The Saints and Their Feast Days

"During the first 1,000 years of the Christian Church, there were many saints who loved animals. They lived with them, rescued them, nursed them and saved them from hunters. In turn, many saints were helped by animals." 

From the website: Catholic Concern for Animals:

The Saints and Their Feast Days

Religious Animal Liberation Quotes

“The greatest progress of righteousness among men comes from exhortation in favour of non-injury to life and abstention from killing living beings.” 

(Asoka, 3^rd century Buddhist emperor, as quoted in Steven Rosen, "Food for the Spirit-Vegetarianism and the World’s Religions" – New York: Bala Books, 1987). P. 80)

“We, the Christian leaders, practice abstinence from the flesh of animals to subdue our bodies......the unnatural eating of flesh-meat is polluting.” 

(St. John Chrysostam, 4^thcentury Father of Eastern Church, as quoted in Steven Rosen, "Food for the Spirit-Vegetarianism and the World’s Religions" – New York: Bala Books, 1987). P. 18)

“And remember; when you hunt and kill,

Your punishment will depend

on where [on the scale of evolution]

you have struck your blade-high or low!...

You are not a vulture, to stoop on carcasses,

And do not, like a crow,

Dip your feet in others’ blood.

Even if your hunger has reduced you to a mere skeleton-

Bloodless like a picture image-

You will, at least, be spared the punishments

Of a carcass eater.” 

(Nizaami Ganjavee, 12^th century Sufi poet, Original translation by Shiv Singh Dhatt of Nizam Ganjavi, Makhzan-i Azrar (Kanpur, India, Munshi Naval Kishore Press, 1872, p. 123, 185)

“You violently slaughter animals

And claim it to be in keeping

with the cannons of your creed.

But when God places before you

The record of your cruel deeds,

What will your fate be?” 

(Kabir, 15^th century Indian mystic)

The Lord Christ Jesus Was a Vegan

 

 

Book description (From Amazon):

 

"This book raises many interrelated important issues in life and tries to clarify the spiritual facts and to tie the loose ends, according to the wisdom of Divine Love. The good news about Lord Christ Jesus being a vegan (a strict vegetarian), for Biblical reasons is expounded in this book. This book discuss in detail the interests, the well-beings and the freedom of all creatures. The main points discussed in here, from the Christian vegan perspectives are: why mankind should live to honor God, about the universally abiding laws given us by the supreme Creator, the Christian justice, the importance of Church unity, nutrition, balanced diet and related issues. The pages loudly echo the spirituality of animals and the normal feelings of all that live; encouraging mankind to choose environmentally friendly products and services instead of animal products or animal services. Every violent sport and entertainment that involves animals is denounced together with the modern day idolatry and animal slavery; urging God fearing people to actively love and defend all animals and the universe in the Holy Name of Christ Jesus now and always."

Familiar Strangers

Familiar Strangers: The Church and the Vegetarian Movement in Britain (1809-2009) is a book about the history of the relationship between the Churches and organized vegetarianism in Britain over two centuries.

Within the name, Familiar Strangers, author John Gilheany captures the essence of the struggle that has existed between the church and the vegetarian movements for the past 2,000 years, and his study of the last 200 years in Britain highlights the continued struggle, as well as the advances that have occurred.

For far too many years the majority of churches and church leaders have turned a blind eye and heart toward the suffering of animals, and the health problems to human beings that an animal product based diet causes. In Familiar Strangers, John Gilheany brings to light the historical documentation and the need for all of us to become vegetarian/vegan, for it is God's heavenly will for our lives, and the best thing for the animals and the environment.

In Familiar Strangers, we also see how the animal rights movement was a natural progression of the vegetarian influence with it's concern for the suffering of animals.

In 1809, the origins of the vegetarian movement were set in place with the foundation of the Bible Christian Church of Salford. The radical sect, whose congregation included local Civic leaders and the first M.P. for Salford, Joseph Brotherton (1783 - 1857) was instrumental in the formation of the Vegetarian Society, in 1847. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the wider Food Reform movement had developed both secular and spiritual ideals which attracted a notable proportion of Christians.

Among the more prominent religious figures to have shared an association with Christian vegetarianism have been John and Charles Wesley; General William Booth, C.H Spurgeon, Leo Tolstoy, Lord Soper, and even Mahatma Gandhi.

The reluctance of the Vegetarian Society to adopt an overtly theological stance led to the formation of related but distinctly religious organizations. The Order of the Golden Age became particularly influential during the Edwardian period whilst operating from prestigious offices in London's Knightsbridge. The most remarkable achievement of the forgotten organization occurred in 1907, when their propaganda was met with a change in diet on the part of Pope Pius X.

The vegetarian movement entered into a decline after the Second World War from which it was unable to recover until the Counter Culture of the 1960s eventually gave rise to the modern animal rights movement.

Animals--God's Faithful Servants

Animals--God's Faithful Servants is written from a Christian perspective about the sacred relationship between God, man and animals. It deals with animal theology, pet loss euthanasia, dealing with grief, funeral services and includes biblical references to animals.