Christianity:
An Overview
Introduction
Christianity rests on core ethics of love and mercy. Scriptures teach that God created a vegan world and endowed each creature with the same breath of life, commanding Christians to serve God by caretaking creation. In contemporary times, this requires choosing vegan. Sacred Christian stories recognize nonhuman animals as neighbors and as kin—as thinking, feeling individuals who are both morally and spiritually important, and as religious and moral exemplars. Nonetheless, some Christians feel that humans are above other animals and show brazen indifference not only to animals, but to all of creation. Jesus exemplified activism on behalf of the downtrodden, inspiring Christian animal activists to work for change.
Texts & Teachings
Christian ethics, which center on love and mercy, require kindness to animals and the Hebrew Bible teaches that we are all kin.
New Testament: The life of Jesus and Christian ethics teach of kindness and caring.
Hebrew Bible: The creation story teaches of kinship across species and choosing vegan.
Diet
Core Christian ethics now require choosing vegan.
Genesis Diet: God created and prefers a peaceful, vegan world.
Sacrifice: Jesus was the final sacrifice; ancient rituals do not justify omnivory today.
Peter’s Dream & Paul’s Teaching: This story, and others, point to choosing vegan.
Jesus—Fishes & Fishing: Stories of Jesus and fishes do not justify omnivory today.
The Swine of Gerasene: This story, about the power of God and the importance of faith, teaches nothing of pigs.
Sacred Stories
Christian stories remind that other animals are thinking, feeling individuals who are important both to God and to our spiritual lives.
The Snake of Genesis 3 is an intelligent individual, reminding that snakes and humans are neighbors and kin.
The Donkey in Numbers 22 reminds that we are to protect God’s creatures, who also turn to their creator.
Stories of Saints teach of kinship and community across species.
Abusive Traditions
In addition to eating animal products, some Christians harm and destroy animals due to human exceptionalism and also a failure to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Activism
Christianity has a strong tradition of activism on behalf of the downtrodden, exemplified by Jesus and the prophets.
The life of Jesus serves as an inspiration for animal liberationists.
The prophets model activism, even using desperate means, seeking to inspire kindness and holiness.
Christianity has a strong history of animal activists who inspire today’s Christian animal activists.
Relevant Publications by Tapestry
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Animals and Christianity
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Amore - Vegan ethics
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Image Credit
Texts & Teachings: Berlin Gutenberg Bible, Berlin Germany, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Inc. 1511 − Photo 20 | Photo by Facsimile Finder
Diet: Vegetable Wellington - Plant-Based Holiday Roast | Recipe and image by J. Kenji López-Alt
Sacred Stories: Rembrandt Van Rijn, “The Fall of Man” (ca 1510). (Image courtesy of ArtBible.)
Activism: Choti Singh, Director of Mfuwe Snakebite Prevention in Zambia | By Southern African Herpetologists