Definition and Overview:
Vegetarianism, the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat, is a dietary choice that can be found within the context of the Bible. While the Bible does not explicitly command vegetarianism, it provides instances and principles that have been interpreted to support this lifestyle. The concept of vegetarianism is often associated with the original diet given by God to humanity and the peaceful coexistence of creation.

Biblical References:

1. Creation and the Original Diet:
In the Genesis account, God provides the first humans with a plant-based diet. Genesis 1:29 states, "Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food.'" This verse suggests that the initial diet intended for humanity was vegetarian, consisting of plants and fruits.

2. Post-Flood Dietary Changes:
After the flood, God expands the dietary options for humanity. In Genesis 9:3 , God tells Noah, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things." This indicates a shift from the original vegetarian diet to include meat, reflecting a change in human circumstances and the environment.

3. Dietary Laws and Restrictions:
The Mosaic Law includes specific dietary restrictions, particularly concerning clean and unclean animals (Leviticus 11). While these laws do not mandate vegetarianism, they demonstrate a concern for dietary practices and the holiness of God's people. Some individuals may choose vegetarianism as a way to adhere to a lifestyle of purity and discipline.

4. Daniel's Example:
The Book of Daniel provides an example of a vegetarian diet for religious reasons. Daniel and his companions choose to abstain from the king's food and wine, opting instead for vegetables and water. Daniel 1:12 records Daniel's request: "Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given only vegetables to eat and water to drink." This decision reflects a commitment to maintaining their faith and identity.

5. New Testament Perspectives:
The New Testament addresses dietary practices in the context of Christian liberty and conscience. Romans 14:2-3 states, "One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him." This passage emphasizes respect for individual dietary choices within the Christian community.

6. Eschatological Vision:
Prophetic visions of the future kingdom of God often depict a return to a harmonious creation where violence and death are absent. Isaiah 11:6-9 describes a time when "the wolf will dwell with the lamb," suggesting a restoration of peace that may include a return to a vegetarian state.

Theological Implications:
Vegetarianism in the Bible is often associated with themes of peace, purity, and the original harmony of creation. While not mandated, it is a lifestyle that some believers choose to adopt for spiritual, ethical, or health reasons. The Bible encourages respect for individual convictions regarding dietary practices, emphasizing unity and love within the body of Christ.Romans 14:3
Let not him that eats despise him that eats not; and let not him which eats not judge him that eats: for God has received him.
Topicalbible.org

Leviticus 11:2
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which you shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
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Genesis 1:29-30
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
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Genesis 1:29
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
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Romans 14:2
For one believes that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs.
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Luke 24:42-43
And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
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Leviticus 7:23-24
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, You shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.
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Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatted calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
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When a Man is Asked to Write Down what He Really Thinks on ...
... But so also Mr. Salt the vegetarian would abolish the boy's breakfast; Mrs. Eddy
would throw away his medicine; Count Tolstoi would rebuke him for loving his ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 31 when a man.htm

There Is, Let us Say, a Certain Filthy Rookery in Hoxton...
... to him he roars at you in a thick, hoarse voice something that is conjectured to
be "Do 'em good!" Nor is Hudge more happy; for he is a lean vegetarian with a ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 9 there is let.htm

The Bishop Elect and Consecrate
... if you find more wanted do not stickle to add to this number." In this answer the
reader must not see the witless, bad arithmetic of a vegetarian unskilled in ...
/.../marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter iv the bishop elect.htm

Here, it May be Said, My Book Ends Just Where it Ought to Begin. . ...
... love. The cruel taunt of Foulon, "Let them eat grass," might now be represented
as the dying cry of an idealistic vegetarian. Those ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 46 here it may.htm

Notes
... 58 This and the following lines should satisfy the most ardent vegetarian who seeks
to uphold his abstinence from animal food by the customs of the early Church ...
//christianbookshelf.org/prudentius/the hymns of prudentius/notes.htm

The Life Story of Pastor Wang
... their price amongst the creditors. Having taken the vow of an ascetic, for
years he was a vegetarian. Nevertheless, all had failed ...
/.../cable/the fulfilment of a dream of pastor hsis/chapter xiii the life story.htm

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