Biblical support for veganism

DISCLAIMER: this article is not about "why the Bible demands veganism" or "why the Bible says humans are designed to be vegan". Both of those are not true. This article is about why, if you are eating a vegan diet, you should feel comfortable continuing to do so. Also, if you aren't eating a vegan diet, you should whole-heartedly consider doing so. Finally, if you read the Bible yet discredit veganism or vegetarianism, then you should put any bias aside as best you can and re-learn what the Bible really says about it.

The Bible supports veganism in the following ways:

• Humans were initially vegan for at least 1,550 years (from Adam to Noah)
• Many holy people of the Bible practiced veganism
• God calls people to treat animals well

Humans were initially vegan for at least 1,550 years

Yes! Adam and Eve were vegan their entire lives. In fact, according to the Bible, in the garden of Edan all living things were vegan (nothing killed each other):

Genesis 1:29-30
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

After being exiled from the garden, Adam and Eve continued being vegan and so did their descendants. It wasn't until after the flood that any of God's people ate animals:

Genesis 9:3
Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

In case you were skeptical about Genesis 1:29 really constraining the human diet to plant foods, Genesis 9:3 makes it crystal clear. The key phrase is "Just as I gave you the green plants, now I give you everything." This reiterates that, up until this point, humans had been surviving on a vegan diet. Also, they probably would have continued to live on a vegan diet except that the flood (i.e. our sin) wiped out all life on the planet.

So humans were allowed to eat animals, not commanded, because the Earth lacked abundant resources. It wasn't because of any physiological demand of the human body. But even after this change, God gave his people specific instructions on how to eat animals:

Genesis 9:4
“But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.

Leviticus 3:17
“‘This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood.’”

This doesn't exactly describe the way KFC and Burger King prepares their menu, does it? If all of the blood and all fat was cooked out of meat, most of the flavor would be cooked out too. Then people really would only eat it for survival purposes. I won't even get into other Biblical law, such as how to raise and slaughter an animal.

In summary, humans (those following God) were initially vegan for at least 1,550 years. The only reason they started eating animals was because of the flood, and even then they were given strict instructions on how to minimize the damage to health. They only ate animals for survival purposes. While we aren't commanded to still follow these guidelines, shouldn't we be passionately concerned with God's efforts to keep us as healthy (and disease-free) as possible?

Many holy people of the Bible practiced veganism

The story of Daniel was the first ever case study for veganism!

Daniel 1:11-14
Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

Granted, this is a short-term trial. But even so, the results are impressive.

Daniel 1:15-16
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

We are allowed to eat animals, but we don't have to, and in fact sometimes we are encouraged not to.

Romans 14:21
It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

Our option of eating animals is so insignificant that it is easily overshadowed by our need to love each other and to be unified. Holy people are often called to transcend their own habits or preferences for the greater good.

In summary, many holy people have practiced veganism. Also, overcoming old-life habits and practicing self-restraint, specifically by abstaining from meat, is specifically mentioned in the Bible. This was not done as a behavioral change in vain, but rather out of love for one another and devotion to God.

God calls people to treat animals well

There are many scriptures calling us to treat animals well. In America, our "meat industry" hardly comes close to living up to this calling. Rather, animals are cruelly manufactured, tortured, and slaughtered for habit and profit. This should be honestly and open-mindedly researched by everyone. We should make conscious choices and not prefer to live in ignorance. We should live out what we learn to be true regardless of how difficult changing may be. We should believe that we can change. Here are a couple scriptures that show God's concern for how humans treat animals:

Deuteronomy 25:4
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.

In this scripture, God protects the rights of an ox. Apparently, he thinks its cruel to disallow an ox from eating while it works. More interestingly, Paul expounds on this in his first letter to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 9:9-10
For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.

What's Paul saying here? God does in fact offer protection to animals, but why? Paul says it is not for the animal's benefit, but for our own benefit. God knows the hearts of people. He knows that if someone has the spirit to be be cruel to an animal, that same spirit will act against a human. So God protects the animal in order to protect the human, to protect our own hearts. In our society, people would rather choose to turn a blind eye to what's really going on than to take action. We would rather turn a blind eye to what's really going on in slaughterhouses, factory farms, broken homes, and impoverished neighborhoods, and sin in our own hearts than to take action. We choose ignorance and indifference. We do it with animals and we do it with each other. We do it with ourselves.

Proverbs 12:10
The righteous care for the needs of their animals,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

In summary, God has many regulations for us to treat animals well. However, these aren't simply for the sake of the animals, but more so that we will treat each other well too. If God stands up for an ox working a field, how much more do you think he would stand up for a cow, pig, or chicken in an American slaugherhouse? What would he say about our attitudes towards that? By comparison, what would he say about how we treat our fellow human, our level of compassion for one another, our level of eagerness to selflessly love and serve one another? We are called to an extremely high standard!

Summary

I hope this article has shown the Bible accurately. There are many other scriptures that support vegetarianism and veganism, these are just a few. Being vegan is not about living less, but living more: more health, more knowledge, more compassion, more love! As Christians, we should not follow any particular diet in vain to suit our own purposes, but as a desperate attempt to answer God's call for our lives - a call to stand out from the world, to be disciplined, to be outward-focused, to surrender to him every area of our lives and do whatever it takes to be like Christ. Veganism is by no means a command from God, but in this day and age it is so easy and practical. It can be a powerful tool used to grow in discipline, focus, compassion and love - the beginning of an amazing journey.


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Notes/References

• # of years God's followers were initially vegan = # of years from birth of Adam to Birth of Noah + Age of Noah after the flood
• All Bible quotes are from NIV 2010

Taste and Edibility

Why do we have the sense of taste? Why do some things taste good and some don't?

Human beings, like other animals, have developed over time through a process of natural selection. As it turns out, taste is a method of measuring a food's edibility (nutritional content, digestibility, and bio-availability of nutrients). The humans whose sense of taste pointed them towards the best health-promoting foods ended up living longer/stronger and propagating more abundantly.

Ever wonder why a baby puts everything in its mouth? Its testing out if its food.

What are some tastes that every human being on the planet identifies with as "tasty"? Sweet and juicy - fresh fruits. We're wired to get hooked on fruits.

Makes you think - is it worth eating "health foods" that don't even taste good?

starting back up + updates

I haven't posted in about a year. During this time, I've been on many adventures. Health-wise, I've maintained the raw food diet on-and-off. Overall I have kept most of my goals and have felt absolutely great. However, I desire to return to my full physical potential. More importantly, I feel a dire need to continue to grow spiritually, and practicing raw has taught me many lessons in the past. So I am resuming old habits which seemed to have contributed to my past success (blogging being one).

Current personal goals

• Have complete trust in God all the time.
• Become a man after God's heart.
• Practice a diet which exemplifies both of these and also provides me with my fullest potential of health.

Where these goals come from Biblically (more food-related scriptures, in keeping with the theme of this blog):

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 63:2-5
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Throw out your TV and eat better

If you feel that you should be eating healthier but think its "too expensive", here are some things you could toss away to save money and accomplish your goals:

1) Cable TV
Your life is a lot more exciting than what's on TV! If there's a couple shows you like, watch them on the internet!

2) Car
Take public transportation. The machine you live in is way more important than a machine you drive; your body's fuel is more important than a machine's fuel (when did that priority get switched around?) Also, if you wouldn't put gravel in your car's tank, you shouldn't be putting junk food in yours (see #3).

3) Junk food
Despite your relationship with its product, that company doesn't love you nor does it care about your personal life or your future. All they want is your money and they don't care how they will get it, even if it means using lots of chemicals, stimulants, and horribly processed ingredients which will addict you and give you many health problems. You are worth it! Just say no!

4) Cell phone
You can learn a lot more about someone during a bike ride than a phone conversation. Get a land line, and if you think you need a cell phone for emergencies, then get one with prepaid minutes and use it just for that.

5) Eating out
If you have $10, spend it on buying 7 pounds of organic fruit versus 1 pound of mash at a restaurant.

6) Beauty products
"It's the inside that counts" means just as much physically as it does spiritually.

7) Where you live
In my opinion, life with the bare essentials (heating, clothing, and good food) is far better than "living at large", if the former means great health and vitality but the latter means living every day with the same worn-down feeling. If you can't afford better food but a lot of your money is going to rent, then consider moving. Moving to a smaller place isn't as bad as moving to the hospital.

8) Entertainment
Movies, events, shows, etc. These things might be great, but odds are you'll find equal or greater satisfaction with the right people using your imaginations to have fun for free.


That's all for now. None of these things are inherently bad, but they are luxuries and the comfort that they can provide is secondary to the comfort of a healthy body and an active (lively) lifestyle. Just experiment with your life a little; I bet you'll enjoy the results. Good luck.

Deuteronomy 8:10 - When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.

Low White Blood Count - Really Low?

I recently got a blood test and I have a low white blood count. Here's the line from the test:

WBC . . . . . . . 3.2 L (3.6-10.6)

So, apparently the healthy range is 3.6-10.6, but I only have a 3.2. The doctor noted that this would leave me "susceptible to infection and colds". Well, since I haven't had a random infection or cold in... almost two years, this connection does not seem to be accurate. Yes, admittedly I've been mildly sick a couple times in the past couple years, but I know exactly why it happened. And even so, it wasn't anything like how I used to get sick, which was more often and much worse. Things just don't add up to doc's observation.

So, I'm not an expert on what tests like these mean, but here's my thinking. This "normal" range of 3.6-10.6 is based an averages collected from the general population. Not the healthy population only (people who live a long time and don't get sick), but everyone. So, what if the general population is not healthy? What if the general population actually gets sick a lot and depends on many drugs, stimulants, and fortified "foods" to keep them feeling ok? (Hint: this is the case)

Let's compare an athlete to a lethargic person. An athletic person who works out and trains consistently has a stronger body, and thus a stronger heart. Because of the heart's additional strength, it is much easier for it to pump blood during rest, and consequently it has a lower heart rate. In other words, the heart is able to move more blood on each pump, and so it doesn't need to pump as often. Also, the blood cells are able to carry more oxygen and so on. So this lower heart rate is actually a good thing. It means that the athlete's heart doesn't have to work as hard during rest time.

So, consider a hypothetical population entirely of lethargic and lazy people only. Their high heart rate would be considered "normal". And if one of these lethargic people had a lower heart rate than that standard, it would not be a good thing like in the case of an athlete. Indeed, for a sloth that lower heart rate would probably mean that something was wrong.

Then, lets say one tiny percentage of this previously lethargic population becomes active. The active people would become healthier and develop a lower heart rate, and the doctor would probably tell them that it is dangerously low! So what should they do? Either 1) take some drugs, or 2) go back to being lethargic. Both of these actions would get their numbers back to "normal", but neither of which is a necessary or correct solution!!

That's how I feel about my low WBC. I'm being compared to Joe Shmoe who eats a Standard American Diet (SAD), stressing his body on a regular basis and forcing it to react with in a defensive manner. However my body is clean, what does it need a bunch of extra white blood cells for? That's why I'm not getting sick, contrary to doc's prediction.

I could very well be wrong in this logic, since I don't really know much about human biology other than the simple cause-and-effect relationships of my actions and how those actions make me feel. But I do know that I'm not getting sick and I feel great. If you know something that I don't, leave a comment.

Authority of nutritional advice

Many people seek nutrional advice for many reasons - healing, weight loss, looking and feeling younger, etc. The problem is that people put way too much faith in "professional" advice, without putting it through any sort of critical analysis.

I think the best way to verify if someone is giving sound advice in this area is to observe how they live. Do they look healthy? Are they vibrant? Would you like to look and feel like they do?

Doctors are not nutritionists. They did not go to school for nutrition. They went to school to administer drugs or perform surgery, that's it. And all of these "studys" on nutritonal facts change all the time, and we can't see the scientists who work on them anyway.

Its like following directions on a map just by looking at the directions, and not also looking at the road. You have to move the steering wheel according to the road. The directions just make sure you take the right turns.

If you propose to a doctor that you might be healed by a change of diet and fasting, they will say "No no no, impossible. But here - eat these pills!"

People need more faith in their own instincts when it comes to health. If you sense that something works for you and makes you feel good, its probably on the right track, despite if a "professional" tells you otherwise.

Where do you get YOUR protein?

When people hear that I cut meat out of my diet, the question I most often hear first is "So, where do you get your protein?"

No I don't get it from meat (or soy either, for that matter). However, here is not to explain my source, but rather to question yours - Where do you get YOUR protein?

In his 900 cat experiment, Francis M. Pottenger fed three groups of cats accordingly:

1. All raw meat


2. 2/3 raw meat


3. 2/3 cooked meat

Read the article. But basically the cats eating all raw meat were the healthiest while the cats on the cooked meat begain to develop many degenerative diseases, including weakness, shortened life span, and even blindness early in life.

More intriguing than the results, however, is the discovered cause: the cooked meat became deficient of Taurine, which was destroyed during the cooking process. Today, they add the taurine back into the cooked cat foods and the cats (seemingly) do just fine. (Note: Iams skirts around the real issue of cooking).

So who suppliments "fresh" amino acids back into your meat?

Our society preaches a religously close relationship between our protein needs as human beings and eating meat. We are taught this from birth and it is reinforced by school system, media, and the government all our lives. However many people, including myself, would argue that this association is not a coincidence.

We can reason that we do not actually get all the protein we need from the meat that we eat. Not only is much of it destroyed during the cooking process, but the remaining amino acids (if any) are bound together and made extremely difficult for the consumer to digest, and thus actually use.

Believing that eating cooked meat will fulfill your protein needs is ridiculous, and if the industry ever becomes less profitable, or enough people die from cancer and other diseases, then people will wake up and add this notion to the list of old wives tales.

Check it out for real.