That is, as moral veganism avoids any animal exploration, how should Christians evaluate this? Does moral veganism imply or deny that mankind is the glory of God's creation?
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✿ Veganism is good for healthy reasons NOT for moral reasons! ✿ The flesh of swine (pork, bacon and sausage) was forbidden under the dietary regulations of the Mosaic law (Lev 11:7,8). The Jews therefore considered eating of pork as ceremonially unclean. But under the New Covenant, by holiness God does not mean ceremonial cleanness but spiritual sanctity. The emphasis shifted from the outer to the inner, from the material to the spiritual. Jesus explained it this way: "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man... whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated" (Mt 15:11,16-18). ✿ Apostle Paul understood this truth much quicker than others. He declared, "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is NOTHING unclean of itself" (Rom 14:14). Having learnt this truth from Christ (Jn 1: 17), he warned Timothy, "In latter times some will depart from the faith... commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For EVERY creature of God is good, and NOTHING is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving" (1 Tim 4:1-4). ✿ But Peter had difficulty in accepting this dispensational change, as several Christians today. Even though the so-called "unclean" animals were imported right from Heaven, and God Himself asked him to kill and eat them, he sternly refused. The voice from above corrected Peter, "What God has declared clean you must not call unclean" (Acts 10:10-16). ✿ The Jerusalem Council wanted to keep the Peter-like Jewish believers comfortable while fellowshipping with their Gentile counterparts. Moreover during that transition period, the traditional reading of the Law of Moses was continuing in the synagogues every Sabbath. Therefore the non-Jewish believers were given a couple of dietary regulations also (Acts 15:19-21). Otherwise, under the New Covenant, because we have died with Christ, we don't need to subject ourselves to regulations like "Touch not, Taste not and Handle not!" Paul calls these as man-made doctrines and self-imposed religion (Col 2:16, 20-23). ✿ Food habits however have deep cultural roots. In missionary work we must stay sensitive in this area lest we "destroy the work of God for the sake of food" (Rom 14:20). For example, in the list of animals permitted for food under the Law of Moses, the ox comes first (Dt 14:4). But eating of beef is highly objectionable to people following Hinduism all over the world. But they have no problem with pork! We therefore suggest to the missionaries working in such regions not to eat beef as a consideration to the people and the work (Rom 14:15-23). The decision of the Jerusalem Council concerning foodstuff was made on these lines only. Otherwise, in the absolute sense, we can eat any meat after giving thanks to the Creator God. ✿ Some Physicians feel that there were also medical reasons why God forbade the eating of the meat of certain animals and birds. This may be true. For example, pork-eating is definitely harmful to those diagnosed for high cholesterol. One should choose the right kind of food to keep his body, the temple of God, healthy. Under the new covenant, we have now freedom in Christ to consume any food we like.
In my limited experience with "moral" vegans, they choose this because they put animals on the same level as people. They are seldom Christians because they serve another god (animals). In Acts 11:4-10, Peter has a vision of all of the animals that Jews had considered to be "unclean." The voice of God told him that nothing God made was unclean, that God had cleansed all of it. So there's certainly no prohibition on eating anything God has made. In Ex 9:3, God tells Noah that "every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you ALL things..." So "moral" veganism is not a Biblical concept. God made man in HIS image but he didn't make the animals in His image. He gave man dominion over the animals Ex 9:2. If someone wants to be a vegan for health purposes, that's fine. But if he thinks he is somehow better or more "moral" than everyone else because he doesn't eat animals, he's off base. Of course, we are never to exploit, harm or mistreat one of God's creatures but He definitely provided them to us as food regardless of what the militants in PETA tell you. This another one of Satan's lies to get people to focus on anything but God and His Word.
Colossians 2:16-23 KJV: Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
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