Scripture and Intuition
Should We Or Should We Not Eat Meat?
What’s the right thing to do?
The Right Thing Feels Right
We’ve been eating meat since the beginning of time, so how is it that we came to believe meat is bad for us? I’ve been on every side of this debate over whether or not to eat meat but I've come to believe this debate is one that we must leave to the individual.
When I started growing in my spirituality, I stopped eating meat because my body was dense and sometimes food was just as dense. I stopped eating meat when it didn’t feel right. I listened to my intuition and paused my meat consumption so I could fast and detox my body.
That was healing, but I needed energy. When my body told me that fruits and vegetables alone just weren’t enough, I resumed eating meat. I listened to my body and did what felt right.
We’ve been eating meat since the beginning of time, so how is it that we came to believe meat is bad for us?
Everything Serves a Purpose
Many of us eat meat, but I often wonder what would happen if everyone stopped eating meat. The pain and suffering of animals would be alleviated, which is great because animals are sentient beings with emotion. People would improve their health, which is amazing because some animals aren’t raised the right way. But there would also be drawbacks for many people; things we haven’t even thought about.
If everyone stopped eating meat, some farmers would have no reason to own livestock.
We love and care for cats and dogs because they provide us with something — companionship. We also love and care for goats and chickens because they provide us with something — food. Without the need for companionship, we wouldn’t have any need for cats and dogs and without the need for meat, goats and chickens would have no purpose.
Everything has a purpose. The average incubation period for a chicken is 21 days. Goats have a gestational period of 125 days. Both are pretty fast if you ask me. At the rate at which animals reproduce, if everyone stopped eating meat, it’d be a big problem. There’d be too many goats and chickens roaming the streets if animal farmers aren’t working because the world has no need for meat. It’d be a problem until humans decided they’d adopt goats and chickens as pets. I’m not sure cows would make great pets because of their size. It’d be an issue for sure.
And what would happen to the food chain if we all stopped eating meat? The food chain is how matter and energy in the form of food are transferred from organism to organism.
If everyone stopped eating meat, it wouldn’t stop certain animals down in the food chain from getting eaten. You could try asking the lion or the shark that they must not eat their fellow animals because they are sentient and have feelings. It wouldn't go very well. The lion or shark would make you their food.
Some animals will get eaten and there’s really not much to do about it. It’s how it's always been and it's how it’ll always be.
Without the need for meat, goats and chickens would have no purpose.
It’s What’s In The Heart
The food a person eats is between them and God, and you don’t need to get involved in it. You only need to worry about what you eat. That’s all you have control over.
One man’s faith allows him to believe he can eat anything and he should eat because scripture says every moving thing that lives shall be meat for him. As we were given the green plants, we were given everything. Another man’s faith makes him eat only fruits and vegetables. If he believes eating meat is wrong and he eats it, then it’s wrong.
Deciding whether or not to eat meat is a very personal decision. You are no better off if you do not eat meat, and no worse off if you do.
Who am I to judge you for what you eat? And who are you to judge me?
The one who chooses not to eat meat should not pass judgment on the one who eats it and the one who eats it must not despise the one who doesn’t. It’s not what’s in your stomach that commend you to God. It’s what’s in your heart. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you, but what comes out of your mouth.
The food we eat does not enter our hearts. It enters our stomachs, and it’s expelled.
The food a person eats is between them and God, and you don’t need to get involved in it.
Food Must Strengthen You
Whatever you choose to eat, it should give you the strength to do the work you came here to do.
If eating meat drains your energy, don’t eat it. If it makes you sad, don’t eat it. If it makes you feel guilty and causes you to stumble, then don’t eat it. If it doesn’t feel right, stay away from it but don’t use manipulation and passive-aggressive ways to discourage others from enjoying their food.
If eating meat makes you feel happy, then give thanks and enjoy your food. If it gives you energy and strength, give thanks and enjoy your food but create space for those who choose not to eat it. Let them give thanks for the fruits and vegetables on their plate.
Whatever you choose to eat, it should give you the strength to do the work you came here to do.
Eat With Caution And Show Respect
You can eat as much meat as you want when you crave it, but that doesn’t mean you must be gluttonous and greedy. It’s not the right thing if an excessive desire for meat causes your neighbor to starve.
Just because you’ve been given everything doesn’t mean you should eat everything. Some meat is an abomination, others are detestable and your stomach will disagree with bad meat.
Like everything in this world, eat with caution.
Eat meat with respect to the animal on your plate. Bless and give thanks for the nourishment and joy it's going to bring you. Pray the food serves your highest purpose. If you receive your food with thanksgiving, it’s made pure.
Where we go from here is not a matter of eating but of righteousness. It’s about doing the right thing and the right thing will always feel right.
Just because you’ve been given everything doesn’t mean you should eat everything.
