Veganism and the Bible

As I sit in my bed reading my bible for my afternoon bible study I realize God always has the answers. Recently my Facebook timeline has been full of posts bashing agriculture and farmers. Most of these posts come from Vegans who are all about animal rights and welfare. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with being vegan, this is America and we are allowed to have opinions, but here is why I am not a vegan.

Of course a simple answer would be to say meat is GOOD! But a better answer? Because God said so. As I was reading my bible a few scriptures began to stick out to me. As an advocate for agriculture, I am always looking for ways to “defend” the industry that is constantly being blindsided. Of course the bible is up for interpretation but here is my interpretation of the scriptures that stood out to me.

Genesis 8:1 “But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters ended.”

Yes, this verse is talking about Noah and the Ark, but if you read carefully you notice the wording. God differentiates between the “wild animals” and the “livestock.” Later in Genesis, God tells Noah that the animals, bird and fish would be for him and his family to eat. These animals produce milk that is consumable for humans and their bodies acquire meat. The meat we get from livestock supplies us with protein and energy. God made everything with a purpose, and I believe His purpose when creating livestock was to feed His children.

Exodus 33:3 “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey.”

Of course we can’t talk about veganism without discussing dairy, but honey too? Honey comes from animals therefore is “not consumable” by vegans. Vegans refrain from anything that exploits animals. Because bees are used in the process of making honey vegans do not consume it. This verse shows the importance of milk and honey to communities. Milk is a necessity for life for animals and for humans. Milk was used for nutritional value for children and adults while honey was used for medicinal purposes and still is today. Today, many people will eat a spoonful of local honey to rid or any sinuses or allergies. Milk is encouraged by most to help fight diseases, add calcium to your diet, and to give you protein.

Luke 15:23 “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.”

Often the bible says you should not eat the fat of an animal, but never does it say you should not eat the meat. The Bible often discusses the consumption of meat. Many times in the bible killing of animals is discussed as a sacrifice to God, but in this verse the eating of meat is used as a means pleasure or enjoyment. Vegans are concerned with the treatment of animals in the slaughterhouses, but as the agriculture industry has advanced people like Temple Grandin have created more humane ways for livestock to be treated up until the time of slaughter.

2 Timothy 2:6 “The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”

Farmers work hard every day in order make to sure that the people in our society are fed. First they must make sure that the crops or livestock they are raising fit into the demands of the society. Then they must make sure that everything is perfect from the moment the seed is in the ground or the hooves hit the floor. They are constantly making sure that what they are doing is going to be efficient in the long run for future generations. A farmers job is 24/7 365 days a year but in return they are bashed on social media and undercover footage is being filmed and taken out of context. Farmers have one of the hardest jobs on the planet. In this verse I believe that it is saying that someone who works selflessly the way a farmer does to make sure that almost 400 million people are being fed then they deserve some sort of requital.

As our society grows we become more and more distanced from the bible and the farm. Remember if you are ever unsure about something, God always has the answer. Never doubt Him and all that he can do. I by no means claim to be a perfect Christian or even the best writer but I am sure of two things 1) God is the creator of all things and he created everything with a purpose and 2) Agriculture is necessary for survival in this world. So remember as you lay your head down tonight, thank God for everything he does and thank a farmer for all his hard work.