Why all church events everywhere should be VEGAN
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion

FROM JonnahDeeBaker
May 2020

Whether you personally deem the vegan lifestyle to be more compassionate or holy or not, there are many reasons why all of the events at every church in the world should be vegan.

Many people debate the morality of a vegan diet according to Scripture and stewardship. However, regardless of if you personally deem the vegan lifestyle to be more compassionate or holy or not, there are many reasons why all of the events at every church in the world should be vegan.


1. Vegan events create an environment that is the most inclusive. Many ethical vegans would feel troubled by the presence of animal products at events. Also, if people are trying to be healthy, they will probably be avoiding animal products, and the presence of animal products may cause temptation for them.

2. In most cases, animal products are the result of unnecessary suffering and death of innocent creatures. Since this is of questionable morality in the Church today, we would be wisest to err on the side of innocence.

3. Animal products are known to cause disease (nutritionfacts.org), and we don't want events that promote such chronic illness. We want events that promote healing to the holistic person, body + mind + spirit.

4. Many vegans have left the Church today because they felt a lack of compassion towards animals. If we offer vegan events, even if the leaders and participants are not vegan themselves, we can show empathy towards those who have left the church and offer them a "welcome back home."

5. Particularly among young adults, there is a growing population of vegans and vegetarians, so having vegan events would be most welcoming and inclusive for them. If you want a group that grows and that no one will feel excluded, vegan events are the best option. Especially if you want to be open to seekers from other traditional backgrounds, such as Jewish, Hindu, or Muslim - vegan food is the common denominator. Many Hindus feel particularly uncomfortable around dead animals (because of beliefs regarding reincarnation). Most Jews only eat animal products that are kosher. Muslims only eat meat that has been sacrificed in a halal manner. But everyone eats plants :)

6. All of your events can essentially be the same as they would have been - minus the animal suffering! There are vegan versions of every food. If someone just HAS to flip something on a grill, there are vegan hotdogs and hamburgers, etc. So, you can still have all of the events you would have had, as far as the food is concerned. However, if you want events that are open to vegan-minded people, be aware that they probably won't want to go hunting, fishing, or to zoos, rodeos, circuses, etc.

7. Church events can create an environment that is reminiscent of Eden, bringing life, not death, and reminding people of what life was like before sin.

8. Everyone can feel reassured in a vegan environment, vegans and nonvegans alike, because they can know that they have made an environment that welcomes the stranger.

9. Just how drinking alcohol is not a "sin" but it is arguably unwise as an attribute of church events, so too eating animal products - though currently permissible under canon law (though, I would argue, only if necessary) - is not beneficial for offering the most inclusive environment. However, events without animal products (or alcohol) are the most inclusive.

Some references to keep in mind:

CCC 2418 “It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly."

1 Cor. 8:12-13:
By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble.

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