Vegetarianism
In my late twenties, I moved in the direction of vegetarianism after studying and thinking about the issues more from a Christan perspective. Eating a plant-based diet prevents needless suffering and better stewards the environment. It also expresses the belief that at each meal, we can enact our hope in the coming kingdom, reflected in Eden and marvelously foreshadowed in Isaiah. To quote from another author:
"The Bible depicts vegetarianism as God's ideal, and the diet conforms to the central biblical principle of stewardship. In Eden, all creatures lived peacefully, and God told both humans and animals to consume only plant foods (Gen. 1:29-31). Several prophecies, such as Isaiah 11:6-9, foresee a return to this vegetarian world, where the wolf, lamb, lion, cow, bear, snake, and little child all coexist peacefully. Christian vegetarians, while acknowledging human sinfulness, believe we should strive toward the harmonious world Isaiah envisioned -- to try to live in accordance with the prayer that Jesus taught us, 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven' (Matt. 6:10)."
As an added benefit, plant-based diets are much healthier for people.
