It's not sinful for Christians to eat meat, as Scripture teaches, "every creature of God is good, and nothing's to be rejected." However, the Bible begins with the story of our ancestors losing Paradise by neglecting to fast as the Lord commanded. Jesus, on the other hand, began his public ministry by fasting for forty days. He also instructs us that fasting combined with prayer is very powerful, and says, "When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face." In the first century, the Apostles established fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays to honor Jesus who taught that "man shall not live by bread alone." Orthodox Christians continue this custom joyfully, recognizing the benefits of fasting as the Church calls us, and recognizing the unity and interaction between body and soul. In this way we grow by learning to experience that it's Christ who is ultimately our true food.
EATING ANIMALS CONTRARY TO PITY AND COMPASSION
Animal food is not forbidden, but Abdu'l-Bahá says: "Fruits and grains [will be the foods of the future]. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten. Medical science is only in its infancy, yet it has shown that our natural diet is that which grows out of the ground." The killing of animals and the eating of their meat is somewhat contrary to pity and compassion, and if we can content our self with cereals, fruit, oil and nuts, such as pistachios, almonds and so on, it would be better and more pleasing. Man can live on a purely vegetarian diet and thus avoid killing animals. Meat, however, is nourishing and contains the elements of herbs, seeds and fruits; therefore sometimes it is essential for the sick and for the rehabilitation of health. Vegetarianism is a controversial question, Bahá'ís are free to follow their own conscience.
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE
The Jews during Jesus' day followed strict dietary guidelines because they believed that abstaining from certain foods honored God. But Jesus completely debunked this by saying, "What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them" (Matthew 15:11). The Apostle Paul agrees with this. "I am convinced ... that nothing is unclean in itself ... all food is clean" (Romans 14:14 and 19).
Thus, the Bible teaches that choosing to be a vegetarian makes no difference to God. Some may become vegetarians for health reasons. But eating vegetables does not honor God more than eating meat.
We are warned in Scripture that "in later times" false spiritual teachers will forbid people from eating certain foods. But God's Word assures us that "everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." (1 Timothy 4:4).
VEGETARIANISM IS RELIGIOUSLY REQUIRED
Most religious people are not vegetarians. One could argue they should be. Most religions involve a commandment such as "thou shall not kill," and all religions exalt the virtue of compassion. Such requirements suggest that members of those religions should be vegetarians. It is impossible to partake of a filet of beef without someone having killed an animal. So, eating the steak morally implicates the eater in the killing of the animal. To avoid this problem one must claim that the commandment "not to kill" really means "not to murder," and that murder applies only to thinking beings. But it is no longer clear where on the spectrum of life thinking emerges. The religious requirement for compassion also supports vegetarianism because no killing of any living thing is essentially compassionate. But surely vegetables are also living things before they are harvested. Albert Schweitzer quipped "the only moral alternative is starvation."
