VEGAN
All bible quotations are from the King James Version.
I eat meat in moderation because foods made from animals have greater concentrations of toxins, and animals are harder to digest than plants.
At first God gave people and the animals a vegan diet (Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Ge.1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.). When Adam and Eve sinned they made clothes from fig leaves (Genesis 3:7: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.), but then God made them clothes from skins (Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.).
God respected Abel's animal sacrifice, but rejected Cain's plant sacrifice (Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. Ge.4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. Ge.4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: Ge.4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. Ge.4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?).
God gave people authority to use animals for various purposes: Genesis 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Ge.9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
Blood has particular significance: Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. Deuteronomy 12:20 When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. De.12:21 If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. De.12:22 Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them: the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike. De.12:23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh. De.12:24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water. Genesis 9:5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man..
Following is a partial list of animals that the Israelites were allowed to eat: Deuteronomy 14:4 These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, De.14:5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois. De.14:6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat. De.14:9 These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat: De.14:10 And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you. De.14:11 Of all clean birds ye shall eat. De.14:20 But of all clean fowls ye may eat.
God commanded His people to eat animal sacrifices (Exodus 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Ex.12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Ex.12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. Ex.12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover.[there are other examples]). God provided rain so grains and grass would grow to feed cattle so people could eat the cattle (Deuteronomy 11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. De.11:15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle,that thou mayest eat and be full. Psalms 104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;). God blessed His people to eat flesh with the stipulation that they should not eat the blood (Deuteronomy 12:15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart. De.12:16 Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.).
The Lord Jesus allowed eating meat before and after His resurrection (Matthew 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?M't.7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? M't.14:17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. M't.14:18 He said, Bring them hither to me. M't.14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. M't.14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. M't.14:21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. Luke 24:41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? Lu.24:42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. Lu.24:43 And he took it, and did eat before them. John 21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Joh.21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Joh.21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Joh.21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Joh.21:13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.).
After eating vegetables and water for ten days Daniel and his friends were strong and thriving compared to the king's other chosen people. Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. Da. 1:2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. Da. 1:3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Da. 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. Da. 1:5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Da. 1:6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Da. 1:7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. Da. 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, (According to the Strong's Concordance, the previous word "meat" is translated from: 6598 pathbag'
of Persian origin; a dainty:--portion (provision) of meat. [As I might have explained somewhere else, in the language of King James's time the word meat meant "food" in our modern language. This particular word 6568 meant "dainty." Implying it could have been plant, animal, or both.]) nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Da. 1:9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. Da. 1:10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Da. 1:11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Da. 1:12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse (vegetables) to eat, and water to drink. Da. 1:13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. Da. 1:14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. Da. 1:15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat. Da. 1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. Nonetheless, a more in depth study will show that Daniel and his companions refused the king's choice of food not for nutritional reasons; but instead, because it would have defiled them (see above: Daniel 1:8 [The word "defile" is used twice in verse 8, and is translated from Strong's Concordance word .1351 ga'al gaw-al' a primitive root, (rather identified with 1350, through the idea of freeing, i.e. repudiating); to soil or (figuratively) desecrate:--defile, pollute, stain.]. Daniel would have known that eating unclean animals is unlawful under the Law of Moses; as well as, Daniel would have known that eating ritually clean animals is lawful under the Law of Moses. Following are a few examples of "clean" versus "unclean" animals: Leviticus 11:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Le. 11:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Le. 11:3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Le. 11:4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. Le. 11:5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. Le. 11:6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. Le. 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Le. 11:8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. Le. 11:9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
It is likely that Daniel and his companions chose to eat pulse not because they were vegetarians; instead, they ate pulse because they didn't want to violate the dietary restrictions set forth in the Law of Moses.
Animal sacrifices were necessary, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. The blood of animals did not completely pay for sin; they were accepted temporarily until Jesus Christ made the only acceptable sacrifice for sin.
In the old English the word "meat" meant "food." The Old Testament was translated from Hebrew, the New Testament from Greek; those languages have their own words that mean "food." I guess God commanded people to eat animal sacrifices because the meat would have rotted otherwise.
1Corinthians 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. 1Co. 8:2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. 1Co. 8:3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him. 1Co. 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. 1Co. 8:5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 1Co.8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 1Co. 8:7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 1Co.8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 1Co. 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. 1Co.8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 1Co. 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 1Co. 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 1Co. 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13 doesn't restrict the food offered to idols exclusively to animal food, it could include things like bread and wine because the inclusive phrase "things offered" is used repeatedly. Yet, animal food is definitely included because vs 13 uses the word "flesh." Verse 4 "...we know that an idol is nothing in the world..." we know it is just food. Verse 7 "Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge...eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled." So, If the "weak brother" eats it he sins. Nonetheless, even these vss don't mean we have to abstain from eating meat in front of a vegan; that is unless, of course, it happens to be meat that was sacrificed to an idol, and the vegan is a "weak brother" or sister.
1Tmothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 1Tm. 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 1Tm. 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 1Tm. 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 1Tm. 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.