Arguments
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
The most prominant of the vegetarian-oriented Christian groups is the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA). Its founder and prophet Ellen White, was vegetarian; the church officially promotes lacto-ovo-vegetarianism, though fewer than half of its members practice it"<and some branches are persue a vegan lifestyle, as detailed below> "The SDA prophet asked her readers a century ago to 'think of the cruelty to animals that meat-eating involves and its effect on those who inflict it.' In the book on their fundamental beliefs there is a mention that 'God's original diet for man did not include animal flesh food because He did not envision the taking of animal's life.' Otherwise the church's vegetarian liturature concentrates on human health. However the strong vegetarian stand by SDA's has lessed animal cruelty more than any other Christian church..."
Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement
This church separated from the main SDA body over conscientious objection to war. By emphasising the prophet's pacifism, they could not ignore her vegetarian stand, a membership condition. Some are vegan. members must 'abstain form such ffods and drinks which are injurious to the body such as flesh foods, fish, animal fats, alcoholic drinks...' They note that 'grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables consitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator'."
Creation 7th Day Adventist Church
"This small group, which claims members worldwide, separated from the SDA church in 1991. Unlike the parent body, its members are expected to be vegetarian."
International Missionary Society of the Seventh Day Adventis 111 Part
"The International Missionary Society is another split fromt he SDA church, and its members are vegetarian."
Evangelism Australia
"An independent SDA organisation, Evengelism Australia has centres for week-long health courses that serve only vegan food."
Remnant Herald
"This organisation is separate from and critical of the SDA church while stating they remain loyal members. Their study of writings of their church's prophet leads them to adhere to veganism, while the main church's same study has it recommending vegetarianism. This is understandable. One page of her writings has both 'some, in abstaining from milk, eggs and butter, ave failed to suppy the system with nourishment' and 'time will come when we may have to discard some articles of diet we now use, such as milk and cream and eggs'."
Hour Apostolic Sabbatarian Church
"Vegetarianism is a strict doctrine of this church."
Albert Schweitzer Fellowship
"The fellowship is loyal to and supportive of the work established by the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Albert Schwietzer, a Christian theologian and humanitarian who moved from his Swiss residence to set up a jungle hospital in Lambarene, Gabon. His 'reverence for life' philosophy ensured that he would be vegetarian early in the last century when such was far from common..."
Bible Christian Church
"After 120 years, the Bible Christian Church ceased in 1930, owing ot a shortage of vegetarians and the church's insistance that its members take a vow not to eat meat. Ministers of this church founded the original Vegetarian Society (in Britain), as well as the American Vegetarian Society and the International Vegetarian Union."
Catholic Church
"St Francis of Assisi was a vegetarian Catholic monk; Franciscan, Trappist and Benedictine monks remain Catholic vegetarians."
Christian Science
"The Church of Christ, Scientist, to give it the official name, was founded more than a century ago by Mary Baker Eddy. She and some early members were vegetarian, but hte church 'has no philosophy regarding vegetarians and our members are free to make their own decisions regarding these matters'."
Lifestream International
"This Tasmanian group's members are taught to be vegetarians."
New Church
"Once known as the Church of the New Jerusalem, and now, more sensibly, as the New Church, this was a pioneer Christian vegetarian group. Founded by Emmanual Swedenborg was vegetarian. The New Church's influence on the vegetarian movement has mostly been through one of its offshoots, the Bible Christian Church. Joseph Brotherton, a founder of the UK's Vegetarian Society and anti-death penalty and child labour campaigner, was a member. New Church members today have little interest in vegetarianism."
Salvation Army
"The Army's founder, William Booth was a vegetarian. That is of no interest to modern Salvationists, most being unaware of this fact. A vestige of the founder's stand is still in print: 'It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh meat of any kind is essential to health'."
Essene Nazarean Church
"The Essene Nazarean Church is an 'esoteric spiritual order, which fully embraces the deeper levels of the ancient Nazarean <and vegan> Way of Yeshua Ha Machiakh <Jesus the Messiah>
Order of Nazorean Essenes
"The Order of Nazorean Essenes, is a peculiar blend of Buddhism and Christianity <or as it describes itself 'a Buddhist Branch of Original Christianity> is vegan."
Universal Egalitarian Church
"This somewhat grandiose church name is usually followed byu the sub-title 'Where All Species Are Created Equal', which says it all."
Objections
References for the Arguments
Waddel, John 'But You Kill Ants', Australia 1985, pp119-121
[1] "Amongst Adventists, only 5-10 per cent are totally vegetarian, about another 20-30 per cent are ovo-lacto-vegetarians, and the you have about 50 per cent who are really little different from the general population" Record 22/02/03 p6 Seventh-day Adventists Believe...pp284-286 [2] [3] 71 Garfield Road, Riverstone NSW Australia 2765 Principles of Faith and Church Order p7 Food Selection and Health p2 [4] verlis@nwol.net 233 Mulberry St, Kermit TX USA 79745-4213 121 Toongabbie Road, Toongabbie NSW Australia 2146. [5] offers a Miracke Makeover Health Correspondence Course advocating their vegetarian position. [6] [7] Letter 27/02/03 from Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Sydney [8] 30 King Edward St, Penguin TAS Australia 7316 The Church's Sydney office believes it was only in their founder's declining years that he was a vegetarian, perhaps because his body then allowed him to consume little more than bread and water. Order and Regulations of the Offices of the Salvation Army, in Hall, Vegetarian Yearbook. [9] PO W322, West Kempsey NSW Australia 2440 [www.remnatherald.asn.au] Remnant Herald PO Box 175, Kalorama VIC Australia 3766, (03) 9751 1932. Ellen White, 'Testimonies for the Church, vol 9 p 162 [10] [11] [12] email: equalitarian2003@yahoo.com. PO Box 364, Lamar, Missouri USA 64759