In many ways, moving toward a plant-based diet glorifies God.

It makes us healthier, happier servants of God, and it avoids

the animal cruelty, environmental damage, and human misery

associated with factory farms.

JOYFUL, COMPASSIONATE EATINGHONORING GOD’S CREATION

GOD’S ANIMALS

Jesus said that God feeds the birdsof the air (Matt. 6:26) and does notforget sparrows (Luke 12:6). In theirown ways, God’s creaturesdemonstrate a full range of feelings– curiosity, pleasure, playfulness,love, joy, fear, anger, pain, andsuffering:

• Cows play and enjoy each other’scompany.1

• Pigs are intelligent and curious,and they form bonds with oneanother and other species.2

• Chickens have distinctpersonalities and can learn theirnames.3

• In many ways, the animalspeople eat are just like theanimals we love as pets.4

And yet, in the United States,nearly all farmed animals live inintensively crowded, dirty, smelly,windowless factory farms, whereanimals suffer greatly. For example:

• Castration, debeaking, and otherpainful mutilations are routinelydone without pain-relief.

• Egg-laying hens are crammed intocages so small they can’t spreadtheir wings.

• Pregnant pigs spend months installs so narrow they can’t turnaround.

• Millions of baby chicks aremailed via the U.S. Postal Serviceeach year. Although injury anddeath rates are high, producersregard chicks as cheap and notworth the cost of humanetransport.5

• Mother cows grieve for days orweeks after their calves are takenfrom them so humans can drinktheir milk.6

• Today’s factory farmers seem toembrace any practice thatincreases profit, regardless of howmuch animal pain, suffering, anddeath it inflicts.7

Hog Farm Management advised, “Forgetthe pig is an animal. Treat him just likea machine in a factory.” ©CIWF

They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.

Isaiah 11:9

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• Living in miserable conditionsthat frustrate nearly everyinstinctive desire they have,factory-farmed animals neverhave a good day.

When we avoid the products ofcruel farming practices, we areshowing love and respect forcreatures who trust us and want tobefriend us. Those who consumethe products of factory farms aresponsoring cruelty. What does thissay about their faith? Can weprofess faith that God is good if webelieve that God approves ofcruelty to animals?

What animal agribusinessdoesn’t want you to know.Because compassionate peopleoppose cruelty to animals, theanimal agribusiness industry hasbeen doing its best to hide thetruth from the public. Animalagribusinesses and their friends in

many state legislatures have passed“ag-gag” laws. These laws make ita crime to photograph or otherwiseexpose how God’s animals areroutinely abused on factory farms.

What does the Bible say about meat?The Bible does not prohibit eatingmeat in all circumstances, butmost Christians today have easyaccess to a wide variety ofhealthful plant foods. Indeed, theBible depicts a plant-based diet asGod’s ideal. In Eden, all creatureslived peacefully, and God toldhumans to consume only plantfoods (Gen. 1:29–31). Several prophecies, such as Isaiah

11:6–9, foresee a return to thisvegetarian world, where all

“Veal” calves can’t turn around for theirentire lives of 18-20 weeks. ©CIWF

Rescued cow living in a sanctuary.

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Blessed are the merciful.Matthew 5:7

creatures and a little child coexistpeacefully. Accordingly, seekingthis harmonious world, Jesustaught us to pray, “Thy will bedone, on earth as in heaven” (Matt.6:10).For a discussion of biblical

passages related to meat eating, see all-creatures.org/replies.htm.

Does God care for animals?Genesis 1:21-22 relates that, afterGod created animals, God blessedthem and called them “good.” InGenesis 2:18-19, God madeanimals as Adam’s helpers andcompanions. The Bible repeatedlydescribes God’s concern foranimals and forbids cruelty.8 Jesussaid, “Blessed are the merciful[Matt. 5:7], yet no mercy is shownfor nearly all farmed animals.Should not the Golden Rule (Matt.7:12) – treat others as you wouldlike others to treat you – guidehow we treat animals?

Don’t laws protect farmedanimals?In the United States and manyother countries, “standardprocedures” on farms are all legal,regardless of the pain and sufferingthey cause. Practices such as bodilymutilations, which would warrantfelony animal cruelty charges ifdone to a dog or cat, are perfectlylegal when done to a pig orchicken. At the slaughterhouse,“humane slaughter” laws are weakand poorly enforced, and theyexempt the slaughter of birds. Laws

Hens in battery cages have about ½ sq.ft. per bird. ©CIWF

When we consume the products of factory farming, we are telling factory farmers: I approve. Do it again.

Rev. Frank L. Hoffman

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to improve conditions on farmswould be desirable, and an evenmore effective way to preventanimal abuse is to reduce oreliminate the consumption ofanimal products.

What about “humane meat”?Even though farmed animals donot always suffer equally, it isnever humane to kill a young,healthy animal. People shouldknow that terms like “farm fresh”have no meaning, and “organic”and “local” do not mean“humane.” “Free range” can andusually does involve intensiveconfinement and painfulmutilations. And, small farmershave generally embraced the sameor very similar practices of largecorporate animal factories.

Why do people eat meat?For many, it is the taste, texture, or convenience of flesh. However, as Christians, we must askwhether such desires reflectChristian values. Is eating meatreally the right thing to do?

THE BENEFITS OF A PLANT-BASED DIET

Your Health: your body is atemple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19)When we eat right and exercise, weare better able to serve God. Wefeel more vigorous and alert, andwe can attain and maintain ahealthy weight. The AmericanDietetic Association, America’slargest organization of food andnutrition professionals, notes thatwell-balanced vegetarian and vegandiets reduce the risk of heartdisease, high blood pressure,diabetes, obesity, cancer, and otherconditions.9 The Mayo ClinicHealth Letter similarly promotes a plant-based diet.10

For important plant-basednutrition information, seechristianveg.org/nutrition.htm.

Be merciful, even as your Fatheris merciful.

Luke 6:36

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…and what does the Lordrequire of you but to do justice,and to love kindness, and towalk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

Our Planet – being the beststeward you can beIn Genesis 2:15, God instructedAdam to till and keep the Gardenof Eden, and by analogy we maysee caring for God’s Creation asour sacred task. The typical meateater’s diet requires up to 14 timesmore water and 20 times moreenergy than that of a vegetarian.Indeed, current use of land, water,and energy is not sustainable, andresource depletion is alreadycausing great hardships forhumankind.A recent report concluded that

worldwide livestock productioncontributes 51% of humanity’sgreenhouse gasses.11 The mostimportant thing people can do toreduce their contribution to globalwarming is to reduce their use ofanimal products. Poor People – living simply so

others may simply liveChristianity teaches that weshould feed hungry people. Yet,while tens of millions of people die annually from starvation-related causes and close to a billionsuffer from malnutrition, 37% ofthe world’s harvested grain is fedto animals being raised forslaughter; in the United States, the figure is 66%.Only a fraction of what chickens,

pigs, and other animals eat turnsinto edible flesh – most is neededto simply keep them alive or togrow body parts that people don’teat. Consequently, farmed animalsCattle ranching and feed crops for

farmed animals are largely responsiblefor deforestation in the Amazon.

Vegan ultramarathon champion ScottJurek and other top athletes credit theirplant-based diets. See ScottJurek.com.

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consume much more food thanthey produce. Converting plantfoods to meat wastes 67–90% ofthe protein, up to 96% of thecalories, and all of the fiber.Because land, water, and otherresources are limited, the worldcan support many more vegetariansthan meat eaters. As worldwidedemand for meat has grown, theworld’s poor people have becomeincreasingly unable to afford foodof any kind.

Antibiotic Resistant GermsBecause stressed, overcrowdedanimals are vulnerable toinfections, farmers routinely addantibiotics to their feed. Thispromotes the development ofantibiotic-resistant “superbugs”that threaten humanity.

How can I take the first step? If you're planning to move towarda plant-based diet, good for you!You can spare up to 30 landanimals per year, and you can

significantly help your health,other people, and the environment. And, doing this is actually a lot

easier than most people think.There are many tasty, convenient,and nutritious non-animal foods.You will feel better as you gainenergy and shed unwanted pounds.Local vegetarian groups areeverywhere, offering social events,encouragement, support, andadvice. Many vegetarian groupswill gladly answer your questions.12

FootnotesGo to christianveg.org/footnotes/htm.

And God said,“Behold, I have given you

every plant yielding seed…andevery tree with seed in its fruit;you shall have them for food.”

Genesis 1:29

Inefficient conversion of grains intomeat contributes to world hunger.

WHAT TO EAT?

When changing your diet, it maytake time to explore new foods anddevelop healthier habits. There aremany different products that aretasty, convenient, and nutritious –keep experimenting to find yourpersonal favorites.Nearly all grocery stores have

vegan and vegetarian main courseoptions, particularly Trader Joe’sand Whole Foods. Similarly,restaurants of all types routinelyoffer plant-based meals – just ask!

Substitution GuideYou can continue to prepare yourfavorite dishes and avoid animalproducts by making simplesubstitutions:

Meat–There are many options,such as tempeh, tofu, or vegetarianmeats (such as Beyond Meat,Tofurkey, Gardein, and Boca in thefrozen food section).

Dairy–Use milks, cheeses, creams,yogurts, and frozen desserts madefrom soy, rice, coconut, or nuts.Nutritional yeast adds a cheesyflavor to foods. Replace butter witholive oil or trans-fat-free margarine.Eggs–In baking recipes, usepowdered egg substitutes, such asEner-G Egg Replacer or VeganEgg,or replace each egg with half abanana or with 1 Tbsp. of groundflaxseed plus 3 Tbsp. water.

ResourcesChristian Vegetarian Association:ChristianVeg.org

Contact: CVA@ChristianVeg.org

Facebook: facebook.com/Christian-Vegetarian-Association-10156148652

Nutrition guide:christianveg.org/nutrition.htm

Recipes: all-creatures.org/recipes.html

Simple meal ideas:christianveg.org/simplemeals.htm

Restaurant guide: HappyCow.net

© Christian Vegetarian Association, 2000-2016 (reprint permission granted); Rev. 02/2016

Printed on recycled paper with soy ink