Leather Is Murder. By Dr Chapman Chen

The leather industry is often portrayed as natural, traditional, and even environmentally friendly. Yet behind every leather jacket, handbag, belt, pair of shoes, or watch strap lies the suffering and death of a sentient creature. From a biblical perspective, Christians should ask a simple question: Would the God of love approve of animals being abused and killed merely to satisfy human fashion?

The answer is surely no.

1. Veganism as Prescribed by God

Scripture begins with a world in which neither humans nor animals were created to kill for food or clothing. God gave humanity "every seed-bearing plant" and "every tree that has fruit with seed in it" for food, while green plants were given to the animals (Genesis 1:29–30). Violence was not part of God's original design.

Throughout the Bible, God reveals Himself as compassionate toward all His creatures (Psalm 145:9), and Jesus declared, "I desire compassion, not sacrifice" (Matt 9:13; 12:7). In killing animals for clothing, food, vivisection, sports, etc. one breaks the 6th commandment because לֹא תִּרְצָח Lo tirtzakh, the original Hebrew phrase for “Thou shalt not kill”, means "any kind of killing whatsoever" (Alcalay 1981, Rosen 2004:87). Leather, of course, involves killing.

2. Leather vs. Divine Compassion

The modern leather industry stands in stark contrast to the divine compassion.

Every year, billions of animals are slaughtered for the global leather industry. Many endure the cruelties of factory farming—extreme confinement, mutilations, stressful transportation, and brutal slaughter. Leather comes not only from cattle and calves but also from sheep, goats, pigs, crocodiles, alligators, snakes, ostriches, kangaroos, elephants, and many other animals. Investigations have documented cases in which reptiles were allegedly skinned while still conscious, while millions of kangaroos are hunted for their skins, and exotic animals are confined in conditions that cause severe stress before being killed for luxury fashion.

3. Leather vs. Meat

Some people argue that leather is merely a by-product of the meat industry. In reality, hides are a significant source of income for slaughterhouses and dairy farms, helping to make these industries more profitable. Purchasing leather therefore supports an economic system built upon the exploitation and killing of animals.

Moreover, not all leather and fur are by-products. Many animals are deliberately bred or hunted specifically for their skins. Crocodiles, ostriches, snakes, and other animals are raised on farms to supply the luxury leather industry, while animals such as foxes and other fur-bearing species are bred or trapped primarily for their pelts, which are turned into leather goods, fur coats, handbags, shoes, and other fashion items. In these cases, the animals are brought into existence for the sole purpose of being killed for their skins. Whether leather comes from a slaughterhouse or from animals raised or hunted specifically for their hides or fur, purchasing such products contributes to the demand for an industry founded upon the exploitation and killing of sentient beings.

4. Leather vs. Environment

Nor is leather as environmentally friendly as it is often advertised. Modern tanning commonly relies on hazardous chemicals such as chromium compounds, formaldehyde, and other toxic substances. Tanneries generate enormous quantities of polluted wastewater and hazardous solid waste, threatening both ecosystems and the health of workers and nearby communities (PETA, n.d., https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/animals-used-clothing-factsheets/leather-animals-abused-killed-skins/ ).  

5. God Did Not Clothe Adam n Eve in Animal Skins

Many anti-vegan Paulinists seek to justify wearing leather by appealing to Genesis 3:21: "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." But did God actually hunt down, in cold blood, a couple of innocent animals and skin them mercilessly in order to make fur coats for Adam and Eve? That sounds absurd, doesn’t it? In reality, ʿôr (עור), the Hebrew word translated as “skin” in this verse, can mean human skin, the human body, or animal skin, according to the Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary. And per Strong’s Concordance, אוֹר (ʾôr — with Aleph, א) means “light,” while עוֹר (ʿôr — with Ayin, ע) means “skin.”

In the context at hand, the death of an animal is never mentioned. So where did the Lord acquire the skin with which He clothed Adam and Eve? The text does not say. It is likely that God simply created it — either as human skin or as the human body itself (ohr). Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were clothed in light (Aleph-ʾôr, אוֹר) (Psalm 104:2; Taylor 2013; Malan 1882). After the Fall, their bodies of light turned into skinless flesh, which soon dried up, and God found it necessary to cover them with human skin, per The First Book of Adam and Eve, translated by Vicar Dr. S.C. Malan (1882).  (Chen 2025 https://www.vegantheology.net/post/god-did-not-clothe-adam-and-eve-in-animal-skins-by-dr-chapman-chen).     

6. God is Love

More importantly, the use of leather would be inconsistent with the character of the God and Christ revealed throughout Scripture. "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God and Jesus delight in mercy rather than sacrifice (Hosea 6:6; Matt 9:13). Jesus healed the suffering, welcomed the weak, and consistently demonstrated compassion toward the vulnerable. Above all, Jesus died for the cause of animal liberation (Holmes-Gore 1946; Akers 2000). When He raided the Temple, He disrupted the lucrative income stream of the chief priests and scribes, who promptly plotted to have Him killed (Mark 11:15-18). It is difficult to imagine that the same God would slaughter innocent creatures simply to produce clothing when no such killing is mentioned in the biblical text.

7. Animals Skins are Unnecessary

Today we no longer live in a world where animal skins are necessary for survival. Durable, attractive alternatives made from recycled materials, polyurethane, cork, pineapple leaves, apple waste, cactus, mushrooms, and other plant-based materials are widely available. Choosing these products allows us to dress well without demanding the suffering and death of God's creatures.

8. Conclusion

Christians are called to imitate the love and mercy of Christ in every area of life. Our clothing should reflect our faith, not contradict it. When we have abundant cruelty-free alternatives, deliberately choosing products that require animals to be abused and killed for fashion cannot easily be reconciled with the command to love and the Commandment against murder.

Leather is more than a material. It is the skin of an individual who once lived, felt fear, and valued life.

If God loves all His creation (John 3:16; Ps 140), and if Christ calls us to compassion rather than sacrifice, then Christians should seriously reconsider their relationship with leather. In an age when compassionate alternatives abound, choosing vegan leather is not merely a fashion statement—it is an expression of Christly love.

Full Text: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/leather-is-murder-by-dr-chapman-chen