A Biblical Case for Veganism Part 1: The First Menu: Herbs & Grains, Fruits & Vegetables
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy

FROM

Rashida Davis, Really Nourish
January 2016

Also read:

Here is a strong biblical case for veganism, a scriptural tour starting from day 3 of creation.

So you are considering going vegan now or have been vegan for a while and people in your church come at you with scriptural rebuttals for your choice. As any good Christian would, you want to know what the Holy Bible has to say about all of this. This is a strong biblical case for veganism, a scriptural tour starting from day 3 of creation!

Genesis 1 (KJV)

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

The scriptures start presenting a biblical case for veganism right from the beginning. On day three of creation, God empowers the earth He had just created to provide for the inhabitants He was planning to create. He next creates the sun and the moon, and then populates the infant planet with animals to inhabit the waters, the land and the skies. “And He saw that it was good” (Gen 1:24).

His next decision is to make man in His image to steward this world He has just carefully crafted and populated. He makes man and woman and instructs them to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth.

And then, He shows them their menu.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

“Check it out”, says the Lord, “Eden is a Vegan Paradise!” Let’s have a look at what’s on offer:

Herb yielding seed – In French, the word “herb” means grass. One bible version actually substitutes the word grass for herb. The word picture is a grass that has seeds. This would include the entire grain family – wheat, rice, even corn . They are tall, skinny “grasses” with seeds at the top. Also members of the onion family are grasses in their own right – just look at chives, and the tops of onions and garlic, how they grow straight, green, leafless shoots when the sit around in your kitchen a while.

Fruit of a tree yielding seed – some other versions say “fruit with seeds inside”. So that covers fruit, but it also covers a lot of other foods we have labeled vegetables. From a biological standpoint, the fruit of plant is the part that contains the seeds. So, for example, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes (you can now tell your friends “I told you so!”), okra and avocados are indeed fruits. Nuts are also considered fruit. They are dried up versions of the same biological plant part.

Every Green Herb – This covers all your leaves – lettuces, cabbages, greens, herbs.

Every Tree – And since He said He gave us “every tree” (except for just one, we find out a little later!), and put no prohibition on what we can and cannot use from that tree, we can include root vegetables, sap and syrup, and anything else we can get from a tree or a plant and use without adulterating or processing. What a huge bounty!

Notice that in this version, the most widely read version of The Holy Bible, He says “I have given every green herb FOR MEAT” (emphasis added). How’s that for a biblical case for veganism???? Put a pin in that thought right there.

See A Biblical Case for Veganism Part 2: Why Should You Abstain from Animal-Based Foods?

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