In a world that is still highly religious, it is not surprising that this excuse comes up quite often. While I will deal specifically with a few Biblical responses thereto a bit later, it is far more important to consider the following over-arching Truth:

IF God truly did create animals to be used &/or consumed by us humans, then that same God also made those animals with millions upon millions of nerve endings throughout their bodies — making them fully capable of feeling intense pain when killed. And IF God truly did create the animals, then that same God also made those animals conscious & self-aware — of their lives, of their fears & of their sufferings. As such, IF God truly did make the animals for our use & abuse, then that God is either inconsiderate to the point of being incompetent, callous to the point of being immoral, or sadistic to the point of being cruel.

In essence, then, IF God created the animals that exist to day for us humans to confine, kill and consume, then this is a God that should not be worshiped at all … It is rather a God who should be openly & courageously opposed.

That having been said, at least in the Judeo-Christian tradition, it will be comforting for many to learn that — at least Biblically — God did NOT create the animals to be so disrespectfully treated. That’s right, according to many ancient manuscripts of the Bible itself, God does NOT want us humans to eat meat.

*First of all, let it be known that I do recognize the presence of several verses in the Bible that APPEAR to have God encouraging humankind to eat animals. I say “appear” here because anyone who has studied the Bible even moderately must also admit that there are just as many verses (that I will reference below) that show God mandating a flesh-free diet for us humans. As such, every Christian believer and every non-Christin student of the Bible is left with a quandary — namely, either God is fully schizophrenic on the subjects of eating meat & animal abuse, OR we are dealing with two competing spiritual forces in these verses. I personally give God credit and err on the side of adopting the latter possibility — that God (“LORD” in your Bibles) wanted us to be vegan and lesser spiritual beings (the Elohim — or “God” in your Bibles) wanted us to dominate & eat anmals; a theory I expound upon in some depth (for those who are intrigued or interested) in my Facebook Note entitled “God’s Day in Court” (or “In Defense of God”).

*Secondly, consider the argument of “Biblical primacy”, which gives heavier weight to Divine edicts that God gives before others. As such, what is the very first Commandment that God gives humankind in the book of Genesis (the only Commandment, by the way, that is given to us before “The Fall”)? That’s right — it’s to nourish our bodies with a vegan diet! Consider the words of Genesis 1:29, where this Commandment is given: “And God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.'”

*Thirdly, consider the Biblical portrayals of Heaven — ostensibly an environment it would be good for us all to emulate and enjoy. Not only was the Garden of Eden, God’s perfect world, a vegan garden (Gen. 1:29-30), God called this ideal and non-exploitative relationship with Nature and everything in it “very good” (Gen. 1:31). Admittedly, thereafter follow many years of sinful, “fallen” humanity — when people held slaves, waged war, ate animals and committed various other acts of violence. And yet the Old Testament prophets regularly note that the Peaceable Kingdom to come will be nonviolent and vegan once again; where even the lions will lie down with the lambs (see Isaiah 11 et al). In addition, the New testament shows Jesus to be a “Prince of Peace”, one who ushers in a new age of pefect Love & nonviolence. When Christians pray, “Your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven,” the one prayer given to us by Jesus, it actually obligates us to change our lives; to make choices that are as merciful and as loving as possible. As such, the Bible itself seems to indicate that there are no factory farms or slaughterhouses in Jesus’ Heaven.

*Fourthly, there are numerous other verses that support this more Noble interpretation of God’s unconditional Love … Consider the following:

“A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked are cruel.” ~ Proverbs 12:10

“Man and beast thou savest, O Lord. How precious is thy steadfast love, O God!” ~ Psalm 36:6-7

“The Lord is good to all and His tender mercies are over all of His creatures.” ~ Psalm 145:9

“And I will make for you a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety.” ~ Hosea 2:18

“For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down to the earth?” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:19-21

“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds,,,,, if you do not shed innocent blood in this place … then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.” ~ Jeremiah 7:5-7

“He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man.” ~ Isaiah 66:2-3

“I desire mercy and not sacrifice” ~ Jesus (Matthew 9:13 &12:7).

In the Temple, we even see Jesus driving out the merchants selling animals for sacrifice, those changing money for the purchase of animals, and saving the animals themselves. (John 2:15)

*Fifthly, many modern-day Christian preachers & ancient Christian scholars agree with this all-Loving version of the Father … Consider the following:

“I do not believe a person can be a true Christian and at the same time deliberately engage in cruel or inconsiderate treatment of animals.” ~ Rev. Norman Vincent Peale

“The Bible teaches that we are not to abuse or punish animals in a cruel way. God has created them, and while mankind is given dominion over the animals, we are not to treat them cruelly.” ~ Rev. Billy Graham

“We have a small religion if it has no room for the rest of God’s creatures.” ~ Rev. Lloyd Putman

“There is something so very dreadful, so satanic in tormenting those who have never harmed us, and who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power, who have weapons neither of offense nor defense, that none but very hardened persons can endure the thought of it.” ~ Cardinal Newman

“And the flesh of the slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself and he who eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats the body of death.” ~The Essene Gospel of Peace

*Sixthly, other religions feel similarly … Consider the following:

“For fear of causing terror to living things . . . let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to obtain compassion refrain from eating flesh.” ~ Buddha (from the Lankavatara Sutra)

“Meat cannot be obtained without injury to animals, and the slaughter of animals obstructs the way to Heaven; let him therefore shun the use of meat.” ~ Hinduism’s “Laws of Manu” V, 45 – 52

“Non-injury to all living beings is the highest religion.” ~ Jainism’s “Yogashastra”

In conclusion, then, regardless of our beliefs about the nature or even the existence of God, it is now faithfully clear that a) the God of any religious tradition CAN be read & seen & known as an all-Loving Essence who does NOT sanction the murder of innocent animal lives, and b) that IF such a God does not exist — IF God truly did purposefully and knowingly create animals to painfully suffer at humanity’s lusty hands — then it is upon us not to worship such a deity, but rather to courageously oppose Him (or her … or It).

Amen … Let it be so.

“Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don’t harass them, don’t deprive them of their happiness, don’t work against God’s intent. Man, do not pride yourself on superiority to animals; they are without sin, and you, with your greatness, defile the earth by your appearance on it, and leave the traces of your foulness after you. Alas, it is true of almost every one of us.” ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Any religion or philosophy which is not based on an absolute respect for life and all things living is not a sound religion or a just philosophy.” ~ inspired by Albert Schweitzer