Meat Consumption – The Bible’s Role in the Christian Perception of Animals

Should Christians be vegetarians?

Genesis

Before their expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were likely vegetarian. In Genesis 1:29-30, God prescribes a vegan diet for Adam and Eve. After their expulsion and then the Flood, God gives Noah permission to eat animals in Genesis 9:1-7. The juxtaposition of these passages has been interpreted in 2 distinct ways: that humans were supposed to be vegetarians and should therefore return to the holy practice as a rejection of sin, and, conversely, that eating meat is a God-given right and should be embraced as such.

“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13, Deuteronomy 5:17)

The most famous of the Ten Commandments — and perhaps the most universally accepted — is “You shall not murder,” though its mistranslation in the King James Version (Exodus, Deuteronomy), “Thou shalt not kill,” is more well known. This has been interpreted to include animals by some Christians and organizations. PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has placed this interpretation of the KJV translation at the center of many ad campaigns for vegetarianism and/or veganism and protests against meat consumption. The majority of Christians and biblical scholars, however, understand this commandment as applicable only to humans, as the Hebrew term for murder is used exclusively for the murder of people.

A PETA advertisement on a church pew with Bibles and hymnals above it that says "Resurrect Your Health: GO VEGAN. Vegans have lower rates of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Your body is a temple, not a tomb. Go vegan this Easter," with an illustration of a muscular Jesus. — An advertisement on a pew in Chestnut Ridge Church, a megachurch in Morgantown, West Virginia. PETA explains on their website that these ads were intended to emphasize the "church’s celebration of life" on Easter.

A PETA billboard with a bloody butcher knife with the words, "THOU SHALT NOT KILL." Beside the knife, it says, "Love Animals. Don't Eat Them." — A billboard in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On their website, PETA explains that this advertisement was erected "just in time for Easter" to remind "residents that Easter is a celebration of Jesus' victory over death."

A PETA billboard with dead chickens and the words, "WWJD? Thou Shalt Not Kill. Go Vegan." — A billboard in Omaha, Nebraska, near a Chick-fil-A. In the article about this campaign, PETA writes, "The Bible clearly states that God’s design for the world was one in which humans and other animals coexisted peacefully and humans were caregivers—not killers. In Genesis 1:29, God says that the Earth’s seed-bearing plants and fruit 'will be yours for food.'"

A PETA advertisement with Moses holding up several carrots with the words, "I said, 'THOU SHALT NOT KILL.' Go Vegan." — Ads like this were intentionally placed near churches and restaurants in Little Rock, Arkansas, to remind people that "there are no exceptions to the commandment not to kill," according to PETA.

PETA artwork depicting the Last Supper with Jesus slitting a cow's throat in the foreground with the message, "Jesus was the Prince of Peace, Not a Bloody Butcher! Go Vegetarian." — This artwork is alluding to Isaiah 9:6, in which Jesus is referred to as the “Prince of Peace.”

Did Jesus eat meat?

There is no mention of Jesus ever eating meat in the Bible. The four Gospels, in their accounts of the Last Supper, describe Jesus as eating only bread, though it is worth noting that Mark and Luke reference the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. Sacrificing and eating the Passover lamb was customary, so some Christians argue that Jesus’ apparent rejection of the practice is evidence of His opposition to meat consumption. However, most biblical scholars agree that Jesus probably ate meat because it was the practice of the time. They argue that the absence of biblical evidence of Jesus eating meat does not necessarily mean that He refused to do so; there are plenty of instances of Jesus eating meals in which no specific foods were mentioned at all.

What about fish?

In Luke 24:42-43, the risen Jesus eats a piece of broiled fish that the Apostles give to Him. There are several other biblical stories involving the consumption and/or capture of fish, including the times Jesus led the disciples in catching massive amounts of fish and the miracle of Jesus multiplying five loaves and two fishes to feed 4,000-5,000 people. These passages explicitly establish Jesus as at least a pescatarian.