Summary : Many flesh-eaters seize upon "The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth… into your hands are they delivered” (Genesis 9:2 KJV) and “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you” (Gen. 9:3 KJV) to claim that God thereby gave humans permission to kill and eat any animals they fancy. Upon close scrutiny, this interpretation is incorrect.   1. Gen. 9:2 as a Description, Not an Approval Judging from its context, Gen. 9:2 is a des

St Francis of Assisi (1181/1182–1226) was renowned for his extraordinary compassion towards God’s innocent creatures. He addressed animals as his brothers and sisters, protected them from harm, and healed many of them (I:234–5). Animals, in turn, were often deeply attached to him, responding to him with devotion, gentleness, and even obedience (Bonaventure 1904:8.1, 8.6-11). However, because the medieval Church frequently accused strictly vegetarian or vegan groups—such as th

Summary:  In Exodus 3:8 (NKJV), God speaks to Moses from the burning bush and announces His plan to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and bring them into Canaan, described as “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Israel then sets out toward Canaan, and the spies sent by Moses later confirm its extraordinary fertility with a massive cluster of grapes. The people’s fear causes a forty-year delay in the wilderness, and only the next generation, under Joshua, finally e

For the last 2000 years, numerous anti-vegan theologians and clergy have claimed that according to the Bible, animals, unlike humans, do not have a soul, and so it is ok for humans to exploit them, use them to the core, and kill them for food, for labour, for transport, for entertainment, for experimentation, etc. Yet, it is stated clearly in the Hebrew Scripture that animals, just like humans, are given a living soul (nephesh) and a spirit (ruach). Augustine & Aquinas St. Au