Should Christian Be Vegans?

Are Christians called to be vegans? Is this not how Adam and Eve ate in the garden, doesn’t that prove its the best way to eat? Let’s dive into it.

So in Genesis, we are not explicitly told they did not eat meat, but we are explicitly told they are given “every plant yielding seed” and “every tree with seed in its fruit” for food (Genesis 1:29).  Then came the fall, the serpent was cursed, then Eve and Adam, then the ground (Genesis 3:17). When God cursed the ground it had a profound impact on the quality, availability, and nutritional richness of the food humans would eat.  Before the fall, the earth effortlessly produced abundant, nutrient-rich foods. There was no struggle to cultivate. After the fall, the soil itself was affected - harder to work, less naturally fertile. Thorns and thistles emerged, symbolizing decay, disorder, and diminished fruitfulness. Over time, plants may have had less mineral density naturally available due to changes in soil quality. Today’s reality — depleted soil, nutrient loss, disease in crops — traces back to this moment. 

Almost 1,700 years later we see another major environmental event take place. In Genesis 7, we see the global flood described, rain for 40 days and 40 nights. This caused massive tectonic shifts, volcanic eruptions, and mineral redistributions.  The entire ecosystem was buried under water and sediment for about 10 months, until it finally receded. After the flood, the topsoil was stripped and buried. Minerals were locked deep within sediment layers. Nutrient cycle slowed, so plants were less mineral-dense. Before the flood, Genesis 1:6 states there was a protective water canopy. This would have provided what many scholars believe to be a sort of greenhouse effect. Creating a warm, humid, and stable environment. After the flood, the canopy collapsed. Seasons, extreme weather, began. Plants grew under harsher conditions, leading to a loss of nutrients. Many pre-flood species of foods were likely lost forever. After the flood - God explicitly permits meat consumption, likely because plants no longer provided the same nutritional completeness. Studies of ancient soil confirm a significantly higher mineral content compared to modern day soil. Today’s widespread soil depletion — lower magnesium, calcium, selenium, etc. — may have began as far back as the flood.

And possibly the most powerful example of what an ideal Christian diet should look like, is the records of what Jesus Christ Himself ate when He walked on this earth. He ate fish, meat, and dairy.  As Christians, we know nothing in the Bible was put there on accident. Nothing Jesus did was unintentional, and He lived a perfect, sinless life. If meat, fish, dairy, any of this was a sin, or not to be included in human’s ideal diet, why would the Son of God not tell us so? And why would He eat these foods while He walked this earth?

This is not to say, Christians SHOULD NOT be vegans. I know of several vegans that eat a very well-balanced diet and a wide variety of foods and supplement carefully to avoid major deficiencies. I was vegan about 3 years myself. What I can say is I experienced severe eczema and skin reactions from increased amount of lectins, found in raw vegetables or improperly prepared legumes, nuts, and grains, and too little amino acids, found in animal protein. That said, I plan to explore fasting and eating protocols that include limiting or avoiding animal foods for a period of time, such as the Daniel Fast. I will learn from my mistakes and be careful to limit my exposure to lectins to avoid a severe reaction again. As with everything, there is a smart way to do it, and a lot of dumb ways to do it. In general, I believe a vegan diet is a tool that should probably be used in the same way as a Keto diet or Carnivore diet. Rarely will eating such a restrictive diet for the entirety of your life be a good idea.

If you would like to make some changed to your diet but aren't sure where to begin, check out my contact page and reach out about how I can help you sift through the noise and find a sustainable diet for you that isn't about rules and restrictions but enjoying the foods you love, in a healthy way, to bring honor to God.