What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on the 'animal cruelty' argument for veganism?

What is an overview of Christian viewpoints on the 'animal cruelty' argument for veganism?

I find it hard to imagine that any Christian denomination would take such a stand as defending veganism because of the cruelty to animals issues. Individuals may, but not any Christian denomination as a whole.

Deliberate cruelty to animals for that reason only is immoral in the eyes of all Christians. How Scriptures abounds in examples of individuals slaughtering animals for food and/or sacrifice to God. Killing of any animal for food must be done in the most humane manner possible.

Let me explain where I am going.

Veganism is not quite the same thing as vegetarianism.

There are many ways to embrace vegan living. Yet one thing all vegans have in common is a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish and insects), dairy, eggs and honey - as well as avoiding animal-derived materials, products tested on animals and places that use animals for entertainment.

"Veganism is a philosophy and 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; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."

History

Although the vegan diet was defined early on in The Vegan Society's beginnings in 1944, it was as late as 1949 before Leslie J Cross pointed out that the society lacked a definition of veganism. He suggested “[t]he principle of the emancipation of animals from exploitation by man”. This is later clarified as “to seek an end to the use of animals by man for food, commodities, work, hunting, vivisection, and by all other uses involving exploitation of animal life by man”.

The society was first registered as a charity in August 1964 but its assets were later transferred to a new charity when it also became a limited company in December 1979. The definition of veganism and the charitable objects of the society were amended and refined over the years. By winter 1988 the current definition was in use - although the phrasing has changed slightly over the years.

Definition of veganism

So strictly speaking true vegans abstain from all animal derived products. It not so much simply a question of cruelty to animal issue, but that also takes into the rational within their philosophical reasoning.

Biblically speaking it would be hard to back up.

• St. John the Baptist ate locust and wild honey and even was clothed in a camel hide!
• Breast feeding within Sacred Scriptures is a praise worthy act!
• The Ancient Israelites often cooked their food in milk which true vegans would refuse!
• Scriptures nevertheless does state that on one occasion ‘You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk’!
• Jesus himself ate fish and even partook of the Jewish Passover where lamb was consumed.

Again, I am dealing with true veganism and not simply vegetarianism.

In the beginning of mankind, vegetarianism was the norm. So, perhaps the portion of the Genesis creation narrative most relevant to this topic can be found in Genesis 1:29-30:

God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so.

Once again we are dealing how vegans can see things on a personal and philosophical level and not on a theological and denominational level.

The “animal cruelty” argument for veganism is a minor argument to this issue at hand, since veganism justifications engulf so many more principles. How is eating honey “cruelty to animals”!

Many Christians may choose to practice vegetarianism or veganism as their Lenten sacrifice during Lent.

Christian vegetarianism has not been a common dietary choice throughout Church history. Some have argued, however, that "there is a long-standing tradition of vegetarianism in Christian history." The two most prominent forms are a spirituality-based vegetarianism (where vegetarianism is adopted as an ascetic practice, or as a way of opposing the sin of gluttony, in the hope it will draw the person to God) and an ethically-based vegetarianism (where it is adopted for ethical reasons; for example, those to do with the treatment of non-human animals). Christian ethical vegetarianism (or veganism) usually carries with it a commitment to the normative claim that (at least some) Christians should be vegetarians. For this reason, Christian ethical vegetarians often give a scriptural justification for their position. While there are biblical passages which provide support for ethical vegetarianism, there are also passages which seem to imply that eating animals is morally permissible.

For those interested, the following articles may be of interest:

• What does the Bible say about Veganism?
• 8 Times Christians Were Wrong About Vegans - “Regardless of whether Jesus ate fish or not, we have no justification for eating the flesh of a dead animal today. We know for a fact that fish feel pain just as humans and all other animals do. We also know that eating them is not good for us. Many wild and farmed fish live in polluted waters, and their flesh rapidly accumulates high levels of dangerous toxins.“