Religions and the Vegetarian / Vegan Diet

Christianity

Based on the story of creation, Adam and Eve consumed vegan food. In the Garden of Eden, they ate plants and fruits, but no animals. In addition, the Bible describes exactly which animals can and cannot be eaten. Those are divided into pure and impure.

Leviticus 11:2-3 Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and chews the cud.

Leviticus 11:4-8 There are some that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

Leviticus 11:20-31 All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be regarded as unclean by you. There are, however, some flying insects that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other flying insects that have four legs you are to regard as unclean.

You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening.

Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you.

Of the animals that move along the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you.

In summary, the animals that may not be eaten would be the following: camel, badger, rabbit, horse, pig, squirrel, reptiles, frogs, cats and dogs. Only herbivorous animals such as cow, sheep, goat...

Aquatic Animals

Leviticus 11:9-12 Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean. And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean. Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you.

Shark/rays and arthropods such as shrimps and crabs should not be eaten. These are scavengers and have no scales, so they are unclean. Pure fish that feed on plants may be consumed.

Birds

Leviticus 11:13-19 These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat: eagle, vulture, black vulture, red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, horned owl, screech owl, gull, any kind of hawk, little owl, cormorant, great owl, white owl, desert owl, osprey, stork, any kind of heron, hoopoe and bat.

Therefore, all birds that eat animals are considered unclean.

Islam

In Islam, pork meat and products made from it, such as gelatine, sausages and animal blood, are among the illicit foods. However, if they inadvertently eat pork, they must ask God for forgiveness through prayer. According to the Quran, "If you find yourself in an emergency situation and do not do something forbidden on purpose, you are not to blame. God is merciful and ready to forgive". (Sura 2/173)

Meat from other animals is allowed, but only under the condition that it is "Halal", which means "allowed". Meat is only considered to be "Halal" if the animal has lived species-appropriate and has been slaughtered in a halal way, which is a special kind of slaughtering, where an incision is made in the neck of the animal to let it bleed out completely. The exact procedure is as follows: The animal must first be placed in the direction of Kaaba (the central sanctuary of the Muslims in Mecca). Then the butcher says a prayer, blindfolds his eyes with a cloth and cuts the animal's aorta. In order not to make the animal suffer for a long time, he uses a knife that is as sharp as possible.

Judaism

In Judaism, everything that has two split hooves and is a ruminant is considered "kosher" and may be eaten.

These include, among others: Sheep, goats, cows and fallow deer. Poultry is also considered "kosher" as long as they are domesticated animals such as geese or chickens. In Judaism, the same process of slaughtering is carried out, but with a few minor differences. The animal being slaughtered does not have to be directed towards the east (towards Mecca), nor does it have to be prayed for.

The preparation of the meat and the determination of the type of animal that may be consumed is prescribed in both religions, but the vegan diet plays no role here.

Hinduismus

Hinduism is considered the third largest religion with over 800 million followers. In India, you can find the largest proportion of vegetarians and vegans.

This has two reasons:

1. Most of the population cannot afford meat as a luxury good

2. The majority of Indians live vegetarian for religious reasons, some also vegan

The Hindu faith is based on the foundation of reincarnation (rebirth). The concept of karma plays a significant role in this. Based on karma, every deed of the present life has an effect on the next life. Depending on how good or bad the deeds were, so will the coming life be. In order to have a better next life, followers of the faith strive for a pure, non-violent life, both towards humans and animals.

Buddhismus

Buddhism has a similar view on violence. Buddhism focuses on compassion and the avoidance of suffering and death. The majority of followers lead a vegetarian way of life, based on a statement by Buddha "My love belongs to creatures that have no feet; also to those with two feet and also to those who have many feet. May all created and living things, may all beings, whatever nature, not experience anything that could bring disaster. May evil never befall them."

However, not all Buddhists follow a strict vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Some of the monks, also called bhikku, believe that while begging, they have to accept all the food they are given. In such a case, the consumption of meat is allowed, but only if the animal has not been killed specifically for them. Based on Buddha, however, one should completely renounce meat under the following circumstances: "Even if he does not see with his own eyes that the animal is killed for him, but is only told about it, he must reject it. Yes, even if the Bhikkhu suspects that the animal has been killed for him, he must reject it." Anyone who wants to live in harmony with the values of Buddhism should always prefer a vegetarian diet.

Jainism, the most vegan-friendly religion

Besides Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism is the third Indian high religion. Jainism is very similar to the other two religions, the principle of non-violence (Ahimsa) also applies here. However, for them it plays a much greater role since they view it as their highest commandment. Non-violence should not only be considered towards people, but also towards animals and plants, as these also have a soul.

In order not to hurt or kill any living beings, the Jains eat vegetarian or vegan. They abstain from eating meat, eggs and even honey. When it comes to dairy products, the followers of the religion are divided. Some consider it as permitted, others renounce it. As already mentioned, the welfare of humans and animals is not the only priority, but also that of plants. Therefore, the Jains avoid certain plants such as root vegetables, arguing that tuber vegetables have bad karma and that animals such as insects can be hurt during the harvest. For the Jains, the mindful treatment of living beings is so important that certain professions, such as butcher or farm worker, are prohibited. Respect for life goes so far that Jain monks even cover their mouths with a cloth to avoid inhaling insects. They even use a broom to sweep the path they want to take in order not to step on animals.

There is also a city in India known as Palitana, which was declared a vegetarian city in 2014. For the Jains, this place is like Mecca for the followers of Islam. In order not to be disturbed by the smell of the meat during prayer, the monks went on a hunger strike. This paid off, as they were successful. Since then, trading meat in Palitiana has been illegal.