The Mary T. and Frank L. Hoffman
Family Foundation

Letters and Responses

A Letter From L...
Christianity, Animal Rights and Veganism - Are There Conflicts?
(Correspondence from 26-30 November 1999)

The following letter from L to Susan Roghair of Animal Rights On-Line was forward to us for response.

Letter from L... - 26 November 1999:

Hello:

My name is L...  I was formally a vegetarian for 4 and a half years .. and a vegan for a year after that.....

But now I have found God and see that eating dead animals is gooood.  Please remove me from your list..

God bless,

L...

Response from Frank L. Hoffman - 17 November 1999:

Dear L...:

Susan Roghair (EnglandGal) asked me to respond to your e-mail to her. I'm a born again Christian pastor (retired), and my wife and I are also vegans for reasons of compassion and health. The two are not in conflict as your comments suggest.

Jesus Christ taught us to be loving and compassionate people. What we do to food animals is neither loving nor compassionate. Have you not prayed in the form of The Lord's Prayer or followed its example for our other prayers? Doesn't part of how Jesus taught us to pray include our praying for kingdom living here on earth? (Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matt. 6:10) Since there was no death in God's original creation intent and we were to eat only plant food (Genesis 1:29-30), and since there is no pain or death in heaven (Revelation 21:4), shouldn't we strive to eliminate as much pain and death as we can upon this earth, and not contribute to it in the eating of animals and their by-products?

How can we call ourselves Christians and feel no compassion for others (human and non-human alike) who occupy this earth with us? I don't believe we can!

I look forward to hearing from you again, and to try to understand why you feel that being a Christian means that you must also eat flesh.

In the Love of the Lord,
Frank

Visit our Web Site http://www.all-creatures.org

Reply from L... 29 November 1999

Frank:

I suppose what you say could be taken like that.... I do not support animal cruelty in any way...yet I do eat meat now....I feel like the years I was a vegetarian and a vegan were for self control and discipline....now that I have acquired that I feel that God has led me to be free with in my self to eat what I want...as long as I respect my temple(body)...

Write back.

God bless,
L...

Response from Frank L. Hoffman - 30 November 1999:

Dear L...:

Thanks for writing back and desiring to hear from me again.

You have said two very interesting things.

The first is, "I feel like the years I was a vegetarian and a vegan were for self control and discipline." I can well understand why such an attitude could be at odds with your born-again experience. You had, in essence, made your involvement in veg*nism and animal rights an idol rather than a ministry. May I suggest that you read Romans 8:18-25. With your past understanding of the pain and suffering we have inflicted upon God's creation, don't you see yourself as one of these sons and daughters of God who have been called to liberate creation from the oppression to which we have subjected it? Mary and I certainly see ourselves there.

The second is, "God has led me to be free within myself to eat what I want...as long as I respect my temple(body)..." This is true whether or not we eat another living being. God has indeed given us a concession to eat flesh; thus, it isn't a sin as long as we don't take pleasure in the animals' pain and suffering, and as long as we are repentant for having to take a life. But isn't it better to live in the will of God's creation and heavenly intent, where there is no death or suffering, than to live in His concessions here on earth? Mary and I feel freer because we no longer are a part of bringing pain and suffering to any other living being.

Personally, I don't see why being a Christian and an ethical vegan are mutually exclusive.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

In the Love of the Lord,
Frank

Visit our Web Site http://www.all-creatures.org

Reply from L... - 30 November 1999:

Frank,

Yes, my involvement in veganism was more of a extremist type of lifestyle.....I have been thinking of going back (usually because I don't feel the same anymore-as far as health)...... but I don't know.....in the Bible I get the feeling there is an overall view on eating animals.....the view is this. (some people will choose not to eat them, some will choose to eat them - which ever way they can still do God's will and don't need to be judged!)

Maybe some day I will go back to being a vegetarian or maybe even a vegan again ..... I'm not sure.. it all depends.. I thank you much for e-mailing me .. I really haven't talked about WHY I stopped to anyone...

P.S.--don't think I meant you where judging me....I just meant anyone...

God Bless,
L...

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