Living: Food, Faith, & Daily Choice
1 Corinthians 10:31
Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
Though shaped by culture, habit, and necessity, Christianity recognizes the spiritual significance of everyday actions, including what we choose to eat. This section applies Christian ethics to food choices, presenting a handful of scriptural arguments in defense of eating meat, dairy, and eggs, followed by counterpoints based on core Scriptures and core Christian ethics.
For some, spiritual challenges and change are readily embraced, but for others, new information and a nudge toward change are likely to meet with resistance and require processing. Some readers may need to step away from the screen, perhaps mid-sentence, to spend time with the Gospels, for prayer and reflection, in search of guidance, or simply to breathe and relax. At the end of the day, our relationship with God is highly personal, and only we can do the necessary work to discern why we have come to this page and what God expects of us. The ethical foundations that frame this discussion are explored more fully in Teachings.
When you are ready to begin exploring Christian food ethics, the arguments and counterpoints are presented below.
Explore this Chapter
Six passages Christians use to justify eating animals. Examined carefully against the teachings that surround them.
Does Genesis Permit Us to Eat Animals? Permission after the Fall is not the same as preference — and Scripture is clear about what God originally intended.
Does Animal Sacrifice Justify Eating Animals? Ancient ritual and daily food choice are entirely separate matters — and the final sacrifice of Jesus makes this clearer still.
Peter's Vision: A License to Eat Everything? Read in full context, Peter's vision was never about food — and may actually call Christians toward a more inclusive, more compassionate table.
Jesus, Fish, and What That Really Means What Jesus ate in a particular time and place tells us less than we assume about how Christians are called to live and eat today.
The Swine of Gerasene: Are Animal Lives Expendable? This story is about the power of faith, not the value of pigs — and reading it otherwise requires setting aside what Scripture actually says.
"You Are Worth More Than Many Sparrows" — So What? Hierarchy in Scripture is never a license for harm. The same texts that elevate humans call us to serve those beneath us in the social order.
False Assersions
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Counterpoints:
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James 4:17
Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.
Six scriptural arguments frequently surface among Christians who hope to defend eating meat, dairy, and eggs, but each argument is defeated by a number of strong scriptural counterpoints. Even without these strong counterpoints, for those who know what occurs behind the closed doors of anymal industries and who are devout, it would seem irreligious to argue for or choose omnivory or vegetarianism—to defend or further such indifference to the sufferings and deaths of God’s living creatures. (To learn what occurs behind closed doors, seek undercover footage taken in anymal facilities in the nation where you live or view photos taken on site at We Animals Media.)
John 8:32
…you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
To move toward vegan, look online for recipes and locate vegan shops and restaurants with clearly marked vegan options. Check for vegan options in local stores or find recipes online for vegan versions of familiar foods—cheese and sausages, hamburgers and lasagna, or cookies and pies. Be sure to check social media sites for a local vegan group: You can probably also find a local vegan to take you shopping and show you the ropes for choosing plant milks, alternative cheeses, and vegan meats.
Bon Appétit!
Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Rescued piglet Patsy reaches up to eat fresh green leaves in dappled sunshine, safe at a vegan anymal sanctuary. (We Animals Media.)
Summary:
A Scriptural Call to Vegan Living
Image Credits
Genesis 9:3:
Sacrifice:
Peter’s Dream: Domenico Fetti, “Peter's Vision of a Sheet with Animals.” (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)
Fishes: Ernst Zimmerman, “Christ with the Fisherman” (1852-1901). (Courtesy of Anthony’s Fine Art/Antiques.)
Swine of Gerasene: Visoki Dečani. “The Demons and the Swine” (14th century). (Image courtesy of Pravoslavie.)