Q & A with Fr Job, installment V.
Question: How does the Church relate to vegetarianism?
Answer: Vegetarianism is a teaching and movement which sees the fundamental way towards the resolution of moral and social problems in abstinence from animal products (from the Latin vegetalis -- vegetable). This is a false approach. It sows an illusion. The Lord calls people to salvation. There is one way to Him: the fulfillment of God’s commandments. In the words of the holy Apostle Paul: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men (Rom. 14:17-18). The Holy Fathers teach that authentic fasting means restraining from evil. The bodily fasts that our Church has laid down are not ends in themselves, but only means to obtaining the virtues. Experience demonstrates that not a few people who ate only vegetable products were still filled with the passions. Christian fasting, intended not only as physical restraint but as the guarding of the soul from sinful actions, leads man to purity and spiritual perfection.
Q & A with Fr Job, installment V.
Hi! I'm a Christian and have been a vegetarian for 4 years. I understand the above argument that vegetarianism in and of itself doesn't automatically and mechanically move our souls one way or another - in fact maybe even negatively skews our souls if we're proud of our vegetarianism and think that it's the way to solve humanity's problems and that we're better than those meat eaters. However, I also don't think it's fair to say that all, or a majority of vegetarians think that way. For me, considering where my steak comes from initially made me question where else in my life I turn a blind eye to death and cruelty that I directly or indirectly perpetrate. I don't disagree with the article; I just don't like how black and white some authors portray vegetarians and the vegetarian way of life. As the article itself mentions, I have no shortage of temptations and passions even as a vegetarian - can't I make it simpler for myself to deal with those passions by removing the passion of the delicious BBQ steak altogether?
ReplyDeleteI know this is an old post so maybe someone will stumble across it eventually - I'm not fixed in my vegetarian views by the way (after all, Jesus Himself ate fish), but I do think vegetarians are sometimes dismissed too casually by believers.
Thanks!