible privilege and journey, by Your plan, to watch this body heal and respond to foods that nourish, or go downhill from foods that destroy. Forgive me for my rebellion, self-pity, jealousy, short-sightedness, and stubbornness. Thank You for Your grace and patience with me, Your child. May this life glorify You and bring You pleasure.
 
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ey here to give love to this post! (theres not alot of replies so I thought I would). Im totally for vegetarianism and vegans. I am currently not a vegetarian (but dont judge me because I was a vegetarian - I ate seafood and eggs but not meat ) as Jahleel said its too do with the financial issue the cost , its too expensive for me to be vegetarian as I don't have a job also too its very difficult being in a family who not only eats meat but some family members of mine love meat. Yeah I totally agree its is difficult in Christianity particularly in western countries to be vegan or vegetarian simply because you found it and i found it (the experience) to be pressurising and you kinda get that 'look' like : 'Why arent you eating what were eating , why are you different?' . I use to struggle with the thought that if a Christian was vegetarian or vegan they werent really Christians . I assumed since most vegans or vegetarians are non christian's for example buddists that anyone claiming to be a christian was not one. How wrong I was. I didnt become vegetarian for health reasons but more for the sake of pleasing God , that's why I gave up caffeine for a while and became vegetarian there is so much wrong practices in the preparation and selling of meat these days is not healthy. No wonder I felt convicted. With saying all this I respect anyone who isn't vegetarian or vegan as I am one is is non vegetarian or non vegan at the moment too. However I plan on going back to being vegetarian. Thank you for your bravery I appreciate this post.
 
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eckhart

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Praise God there are like minded Christians!
I have never enjoyed eating meat so when I was eleven I became a vegetarian, but now I am a flexible vegan because a pair of my shoes have leather in them and I eat bread with milk in it. But I have embraced Veganism as my lifestyle and encourage everyone to do the same, wake up to the horrors of speciesism, and so glad God encouraged you in this.
I recommend reading 'Animal Liberation' by Peter Singer, changed my life at age twelve, and I continue to read it every year.
Peace be with you and God bless you for being conscious about other living beings!!!
 
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TheOtherHockeyMom

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On the issue of it being expensive to be vegan, a good discussion is found of all places at Vegan Black Metal Chef's website.

VBMC started off with a series of you tube videos, an online cooking class if you will, with music and a touch of dark humor (and some lighthearted humor as well). Mix that with some great recipes and it's a top notch show. A lot of my non vegan friends like it for the humor, music and awesome knives.

Anyway, there's now a website too, and that is one of the things discussed there:
Vegan Black Metal Chef

Here's the Pad Thai episode: Vegan Black Metal Chef Episode 1 Pad Thai - YouTube

Not raw, but vegan, delicious and fun.
 
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sorry i guess i missed all these replies...thanks so much, y'all! yep, it is expensive to eat healthy. i guess i think about it in terms of, well, i got off my 300dollar-per-month epilepsy medicine by eating raw vegan, and i don't use any medicines and will save on lots of medical costs down the road by hopefully avoiding cancers, surgeries, etc, and hopefully being in great health to be able to work hard and contribute to the world my entire life, instead of being stuck on the couch sick, as i have been in the past.

we save money by ordering wholesale organic...we don't really shop in grocery stores, just our wholesale order and the local produce stand and farmer's market mostly. we keep an eye out for good deals. also, bananas are pretty cheap. i know multiple people that value eating for health but don't have a lot of finances so they stick mostly to bananas and occasionally other fruits when they can find them at a cheap price. we also order bulk dates from 7hotdates.com which is good for getting the needed calories in at a cheaper price. gardening and growing our own will hopefully save us some money once we can get a place with some land. hope these are some helpful ideas...thanks for the love...... :)
 
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pawnshopguy

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I just wrote this blog post. Since I can't include links, I will paste it here and hope you will visit my blog (search for "tashaleeorg" and you should find it) to read my other health devotionals. :)
Raw Vegan Christian


Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ~2 Corinthians 9:7

Early in my transition to a plant-based raw food diet, the majority of my struggles were emotional. I frequently had feelings of self-pity that God was calling me to eat this way. I often felt jealous of other Christians that felt no conviction regarding healthy eating. I had deep feelings of loneliness because such a major life transition was very difficult, and I desperately wanted to have other Christian journeying companions--yet to be a "raw vegan Christian" at the time, even on the internet, seemed almost unheard of--much less, a high-fruit/low-fat raw vegan Christian.

I recall one year that was extremely difficult. We were a part of a wonderful house church. We loved the teaching and the members. At the beginning of our involvement, a meal was served beforehand, ended quickly, and teaching began. I focused on loving others and engaging in conversation, and before I knew it, it was time for "content time". As the year progressed, however, the meal became longer and longer, and it became increasingly difficult for me to deal with, emotionally. Although I stayed true to my convictions at house church, the following days I had severe struggles with self-pity and loneliness. When we moved, we were sad to leave our wonderful house church...yet for me, it was a HUGE relief.

God gave me a wonderful gift in our move. Not only was my hubby very supportive of my eating convictions (he was quite impressed with the changes in my health) and had become a vegan himself, but God gave me a Christian friend who lived in my area and was also a high-fruit/low-fat raw vegan. It blessed me beyond belief to be at Christian fellowships with someone who also refrained from eating the food that was being served. It was an indescribable gift and treasure for me. Through the long, difficult year, God had really grown me in learning to walk with Him in those "alone" times and get my eyes on Him and His suffering when I am feeling self-pity. But now, He had led me into a time of refreshing fellowship. I was grateful for the growth through the hard time, but....no doubt, I was sooo happy to be in a new season! :)

God eventually led my friend to a slightly different style of eating, which was definitely sad for me, but by this time I was feeling much more comfortable with the diet God had called me to. My hubby was very supportive, and the sad feelings passed before long. I felt happy in following God....which brings me to today.

Last month, following the advice of some long-time low-fat raw vegans, on my trip to visit family & friends in my home state, I gave myself the freedom to not be perfect with my eating. It was incredibly liberating to not feel like a "bad person" because I ate some non-optimal foods (that in the past, I may have considered reasonably healthy options). I was able to feel and see the HUGE difference in how I feel, look, serve, and function when I am eating low-fat raw vegan vs. a more traditional diet. I could not deny the huge increase in insulin I needed, the lethargic and depressed feelings in my body and mind, the poor digestion, bloating, gas, snoring, odors, and--the brain fog. Wow. I felt BAD, physically, that whole month. Before eating low-fat raw vegan, I never realized that I was feeling bad...now that I have felt incredible, light, energetic, alert, sensitive, focused, and happy--I know that I want to follow God in this because I like who I am when I am who He created me to be. I have so much more to give to the world when I am "my best self"--eating optimally for optimal living.

This year, God has really helped me to deal with my issues of pride and judgment. He has really humbled me and reminded me that transitioning is HARD--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He has reminded me that the circumstances that led to my education about eating raw foods for healing...well, it was certainly atypical. Of my own accord, I would not have sought education about eating for health. My history was anything BUT healthy eating, and I fought against anyone who had anything critical to say about my food choices.

Just one more reminder that ANYTHING good in me is from God, not from me. Being a raw vegan Christian was not my idea; it was God's. But I am soooooooooo glad He had this idea. His ways and thoughts are higher than mine. It has been such a growing process and I am sure it will continue to be. I am no longer fighting God on this one. It is a true gift to honor God and offer Him my best as make each food choice for His glory, each day.

God, my thanks are beyond words. What an incredible privilege and journey, by Your plan, to watch this body heal and respond to foods that nourish, or go downhill from foods that destroy. Forgive me for my rebellion, self-pity, jealousy, short-sightedness, and stubbornness. Thank You for Your grace and patience with me, Your child. May this life glorify You and bring You pleasure.
I am currently a vegetarian but m trying to get to the raw vegan status. Maybe you could give me a few pointers? God Bless!
I am currently a vegetarian but m trying to get to the raw vegan status. Maybe you could give me a few pointers? God Bless!
 
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pawnshopguy

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Just joined this forum...Looking into some extreme diet changes...So far seems like raw food makes the most sense in so many ways...both to me and my fellow man...So how long does it take to actually enjoy just eating lettuce by itself...Trying to figure out how much of this is psychological...some say you can actually start tasting the sweetness of it after a period of time...or do you realize after eating it over time that your health is just so much sweeter...that lettuce also becomes sweet...just trying to wrap my head around this thing...thanks to anyone who is willing to respond...God bless!!!
 
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HARK!

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I believe that we are to follow the Torah as Yahshua and his disciples. This means that we are to keep YHWH's Moedim (Feasts). With Pesach (Passover) quickly approaching, I began my yearly studies and review of this Moed. In my studies I stumble across much evidence that YHWH calls us to vegetarianism. I started a thread on the subject here: Did Yahshua and his Disciples Abstain from Meat?

Now I didn't reveal all of the information that I have in that thread; and having read some of the responses to that thread, I'm more firmly planted on the fence now than before I started it.

That said, I came across even more information while responding to that thread. In light of that information, I started this thread: MJ Only - Bulls Sheep Goats

There seems to be a serious lack of comments in this thread. The scripture seems to be clear:

In absence of a priest and an alter, are Yahudim permitted to eat them?

(CLV) Lv 17:3
Any man from the house of Israel who slays a bull or a sheep or a goat in the camp, or who slays it outside the camp,

(CLV) Lv 17:4
and does not bring it to the opening of the tent of appointment so as to bring it near as an approach present to Yahweh before the tabernacle of Yahweh, bloodshed shall be accounted to that man. He has shed blood; hence that man will be cut off from among his people.

(CLV) Lv 17:5
This is in order that the sons of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they have been sacrificing on the surface of the field that they bring them before Yahweh, to the priest at the opening of the tent of appointment, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to Yahweh.

(CLV) Lv 17:6
Then the priest will sprinkle the blood against the altar of Yahweh at the opening of the tent of appointment, and he will cause the fat to fume as a fragrant odor to Yahweh.

(CLV) Lv 17:7
Not longer shall they sacrifice their sacrifices to hairy goat-demons after whom they have been prostituting. An eonian statute shall this become for them throughout their generations.

(CLV) Lv 17:8
To them you shall say: Any man from the house of Israel or from the sojourner who sojourns in your midst who should offer an ascent offering or a sacrifice

(CLV) Lv 17:9
and not bring it to the opening of the tent of appointment to offer it to Yahweh, that man will be cut off from his kinsmen.
 
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Stellar Vision

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...or do you realize after eating it over time that your health is just so much sweeter...that lettuce also becomes sweet...just trying to wrap my head around this thing...thanks to anyone who is willing to respond...God bless!!!

Yes. That. There's a saying in the Whole Food Plant-Based community: "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels."

From my experience it took maybe about a month or two, but within the first WEEK I felt so good on the inside that that was way more motivating than the 'cardboard' flavoring was discouraging.
 
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