Religious Reasons for Veganism

One of the primary reasons to live a vegan lifestyle is because of religious beliefs. Many religions support healthy eating, including Seventh-Day Adventists, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Muslims. Although not every member of any religion is vegan, many are vegetarian and others are at least careful of what they eat.

Judaism
Biblical basis for veganism exists right from the very first book. In Genesis 1:29 “…God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you.” Other translations say, “…it shall be for meat”. Although we usually use the word ‘meat’ to describe animal flesh, its original definition simply refers to any “solid food as distinguished from drink.” (Merriam-Webster) This verse never mentions God giving us animals to eat. In fact, up until the after the flood, eating of animal flesh was unheard of.

In Genesis 9, God does give permission to eat flesh. Being flooded, the earth went through major geologic changes. Needless to say, there would not have been an adequate supply of plant-based foods for the Noah and his family. Though Genesis 6:21 suggests that the animals and themselves ate only vegetarian food while on the art, it would not have been practical to store food for the first few months back on dry land. While God does allow the consumption of animal flesh, he never encourages it and it is no longer necessary.

As further support for veganism, the Bible clearly teaches that we are to care for the environment. Psalm 24:10 states: “The "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." Deuteronomy 20:19-20 says “When you besiege a city a long time, to make war against it in order to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down…Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down…” In living a vegan lifestyle, we are helping the environment. Though indirect, this is excellent Biblical support for veganism.

Christianity
Whether or not Jesus ate meat is irrelevant to the fact the teachings of Christian tie in will all three the major reasons for veganism: health, concern for animals, and protection of the environment.

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” Similarly, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” Later on, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Finally, III John says, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” These verses make it evident that it does matter what we eat.

In addition, Jesus message was one of love, compassion, and mercy. Today’s factory farms display the horrid proof that we are supporting the torture of animals when we make the choice to eat them. Supporting a healthy lifestyle that is kind to animals and helpful to the environment is undoubtedly a preferable choice.

Seventh Day Adventists
Ellen White, co-founder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, strongly believed in vegetarianism with a preference for veganism. She stated, “God gave our first parents the food He designed that the race should eat. It was contrary to His plan to have the life of any creature taken. There was to be no death in Eden. The fruit of the trees in the garden was the food man's wants required.” Throughout her books she continues to emphasize that “Vegetables, fruits, and grains should compose our diet. Not an ounce of flesh meat should enter our stomachs. The eating of flesh is unnatural. We are to return to God's original purpose in the creation of man.”

She also commented on the efficiency of growing food for animals, and then using animals as food. “The diet of animals is vegetables and grains. Must the vegetables be animalized; must they be incorporated into the system of animals, before we get them? Must we obtain our vegetable diet by eating the flesh of dead creatures? God provided fruit in its natural state for our first parents. He gave to Adam charge over the garden, to dress it, and to care for it, saying, ‘To you it shall be for meat.’ One animal was not to destroy another animal for food.”

Hinduism
For thousands of years, vegetarianism was a principle of health and environmental ethics. In the ancient language Sanskrit, vegetarianism is known as shakahara. A vegetarian is a shakahari. Meat-eating is referred to as mansahara, making a meat-eater a mansahari. “Skaka” means vegetable, whereas mansa simply means “meat”. “Ahara” means “to consume, or eat.”

Though the colonization of India by other cultures has damaged the Hindu vegetarian ethic, it remains an ideal of thought and practice. Hindus emphasize that we should not have to kill in order to live. In Dancing with Siva, Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami explains: "Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings, for to consume meat, fish, fowl or eggs is to participate indirectly in acts of cruelty and violence against the animal kingdom. The abhorrence of injury and killing of any kind leads quite naturally to a vegetarian diet, shakahara…”

Besides viewing vegetarianism as an obligation to God, Hindus believe that our actions will have karmic consequences. By inflicting injury, pain and death upon animals, Hindus believe that they will receive equal suffering in the future.

Hindus have also observed the health benefits of a strictly vegetarian or vegan diet. As explained in our section titled “Health Reasons for Veganism”, vegans tend to live longer, healthier lives with fewer health problems.

Lastly, Hindus know that the earth itself is suffering from destruction of the environment. Much of this is a consequent of raising huge quantities of animals for food. Read more about this important reason for veganism on our page about the environment.

Buddhism
Buddha’s famous quote “To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana,” goes to show how the Buddhists also believe in peace and coexistence with the world around us. Many Buddhists live vegetarian or vegan lives because of the mercy they feel for the animals. “May all that have life be delivered from suffering” is an ancient Buddhist prayer started by Lord Buddha.

According to Lin Ching Shywan in “A Buddhist Perspective on Vegetarianism “, “Having a merciful and compassionate heart will show up in all aspects of one's life; but the simplest and most direct way is to follow a vegetarian diet.”

Similar to the Hindus, Buddhists believe in karma. The basic concept in Buddhist teaching is that “Good is rewarded with good; evil is rewarded with evil; and the rewarding of good and evil is only a matter of time."

Jainism
While their dietary beliefs are similar to that of the Buddhists and Hindus, Jains believe in the strictest form of vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is regarded as a way to peaceful coexistent will all living beings. Of course, the Jain diet does require harming plants, but it is done only out of necessity. Jains strive to minimize the amount of violence used in providing for their dietary needs. Even some plants that sustain other living beings, such as roots and some fruits, are eliminated from the Jain diet.

Islam
Founded by the Prophet Muhammad, Islam supports abstinence from pork, unclean meats, and any meat that has been improperly slaughtered. Many Muslims are vegetarian, including the Muslim Druses of Lebanon. Casey Kasem, a well-known celebrity, is a Moslem Druse and therefore a vegetarian. Sufis, believers in a mystical Moselm religion also tend to be vegetarians.

In the Koran, many verses emphasize the equality humans have with animals. 6: 39 states, “There is not an animal that crawls in the earth, nor a bird that flies on its two wings, but they are communities like you…Then to their Lord shall they all be gathered together.”

In America, some Muslims have become vegan, as it is very difficult to obtain meat that comes from animals slaughtered according to Muslims principles.

Though not every Muslims believes that vegetarianism or vegan is necessary, the vegan lifestyle clearly goes in accordance with the Islamic faith.

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