Veganism as a religion

[Nekodaiden]

Insofar as the bible is concerned, there are numerous passages in the OT which frown upon killing animals. Of course this stands in contrast to certain laws that included them for religious purposes. Daniel's diet of health only included plant based food. According to Genesis Righteous men ate no animals up until after the flood (where they are only then allowed -presumably for short term survival).

I find it interesting that the first murder in the Bible is that of a Shepherd who protects his sheep, presumably from the one that wants to enter the sheep-pen outside the gate and climbs over the fence to rob the sheep?

I also find it interesting that when the Last Supper was served, Christ pointed to bread and said "this is my body" and grape juice and said "this is my blood". There was no animal flesh at that last supper.

Vegetarianism could be argued from the bible, especially as Christ is the sacrificial lamb, but for the writings of Paul of Tarsus which puts down vegetarianism and sears conscience with regards to meat.

 

[veganwoman]

I'm vegan and don't believe in god. God is the biggest con of all. If there was a 'god' this world wouldn't be a cruel hellhole. If there was a god it would be the opposite. Where's god when animals and people are tortured, murdered, raped, bullied, diagnosed with diseases/ illnesses, etc? I think people use god as a goddamn crutch.

 

[Hedgewitch]

I'm a Pagan. I believe in a cosmic force. I'm an animal empath. Being your highest being should be your goal. Naturally, we should have compassion for all living things.

 

[Forest Nymph]

Believing God thought something doesn't make it religious. It is an often abused offshoot of actual religion that is used to persecute others.

For instance - inter racial marriages were opposed because 'people believed God was against it'. There is nothing in the bible about it.

In the bible it says God created animals for people (to eat), if you are Christian or other God believing religion then you have to accept that by being part of that religion you are encouraging people to kill and eat animals.

Actually, no the Bible doesn't say that. The animals were created for their own purpose BEFORE people not for people. Adam was called to name the animals and basically be friends with them. There's actually a lot of Biblical support for vegetarian diets, which is the entire reason the 7th Day Adventist Church exists, but there are also Unitarian, Catholic and Orthodox Jewish vegans here and there.

It's frankly insane to me that people keep passing this narrative they heard from their crazy neighbor. You should understand in the 21st century most "religious" people in the West are highly secular rather than genuinely devout, only go to mass or temple for social approval, and eat, dress and behave more according to capitalist culture than any religion.

There's zero religions I'm aware of that legitimately place humans that far above or apart from animals. That's actually pushed in a big way by the Enlightenment, believe it or not, and secular humanism. Pope Francis calls the earth our sister and the animals our brothers. Athiests did not create animal rights, they took it over after industrial capitalism to mainstream a rational response to mindless consumption and the resulting cruelty. While near vegan religious communities like Jains exist, veganism in its present form is in reality a pushback to secular humanism not religious beliefs, lol.

 

[Forest Nymph]

I'm really tired of people telling me my beliefs are a lifestyle or a diet.

• I believe in God- a God that did not eat animal products.
• I also believe that God did not create animals for us to use/abuse/kill.
• I believe our purpose is to learn to be the best caretakers of the animals and the planet.

By holding those beliefs, that constitutes my veganism as religious, does it not?

I've seen argument for making veganism a religion in order to get rights for vegans as a protected group to make it easier to protect animals by proxy. From an atheist. Buddhists can be athiests.

Anyway veganism is of yet not a legal religion and even if it were half to three quarters of vegans would take issue with the idea they were vegan because of God.

But you can be vegan for religious regions. A lot of people are vegetarian for religious reasons. Tell people that next time they question you that it is part of your religion. However veganism alone is not a religion. We don't worship domesticated farm animals.

Gaia consciousness or whole living Earth is a thing even in speculative science. I believe this is real and may be what humans sense as God in quiet places in nature or in their compassion for other species. That's what it's all about for me. What I do is both rational as a response to that creepy thing we call the free market, but it's also a completely spiritual act of love for animals and our planet.

 

[Ger]

Veganism as a religion. // I voted "(other)". I voted that because I don't know what God is, or even if there is one. I have no faith in anything because, like everyone else on Earth, I do not have a clue what it is that everything is really all about, and what it is that we should or must do, if anything. I do have hope though. I like to operate as if there's a big eye in the sky looking down at me. This big eye belongs to something imaginary in my own mind. I think of this unknown, omnipotent one as my friend and one who cares for us all. I mean, we can hope that there is someone or something like that, right?! The way I see it, if there isn't a goodly, omnipotent one who can take care of us all, then what's the point of even existing at all. I'm an on-again, off-again vegan because I'm trying my damnest to be a good guy like that imaginary God who I hope for so much. I don't want other creatures, especially the sentient ones, to be disappointed either. -- ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????