Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Religion News
The Ethics of Our Table: Jesus and Meat

The Ethics of Our Table: Jesus and Meat

Last updated on: May 10, 2014 at 10:31 pm by Jeff Hood

The Ethics of Our Table: Jesus and Meat 2014-05-10T22:31:31-06:00 Jeff Hood

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Outside during the visit, everyone enjoys playing fetch with the family dog. When the host of the house whistles for the dog to come around back, no one pays attention. A few hours later, everyone gathers at the dinner table and prepares for a great feast. After a prayer asking God’s blessing on the meal and the hands that prepared it, the hosts bring out all sorts of breads and vegetables. Then…as the gathered lean in expectantly for the main course…the host brings out a platter…on top is the family dog roasted with an apple in it’s mouth.

For a long time, I wondered why this scene bothered me so much…and yet I had no problem eating all sorts of creatures. I lived in this juxtaposition for many years and finally decided to test my convictions and dare travel to a slaughterhouse. The images I encountered of filthy animals being systematically and painfully tortured are forever ingrained in my psyche. The visit left no question for me that a slaughterhouse is a violent place and eating what is produced there only encourages violence. I stopped eating meat.

Though I had firm convictions after the visit, I sensed that there were wider issues of justice associated with eating meat. There are. It takes unbelievable amounts of water and grain to raise animals. Can you imagine if we stopped eating animals and started feeding humans what it took to raise the animals? Global hunger would be a phenomenon of the past. The meat industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change. The meat industry releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide into the air. Estimates range as high as 51% of global warming being caused by the meat industry. Not eating meat is also healthier for you. A diet without the cholesterol and saturated fats in meat gives you more energy and can help prevent a wide range of illnesses. The previous reasons deal with the effect of eating meat on humans…but it is also important to realize the animals that we kill can feel and experience the torture of their deaths. How interested are we in continuing the torture of both humans and animals in order to keep eating meat?

So would Jesus eat meat now? The answer lies in Jesus’ declaration to be incarnated in the least of these. Jesus would not eat meat at the expense of feeding the world. Jesus would not support an industry causing such a huge portion of climate change. Jesus would disapprove of an industry that is making us sick. Jesus does not approve of the systematic torture of any living thing. I have no doubt that Jesus would not participate in the meat industrial complex and nor should we.

Amen.

meat industrial complex

Previous Post

May 6, 2014

Lives Less Valued: Why Black Girls Matter

Next Post

May 11, 2014 apoem: beloved & the next day

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Danny & Jeff fresh writings latest poetics north texas fellowship of reconciliation Sermon theology from death row Thoughts Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the final plague that led Pharaoh to release the Israelites?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Frogs Hail Death of the firstborn Locusts