According to this Bible verse (Matthew 23:15) Jesus said:
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you
travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he
becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Even though Jesus made this statement 2,000 years ago, it applies to
proselytizing today. I’ll give you an example: A formerly Hindu couple,
who were not meat-eaters, converted to Christianity. The husband became
the minister of a Christian church. They were now eating meat and seemed
rather proud of the fact. It was obvious that they were eager to be
accepted and to fit in to their new surroundings.
To me, the encouragement of non-meat eaters to become meat eaters
through religious conversion goes against the high ideals that Jesus
exemplified. How much better it would have been if this couple had been
praised for their non-meat eating habits and then introduced to
Christianity as a religion that would bring them closer to the
perfection that Jesus spoke about. It would be explained that salvation
was indeed free through grace, and that the Holy Spirit indwells
believers. But to cheapen Christianity by backing down and ignoring
Jesus’ admonition (Matthew 5:48) is inexcusable:
Matthew 5:48
48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.”
~ New American Standard Bible
How does eating the pieces and secretions of animals who are
criminally abused (especially in this day and age of artificial
insemination – rape, and factory farms) glorify our Creator and bring us
closer to the perfection that Jesus spoke of? And in churches, no less!
Can you imagine what Jesus would say today to those who profess to be
Christians, but who not only retain their hardness of heart, but also
encourage new converts to join them in this travesty of Christianity?
