Religion and Veganism

First a disclaimer, I am not a vegan nor have I ever been. I am interested in learning if veganism is necessary in a spiritual context. There are inscriptions that suggest that veganism is a necessity. However the followers of most religions don't abide to veganism. Many here have probably looked into it at greater depth so I wish to learn from your views. Clearly if spiritualism teaches love and compassion why wouldn't that apply to animals. Shouldn't we love and cherish all sentiment beings.

Judiasm:

One of the Ten commandments "Thou shalt not kill" does not specify humankind.

The first creative narration in Genesis 1:29 God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.".

Islam:

There are suggestions that the prophet of Islam was a vegetarian and vegetarian restrictions were dropped at a latter date.

Christianity:

Jesus was a Nazarene. No record of a town called Nazareth exist. But its been suggested that Nazarenes were the name of the Northern Essenes at Mount Carmel. If this is true then Jesus was an Essene that followed a strictly vegetarian diet and rejected all animal sacrifices.

The earliest Christians may have been called Nazarenes. Acts 24:5 tells “For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes”. This probably explains why the Syrian Christians/ebionites were strictly vegetarians.

Hinduism:

Hinduism does require a vegetarian diet, but many Hindus also avoid eating meat because they believe it minimises hurting other life forms.

Buddhism:

Depends on school. Theravada allows meat eating citing Buddha. The Mahayana schools generally recommend a vegetarian diet citing Buddha.

a reply to: glend

What do you think that meat eaters are missing out on? Because i know some vegans, and they are not anywhere near being enlightened beings. How many truly enlightened people have you met? How many truly enlightened people do you figure there are? What do you think it means to be enlightened?

I don’t think i have ever met anyone who had special knowledge about spirits or spirituality. I just hear a lot of people who are searching for it and plenty of people who pretend to be spiritual. But nobody can explain it or demonstrate it. It just seems to be some imaginary goal that can’t be pinned down and seems completely contradictory to every human i have ever met. Especially those who claim to understand.

a reply to: glend

Just a bit of explanation, Numbers 6:1-21 is as follows:
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.

“‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.

“‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body. Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.

“‘If someone dies suddenly in the Nazirite’s presence, thus defiling the hair that symbolizes their dedication, they must shave their head on the seventh day—the day of their cleansing. Then on the eighth day they must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for the Nazirite because they sinned by being in the presence of the dead body. That same day they are to consecrate their head again. They must rededicate themselves to the Lord for the same period of dedication and must bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. The previous days do not count, because they became defiled during their period of dedication.

“‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite when the period of their dedication is over. They are to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting. There they are to present their offerings to the Lord: a year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a year-old ewe lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a fellowship offering, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of bread made with the finest flour and without yeast—thick loaves with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves brushed with olive oil.

“‘The priest is to present all these before the Lord and make the sin offering and the burnt offering. He is to present the basket of unleavened bread and is to sacrifice the ram as a fellowship offering to the Lord, together with its grain offering and drink offering.

“‘Then at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that symbolizes their dedication. They are to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.

“‘After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair that symbolizes their dedication, the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and one thick loaf and one thin loaf from the basket, both made without yeast. The priest shall then wave these before the Lord as a wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

“‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows offerings to the Lord in accordance with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vows they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite.’”

Jesus was called a Nazarene because He lived his life according to the Nazirite vow. He may not have ever taken that vow, it was what He was called.

The Bible warns Christians not to be deceived by those who abstain from certain foods:

1 Timothy 4:1-4 ESV: - Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

I remember Bagwahan (osho) Rajneesh (modern guru figure) said that the further you go into spirituality/meditation, the more it will make sense to go vegan /vegetarian.

He also said that being vegan/vegetarian does not help one become spiritual, it is just a by-product of compassion and love.

Also, if you can live healthy without giving money to torturous factory farming, then why not go vegan ?

a reply to: glend

I'm mostly vegetarian but that has nothing to do really with my spirituality. It's more because I love all living beings.

Very interesting thread, so sorry I can't give you a star and flag.(isssues on mobile devices)

originally posted by: Woodcarver
a reply to: glend

What do you think that meat eaters are missing out on? Because i know some vegans, and they are not anywhere near being enlightened beings. How many truly enlightened people have you met? How many truly enlightened people do you figure there are? What do you think it means to be enlightened?

I don’t think i have ever met anyone who had special knowledge about spirits or spirituality. I just hear a lot of people who are searching for it and plenty of people who pretend to be spiritual. But nobody can explain it or demonstrate it. It just seems to be some imaginary goal that can’t be pinned down and seems completely contradictory to every human i have ever met. Especially those who claim to understand.

You asked some good questions. I suspect someone that is truly "enlightened", which is really nothing more than overcoming the egoic self which would allow one to live unconditionally in the present moment, would not even be noticed. Certainly, they would not protest how spiritual they are. They would be someone that is very present in the moment, that does not judge outcomes and is in a state of acceptance to what it. Someone that gives their all to whatever they are doing with equal attention.

originally posted by: blueman12
I remember Bagwahan (osho) Rajneesh (modern guru figure) said that the further you go into spirituality/meditation, the more it will make sense to go vegan /vegetarian.

He also said that being vegan/vegetarian does not help one become spiritual, it is just a by-product of compassion and love.

Also, if you can live healthy without giving money to torturous factory farming, then why not go vegan ?

I wanted to give you a hundred stars to illuminate your sky!!! Thanks for a lovely post, blueman.

a reply to: chr0naut

I always felt the "God" of the old testament of the bible was a very controlling,demanding and cruel god. Actions like killing the oldest son, and requiring animal sacrifices, as well as selecting a chosen people.He is the antithesis of Jesus, the two just do not jive, there is something amiss there.

I usually tend to find veganism an spirituality happens for two different reason, fear, and just wanting a clear conscious.

For the fear part, it more or less like being good, and not having some mythical being that haunts you from one life time to the next cause they got nothing better to do just because couldn't resist. And then we ask God, why, why me, out ignorance of the fact.

And the other is just plain empathy.

Very tough to do in a universe where life is conservative.

God doesn’t care what you eat or care about anything else we do. Ultimately we are accountable to ourselves for our actions and for our own spiritual advancement.

a reply to: chr0naut

Im sorry, but all I hear throughout all of those words is a variant on Monty Python.

a reply to: Specimen

if plants are alive, which they are...and Chandra Bose PROVED they have actual consciousness in 1900...how is taking plant life any better than taking animal life?

If all is one, or God is in everything, how is eating one thing over another (by an actual creature of God) better or worse?

This is a predatory universe, EVERYTHING consumes something to sustain themselves, to think otherwise...is a lot like being a zealot.


oh I was agreeing with you btw

Actually.... If I may.
God the Father Almighty cared enough of you and I so much so that he would not intervene in our affairs.
Why.... For the sake of affairs. That we may be born into this through the graces of our horny perverted parents who numbingly believe they are soul mates. They do the do and spring forth all of us here today.
Had god decided to mettle ... No one alive this minute would exist. So... Give thanks. If you can't atleast give ear to reason.

a reply to: Pinocchio

seriously, so God is a masachist? rubbish, he so loved us he lets us flounder so he can watch?

I want to lie...
I want to lie alot...
I want to lie the most...

But... Truthfulness is a virtue.
So... Consecrate my showerhead. Bless my dove soap. And bless the water in which I will shower.
They say that's when the holy spirit comes

a reply to: glend

Speaking as one who only eats fish and dairy...and then not so regularly:

If you're truly seeking enlightenment or some sort of enlightened spirituality: DO NOT BECOME A VEGAN.


My perspective is this: Spirituality comes from within. I don't know if your thread is you searching for answers for yourself, or just in general.

a reply to: Pinocchio

well you do go by the name Pinocchio

a reply to: BlueJacket

Once again.... If you can't give thanks. Atleast give ear to reason. You lack nothing. Only the will to succeed and abide. That's all you. Blame god if you must. But remember .... I have only a thanks to give.
A pauper... But with enough sense to thank my Lord for his stand down. Plus... Doing it is soooooo much fun. Thanks God. I'll prolly marry her. Cheese all some

God, if you read it, designed you to have domion over all things. In this prison of seas and skies and lands... There is Dominion. What more do you desire to need. Shall he walk you through it to make you special. You're a marvelous feat. No one ever concieved or dreamt you until we all beheld you.
Welcome.... You are my delight. Let us conquer.
Or go back to bed. It's Saturday. The Sabbath. No need for player hating

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Pinocchio

well you do go by the name Pinocchio

Is Pinocchio a liar?!? Or is the one who heeds it a much greater tragedy!?!