In my recent theological studies, I’ve felt a certain discomfort with the way I consume meat.
According to the Gospel, including several texts from Paul and Jesus, God is not going to throw this creation away and build a new house. On the contrary, this house we have will be transformed (it already is being). And in this new creation, there will be no death, no pain, no hatred.
If this is really the future we as Christians believe in, why not start applying it now? Isn’t that exactly what Jesus taught us to pray, “may your kingdom be established on earth as it is in heaven”? And isn’t that exactly what he announced dozens of times, saying, the Kingdom of God has already arrived.
Now, I’m not a fan of throwing Bible verses around to try to prove a point, because in the end it turns into a competition of who can twist the Bible most until it bends to one’s will.
In the end, what I do (or want to do) is follow Paul’s example as he wrote to the Philippians: Far from being perfect already, I press on toward that goal, until the day when Jesus transforms us to be like him, the first of the new Creation.
What I desire is to align myself with a vision of Christianity that leads to less violence and killing and more to creatures being able to participate in Christ’s redemptive work.
I believe, according to the Bible, in a Kingdom of God where the lion will lie down with the lamb, where the oppressor will lie down with the oppressed, where the hunter will lie down with the prey, and there will be peace on earth. And then, and only then, will we have a New Creation.
Maybe instead of seeing myself as the master species with some right to kill and enslave animals for my personal pleasure, I could see myself as an older brother whose decisions have a real impact on their lives.
If we don’t need to be eating animals (especially these intelligent and social creatures like pigs and cows), what’s the reason for doing so? Because we’re stronger? Because we’re better? Because they’re not as developed as we are?
Well, that quickly starts to sound like the arguments used to support slavery.
I avoid whenever I can the documentaries about how the meat I consume is produced. How those animals are treated, the harm it does to the planet, the land, the animals, to us, to all creation. Maybe it’s time to stop trying to cover the sun with a sieve.
I’m not saying you have to be a vegetarian to be a morally good person. I’m just asking myself a question — How does a carnivorous life fit into my Christian worldview?
If I believe Christ reconciled all things in heaven and on earth, then what does that mean about how I treat the other creatures here on Earth?
If I believe we share a common ancestry with animals, how does that influence my understanding of my “right” to exploit them?
Do I want to create a world where there is less exploitation and abuse of the defenseless? If so, maybe it’s worth taking some time to think about why I eat meat.