According to The Vegan Society, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” In practice, vegans follow a plant-based diet that abstains from all meat, dairy, eggs and honey.
In 2018, 1.16% of the UK population were vegans (up from 0.25% in 2014). In the US, 6% of the population identified as vegan in 2017, up from 1% three years previously.
But the trend is even broader than that. While more people are adopting a strictly vegan diet (and owning the label that goes with it), many more of us—up to a third of the population—are seeking to cut down on meat and dairy, usually on the grounds of it being good for the environment, and for our health. From “meat free Mondays”, to Veganuary and flexitarianism—there are lots of ways to eat less meat.
So what does the Bible say about veganism? In one sense, very little—the word itself was coined by the founder of The Vegan Society in 1944. But in another sense, it has lots to say about food in general, meat in particular, and the God who gives them both.
Food is a sign of God’s abundant generosity to his creatures. He tells the first humans:
“Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground. … 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.” (Genesis 1 v 29)
When Noah and his family get off the ark, and God’s blessing on humanity is repeated and renewed, the “ruling over” the animals bit is extended to explicitly include the invitation to eat 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.” (Genesis 9 v 1-3)
Animals are “given” by God, into human hands. Meat is a gift. And gifts are to be received with thanksgiving: “everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Timothy 4 v 4).
Humans have been given the unique role of stewards of God’s creation. We rule over it as God’s image-bearing representatives. There’s a chain of command that goes God -> Humans -> Animals.
That means two things. First, human life is of a different value to animal life—the two are not in the same league. Arguments for veganism that elevate animal life to the same level as human life falter in this respect.
Second, humans are to “rule over” creation in a way which mirrors the way that God “rules over” his creation. And it’s clear that God does not abuse the creatures under his control for his own pleasure or satisfaction.
It’s therefore appropriate for Christians to be concerned for the environment and for animal welfare: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals” (Proverbs 12 v 10). Some Christians feel that the call to steward creation conflicts with today’s intensive farming methods and the global food economy. (Of course, the environmental and economic factors on this are complicated—eating bacon sandwiches from locally reared and slaughtered pigs is almost always going to be better for the environment than avocado-on-toast flown halfway around the world).
“Meat is a gift”—but doesn’t preclude regarding it as a treat, rather than a daily staple.
The rise in veganism confirms a phenomenon we see in Scripture: food unites (when we eat it together), and food divides (when it creates an “us and them” mentality).
God used food laws in the Old Testament—including regulation of slaughtering practices and the prohibition of some meats—to highlight the distinction between his chosen covenant people and the nations around them.
But fastforward to the New Testament, and food had begun to cause divisions within the body of God’s people—and that’s a big problem. In Romans 14 Paul addresses a situation in Rome where some Christians were “quarrelling” over a “disputable matter”—whether to eat “everything” or “only vegetables” (v 1-2). The passage leaves us with some big principles as we interact with vegan/vegetarian/meat-eating friends and family-in-Christ:
Christ is Lord, so eat (or don’t eat) “to the Lord” (v 6). In other words, make honouring him the priority in all your decisions, including how to eat.
Don’t judge, look down on or despise someone else’s choices on this (v 10)—they’ll give an account of themselves to God, so they don’t owe us an account.
Don’t become an evangelist for the moral rightness or wrongness of your food choices (v 22).
Follow your conscience—if you’re not sure whether something is sinful, err on the side of caution (v 23). And don’t do anything that might lead someone else to go against their conscience (even if you think their conscience is misguided, v 21).
Finally, in all things, act in love towards others (v 15). Ask: “Is it loving to eat this/say this now?”
Read other articles in the 5 Minute Theology series:
Rachel Jones is the author of A Brief Theology of Periods (Yes, really), Is This It?, and several books in the award-winning Five Things to Pray series, and serves as Vice President (Editorial) at The Good Book Company. She helps teach kids and serves on the mission core team at her church, King's Church Chessington, in Surrey, UK.