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✝️ ⛪️ I speak to a lot of Christians when I do outreach.
Today, my Christian friend Benny writes a thread to show that kindness towards #animals should be an important part of any Christian's moral outlook.
#Jesus #Christianity
Today, my Christian friend Benny writes a thread to show that kindness towards #animals should be an important part of any Christian's moral outlook.
#Jesus #Christianity
1/35 - Christians often claim that God endorses meat eating when He grants them dominion over creation in Genesis 1.
🚫 But this is NOT what “dominion” means.
“Dominion” simply means sovereignty or rulership. But there can be bad rulers as well as good rulers.
🚫 But this is NOT what “dominion” means.
“Dominion” simply means sovereignty or rulership. But there can be bad rulers as well as good rulers.
2/35 - ❓ The question is what kind of dominion God wants us to have.
In Genesis, God doesn’t give us dominion so that we can act as tyrants, subjecting our fellow creatures to horrifying abuses in order to satisfy our material pleasures.
In Genesis, God doesn’t give us dominion so that we can act as tyrants, subjecting our fellow creatures to horrifying abuses in order to satisfy our material pleasures.
3/35 -⛲️ God puts humans on earth to instantiate his will in creation and “cultivate” the Garden that God provided in the natural world (Gen. 2:15).
4/35 - “Dominion” means we must steward creation responsibly and treat animals with respect.
It means protecting creation, like a father would protect his children, not harming and abusing it.
It means protecting creation, like a father would protect his children, not harming and abusing it.
5/35 - 🌱 Genesis 1 explicitly says that #God gave us plants for food.
It doesn’t say anything about eating #animals!
It doesn’t say anything about eating #animals!
7/35 - Guess the story:
🐘🐘 + 🦃🦃 + 🐖🐖+ 🐢🐢+ 🐅🐅+ 🦌🦌+🐒🐒+ 🦁🦁+ 👫+👶
➡️⛴️🌧️⛈️🌊
➡️🕊️🌈♥️
God preserved all of the animals from the flood, not just humans.
🐘🐘 + 🦃🦃 + 🐖🐖+ 🐢🐢+ 🐅🐅+ 🦌🦌+🐒🐒+ 🦁🦁+ 👫+👶
➡️⛴️🌧️⛈️🌊
➡️🕊️🌈♥️
God preserved all of the animals from the flood, not just humans.
8/35 - 😱 After the flood, God tells Noah that animals will “fear” and “dread” him and his descendents (Gen. 9:1-3).
Given the way we treat animals, that prediction clearly came true!
Given the way we treat animals, that prediction clearly came true!
9/35 - When #God suggests that #animals will be food for humans in Genesis 9, He is making a concession to our violent nature.
He is not saying that this is the ideal way to live.
He is not saying that this is the ideal way to live.
10/35 - 💭Think about the kind of “dominion” that we exercise over farm #animals.
Think about the abuse, the confinement, the slaughter.
Would you want God to exercise this kind of dominion over you?
Think about the abuse, the confinement, the slaughter.
Would you want God to exercise this kind of dominion over you?
11/35 - 🔪 The ten commandments say “Thou shall not kill.”
Notice how there is no exception for slaughtering animals.
❤️ We are meant to respect the lives of all of God’s creatures, not only human lives.
Notice how there is no exception for slaughtering animals.
❤️ We are meant to respect the lives of all of God’s creatures, not only human lives.
12/35 - According to the prophet Isaiah, there will be no violence against #animals in the Kingdom of God.
#Bible #quote #vegan
#Bible #quote #vegan
13/35 -⛪️ Catholic Catechism paragraph 2418: “It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.”
Killing animals for food is needless.
Avoiding meat is as simple as going to a different aisle in the grocery store.
So, should #Catholics be #vegan?
Killing animals for food is needless.
Avoiding meat is as simple as going to a different aisle in the grocery store.
So, should #Catholics be #vegan?
14/35 - Catholic Catechism paragraph 2418: “It is likewise unworthy to spend money on [animals] that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery”
Then why are we wasting so much land on inefficient livestock production? When we waste farmland like this, people starve.
Then why are we wasting so much land on inefficient livestock production? When we waste farmland like this, people starve.
15/35 - You might be surprised to learn of a long history of Christians not eating meat.
Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays or during lent.
Numerous monastic orders have refrained from eating meat.
Quakers and Seventh-Day Adventists are often vegetarian or #vegan.
Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays or during lent.
Numerous monastic orders have refrained from eating meat.
Quakers and Seventh-Day Adventists are often vegetarian or #vegan.
17/35 - 💪 Strong vegans in the #Bible!
18/35 - “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal”
-Proverbs 12:10
🤔 Do you think what goes on in animal farms is righteous?
buff.ly/3M1QvP8
-Proverbs 12:10
🤔 Do you think what goes on in animal farms is righteous?
buff.ly/3M1QvP8
19/35 - St. Paul says that meat makes you weak:
“It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.” (Romans 14:21)
#Fitness #Christianity #vegan
“It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything by which your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.” (Romans 14:21)
#Fitness #Christianity #vegan
20/35 - “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made” (Psalm 145:9)
Humans are not the only creatures on earth!
If God’s mercy extends to all of his creatures, then our mercy should extend to them too.
Humans are not the only creatures on earth!
If God’s mercy extends to all of his creatures, then our mercy should extend to them too.
21/35 - “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
#Jesus #animals #photography
#Jesus #animals #photography
22/35 - 🕊️ God wants peace for ALL of His creatures, not only humans.
23/35 - #Jesus said that whenever you help the needy, you help him.
The next part of the passage (not quoted) says that when you ignore the needy, you ignore Him as well.
Let’s stop ignoring the plight of the nonhuman #animals who we abuse by the billions.
The next part of the passage (not quoted) says that when you ignore the needy, you ignore Him as well.
Let’s stop ignoring the plight of the nonhuman #animals who we abuse by the billions.
24/35 - The #Bible says we can learn from #animals.
More evidence that people have ALWAYS known that animals can be sentient and are capable of awakening parts of our consciousness in ways unlike anything else.
More evidence that people have ALWAYS known that animals can be sentient and are capable of awakening parts of our consciousness in ways unlike anything else.
26/35 - In the book of Jonah, #God considers destroying the city of Nineveh but chooses not to.
Look at Jonah 4:11. God spares Nineveh not only because of the people that live there, but also out of compassion for their #animals.
Look at Jonah 4:11. God spares Nineveh not only because of the people that live there, but also out of compassion for their #animals.
27/35 - These #Christian arguments for compassion towards animals aren’t new.
Seventh-Day Adventists have been following plant-based diets for over a century, and they live longer as a result!
buff.ly/3HNFOgs
Seventh-Day Adventists have been following plant-based diets for over a century, and they live longer as a result!
buff.ly/3HNFOgs
28/35 - 🍒 I know someone is going to cherry-pick some Bible verses to try to justify animal abuse in the comments.
Rather than wading into a theological debate, here is my blanket response...
Rather than wading into a theological debate, here is my blanket response...
29/35 - 🕊️ #Jesus lived - and taught - peace, compassion and selflessness.
Those moral teachings take precedence over contorting scripture to argue for indifference & self-interest.
i.e. any interpretation of Jesus' teachings should be in favor of peace and compassion.
Those moral teachings take precedence over contorting scripture to argue for indifference & self-interest.
i.e. any interpretation of Jesus' teachings should be in favor of peace and compassion.
30/35 - 😈 Remember that even Satan can use scripture for his own purposes (see Matthew 4:6-7).
When you find yourself using scripture to justify cruelty for the sake of gluttony, you have lost your way.
When you find yourself using scripture to justify cruelty for the sake of gluttony, you have lost your way.
31/35 - 🤔 Still skeptical that you should care about #animals?
Then just take a look at what animal farming does to humans...
Then just take a look at what animal farming does to humans...
32/35 - 😷 Zoonotic pandemics often originate with farm animals.
🏭 Climate change is exacerbated by agricultural emissions.
💊 Using antibiotics on farm animals is worsening the threat of antibiotic resistance. It could literally be the end of modern medicine.
🏭 Climate change is exacerbated by agricultural emissions.
💊 Using antibiotics on farm animals is worsening the threat of antibiotic resistance. It could literally be the end of modern medicine.
33/35 - 😭😿 Animal farming hurts US, not just the animals.
If you care about other humans - and Jesus’ teachings clearly show that you should - then you should go #vegan.
If you care about other humans - and Jesus’ teachings clearly show that you should - then you should go #vegan.
34/35 - Want to dive more into #Christianity and #veganism? Here are a few resources:
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buff.ly/3piLvNa
buff.ly/3VJomQg
buff.ly/3B11WjR
buff.ly/44FeWce
35/35 - Thanks for reading.
The #Bible does not require people to consume animals, and the moral teachings of #Jesus promote compassion and care for creation.
This means that if you claim to be a Christian, you should go #vegan.
👌🏼 It’s that simple.
The #Bible does not require people to consume animals, and the moral teachings of #Jesus promote compassion and care for creation.
This means that if you claim to be a Christian, you should go #vegan.
👌🏼 It’s that simple.
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