A Reflection by Tams Nicholson, OFS

Audience: Faith-based People

Are Vegans Forcing Their Views? Or Just Noticing the Violence That's Already There?

August 5, 2025, by Tams Nicholson, OFS and Executive Director of All-Creatures.org

Reflection Guide

Scripture for Meditation:

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” —Ephesians 5:11 (NIV)

It is sometimes suggested that ethical vegans are “forcing their views” for naming the violence they no longer participate in. But let’s ask the deeper question: who is truly imposing what? From our earliest memories, we are surrounded by messaging that insists on our participation in cruelty—from school lunch tables and holiday feasts to cartoons and advertising campaigns. Milk is taken from grieving mothers. Animals are mutilated, confined, and killed—out of sight, out of mind. These aren’t choices freely made; they’re expectations silently handed down. The dominant culture doesn’t ask us if we want to cause harm—it simply expects us to accept that harm as “normal.”

Vegans are refusing not forcing. We are saying no—to the lie that violence is inevitable, to the silence that cloaks suffering, and to the idea that compassion should be hidden so others feel comfortable. We speak because the Holy Spirit has put this burden in our hearts to awaken others - we were once asleep too and did not understand what our actions were causing - just like what your actions are causing. We did not know, just like you, the violence and the lies we were encouraged to believe. We bear witness not to shame, but to wake up a world that has been lulled into forgetting. This is not coercion—it is invitation. A sacred, sometimes unsettling, but always loving invitation to live in a way that blesses all beings.

This awakening is a spiritual act. It is, at its heart, a return to God’s original vision—a peaceable kingdom where all beings live without fear. In Genesis, we are not commanded to consume others, but to care for creation with tenderness. Again—ethical veganism is not a fringe idea; it is a quiet remembering of what God intended and what Christ embodied. When we follow Jesus—the one who saw the sparrow, who was led by the Spirit into the wilderness among the wild animals, and who overturned the tables of exploitation—we are reminded that love is not passive. It interrupts. It exposes. And it heals.

Key Takeaway:

Speaking out for animals isn’t forcing an opinion—it’s exposing a truth. Ethical veganism isn’t about judgment. It’s about offering a different way: one that refuses to bless violence and dares to walk in compassion.

Heart Questions:

1. Have I ever mistaken someone's moral conviction for judgment or coercion? Why?
2. If you feel offended by a vegan not eating meat around you - consider (a) why you do and (b) how they must feel now that you understand they are refusing not forcing.

Journaling Prompt:

Describe a time when you witnessed or learned about violence toward a child, an animal, or an elderly person who others around you ignored. What emotions did you feel? How did you respond—did you speak up? Can you now see the similiarity of why ethical vegans speak up?

Action Step:

This week, share a gentle truth about animal suffering with someone in your circle. Offer it as an invitation, not a confrontation. A question, a story, or a resource—anything that opens the door to reflection.

Closing Prayer:

God of mercy and life, help me to live in a way that reflects Your love to all creation.

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