how often have you read it?? we're to be stewards of creation. treating animals cruelly is not something that's supported. animals were part of creation...creation is "good", according to the Bible. in the early church, there were many who just ate vegetables. i'm not sure what the reason was. perhaps that's what Christ did?? I don't know. i eat meat. but i'm offended by animal cruetly, generally. to the point that makes me a hypocrite, then i need to examine that more closely.
Jesus told a great story about a prodigal son who left home, wasted his money and returned to his father. The father saw the son he loved coming home and told his servants to kill the fat cow, we're going to celebrate. Jesus also seemed to be good at feeding thousands of people with one seafood platter. Like you say, creation is a precious gift from God and we should be careful stewards of it. Another verse comes to mind where Jesus and the disciples were walking through the corn field eating the corn. They ate grains, breads And my favorite- Jesus turning water to wine, good wine. Also this gem- A righteous man takes good care of his animals- Proberbs 12:10
1. The Christians in my church always seem a bit torn. They don't naturally feel much compulsion to be environmentally friendly or animal protectionists, but feel like their religion does demand it of them, by telling them to be good stewards and to be compassionate. I think it has its limits because there is also a bit of a hierarchy that is Scripturally-enforced -- that mankind is their first concern -- but if anything, Christianity makes them more sensitive to other life, not less. 2. It is true that most Christians don't feel like vegetarianism is required. That you'd require vegetarianism of Christianity seems like the tail wagging the dog. What's more important to you, minimizing the deaths of animals in the present or participating in a new Earth where pain and death and sorrow all pass away and you and all creation can live in perfect harmony with God? It seems to me if you did think Jesus was the son of God and died for your sins, you would let that truth dictate your attitude toward eating meat, not the other way around. 3. I do think you are essentialy right about the Christian attitude toward evolution. Evolution contradicts some basic Christian ideas: that mankind (and not other life) is made in God's image, that mankind alone has free will, that the fate of the human race is in God's hands instead of their own. I don't think most Christians think we could accidentally extinguish ourselves by destroying our environment. At the same time, I think you underestimate the duty of stewardship. Some seem to see it as control and license, but many understand it as a responsibility to nurture. 4. The theology of my church rejects dualism (though I'm sure most people operate as de facto dualists). So the theology would dampen consideration of the soul as a differentiator. It is often stressed in our church that the world would be renewed in the New Jerusalem and all of creation would be redeemed -- meaning every animal, plant, and rock (which also requires that every animal, plant and rock fell with Adam and Eve). And, the redemption is bodily: real animals with real limbs, real trees and all the rest. So it wouldn't matter whether my dog had a soul or not, she'd be redeemed with the rest of creation on the last day. This also implies there shouldn't be much distinction drawn between this life and the afterlife -- they are the same, but one has sin and death and the other does not. Of course, there are many disagreements in the Church over what is going to happen with the Second Coming and the nature of the resurrection. 5. Right1, I think you may have pulled that passage a bit out of context. Or at least the context needs some explaining. Is this the passage where Paul is reproaching followers for refusing to eat with Gentiles? Or addressing a complaint about some followers eating food sacrificed to idols? I could look it up, but I do think the context needs some explaining.
i can't say how often it happens but the two vegans i know both began to eat meat again when pregnant. what's up with that?
