Would religious types consider becoming vegetarian to fight climate change?

[judgefudge]

I understand the situation is different in different parts of the world, but it would seem relatively easy to do in the developed world. If major religious leaders started asking people to give it some thought at least, it may help. I don't think any of the major religions preclude being vegetarian and it would seem in line with their teachings to do it if it would help...

I honestly do not believe eating less or not meat saves the planet at all. Eating meat is part of thousands old ecological system. Who are we to change it. Change it and then the climate will got worse much faster

I suppose I am what judgefudge would describe as a religious type.
My 15 year-year-old son became vegan and I was worried about him. I did a bit of research and found that a vegan diet uses a lot less water and produces a lot less gas that a meat eater's diet. I became vegan.
That
was 33 years ago and according to the "I am Vegan" app I have saved
66,244 cubic metres of water and have reduced greenhouse gasses by 140,368 Kilograms.
I'll
continue to be vegan and will probably mention care for the environment in my
sermon on Sunday.

Not eating meat causes climate change? Do you have any actual evidence of that?

7th Day Adventists encourage their members to become vegan. And there are huge US studies on their greater longevity and health.
Vegetarianism is considered virtuous in Judaism .
Jains are vegetarian and becoming vegan.
I am about 90% vegan. I'm Jewish and a polytheist.

It really amuses me to see the Christians here refusing. Not much of a sacrifice these days with so many meat substitutes!

I believe it is good stewardship to care for the planet God gave us but I do believe each individual needs to decide between themselves and God what their part is in so doing. Not everyone can afford to be vegan, some of us have severe health issues and need a diet high in affordable proteins. I don't believe diets should be imposed by churches. The holy spirit will guide us as to what we should do and it won't look the same for each individual. Where I live the issue for many people is that they have food to eat, meat or no, as the cost of living crisis has been brutal here.

Well it’s certainly not a new thought. Many of the leading occultist (many of whom were also Christian) of the 19th/e20th century were vegetarian (which at that time would inc people who were vegan). There was a definite link between vegetarianism, social justice and spirituality within the occult community. For example this paper by Leadbeater from 1913 sets out the link v well from page 21.https://ia801003.us.archive.org/12/items/vegetarianismandoccultismbyc.w.leadbeater/Vegetarianism%20and%20occultism%20by%20C.W.%20Leadbeater.pdf

Of course if you want to trace the links between vegetarianism and spirituality you’re prob going back 5000 years.

Id be interested to hear from Christian’s though why they link vegetarianism with Christianity- how does this link into man’s dominion over all other creatures.

If you want to talk about “saving the planet” - I work with regenerative farmers who say that the reduction of wanting meat is one of the stupidest things we can do because we are essentially manipulating natures cycle. The issue is mass meat production and chemicals. The sudden increase in wanting only plant based foods means that we need to produce so many more crops and are actually causing an imbalance in biodiversity.

This might sound like buzzwords but why don’t we ask animals to stop eating each other too. And before you ask, we as humans are part of that animal kingdom whether we like it or not.

Also have you read the Old Testament? The amount of times God asks his people to kill an ox or the firstborn animal to eat in celebration.

Finally I want to add the people that have experienced health problems for going vegan without understanding how to create a balanced diet that replaces the iron, protein etc that their body will start craving (well needing) from their diet as meat eaters.

I know many vegan communities that have veganism embedded in their culture and are educated about food. Hey I’m a part time vegan too - eat meat once a week. Studies (and friends that have turned away from meat, become ill, then went back on meat) have found that we need a balance.

Finally I want to add the people that have experienced health problems for going vegan without understanding how to create a balanced diet that replaces the iron, protein etc that their body will start craving (well needing) from their diet as meat eaters.
I became vegan 33 years ago. I simply stopped eating dairy, eggs etc as I was already vegetarian. I just eat what I enjoy. I am now 76 and take no prescribed medication. I can't remeember the last time I saw my GP, I think it was in 2021.

Id be interested to hear from Christian’s though why they link vegetarianism with Christianity- how does this link into man’s dominion over all other creatures.

OK full disclosure, although I'm a Christian I am still getting to grips with theology! So the reason behind vegetarianism seems to be because that's how God set things up in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:29-30)

Then 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. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

So before the Fall, yes we were vegetarian (and as far as I can make out, will be again in Heaven after the return of Jesus).

Man has 'dominion' over creatures means he is in control of what happens to them, it doesn't mean we get to eat them necessarily, although we do.

It's interesting that in Matthew 14:19 we see the miracle of the loaves and fishes where Jesus feeds 5000 people from 2 fish and a 5 loaves. So clearly not veggies there. Perhaps that's why Christians were pescatarian. I have to look into that, but apparently pescatarianism was widespread in the early church.

As for me, I don't eat red meat anyway. Would I give up eating chicken and fish? No. Because my health is already poor enough, giving those up would make things worse.

In addendum to that, after the flood, Noah and his family were allowed to eat meat, and anything, really, apart from meat with blood still in it.

Genesis 9:1-4

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.

Thus from this point on it's permissible for us to eat meat. But that second verse makes me sad 'the fear and dread of you will fall on [every creature]'. They're all afraid of us now. It wasn't like that previously.

I am vegetarian and I'm Catholic. I've been veggie for 34 years at this point and agree it's one of the best things any of us can do for climate change.
So yes some "religious types" absolutely see the importance in it

@NotTooOldPaul I think it’s great you are in tune with your body. That is the food culture that we need to bring back. My body rejects dairy - so I don’t eat it. I have a friend whose body rejects lentils - so they don’t eat that. It’s about knowing what works and doesn’t work for you.

I have many friends that have cut out all meat and dairy and it’s improved their health. Others have cut out meat and they’ve ended up in hospital.