Christianity Vegetarianism_and_religion

joseph bates, vegetarian , 1 of founders of seventh-day adventist church.

several christian monastic groups, including desert fathers, trappists, benedictines, cistercians , carthusians, of orthodox monks , christian esoteric groups, such rosicrucian fellowship, have encouraged vegetarianism.

the bible christian church, christian vegetarian sect founded reverend william cowherd in 1809, 1 of philosophical forerunners of vegetarian society. cowherd encouraged members abstain eating of meat form of temperance.

some christian groups, such seventh-day adventists, christian vegetarian association , christian anarchists, take literal interpretation of biblical prophecies of universal veg(etari)anism , encourage veg(etari)anism preferred lifestyles or tool reject commodity status of animals , use of animal products purpose, although of them not required. other groups point instead allegedly explicit prophecies of temple sacrifices in messianic kingdom, e.g. ezekiel 46:12, so-called peace offerings , so-called freewill offerings said offered, , leviticus 7:15-20 states such offerings eaten, may contradict purpose of jesus purportedly sufficient atonement.

some christian vegetarians, such keith akers, argue jesus himself vegetarian. akers argues jesus influenced essenes, ascetic jewish sect. present academic consensus jesus not essene. there no historical record of jesus’ precise attitudes animals, there strand in ethical teaching primacy of mercy weak, powerless , oppressed, walters , portmess argue can refer captive animals.

within eastern christianity, vegetarianism practiced part of fasting during great lent (although shellfish , other non-vertebrate products considered acceptable during periods of time); vegan fasting particularly common in eastern orthodoxy , oriental orthodox churches, such coptic orthodox church of alexandria, fasts 210 days out of year.