Executive Summary: It turns out that six major religious beliefs, from both the West and the East, including Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, and Hinduism, are either vegan or vegetarian or animal-friendly.
Regarding Christianity, God prescribes humans a vegan diet in Genesis (1:29); and “He has compassion on all He has made” (Ps. 145:9). Jesus desires compassion, NOT sacrifice (Matthew 9:13). Above all, Jesus died for animal liberation. In emptying the Temple of animals about to be slaughtered for sacrifice, and in calling the Temple-turned-butcher-shop "a den of murderers (Hebrew: parits)", quoting Jeremiah 7:11, Jesus debunked the fraudulent and evil nature of animal sacrifice, and disrupted the lucrative revenue stream of the chief priests and scribes, who immediately afterwards conspired to destroy Him (Mark 11:15-18), eventually leading to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion (Keith Akers 2020).
Regarding Buddhism, Buddha warns about the consequence of eating animal flesh:- "Those who eat flesh will have their compassionate seeds extinguished" and animal-eaters will definitely end up in the hottest hell – Raurava (Bodhiruci n.d., (Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, Vol. 8, Section 16); “All beings who eat flesh are essentially consuming their own relatives." (Śūraṅgama Sūtra).
Regarding Taoism, "Laozi said: Abstain from eating flesh and do not even entertain the thought of it. All beings with blood and form are sustained by the vital energy of life." (Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians); Zhuangzi argues in "Discussion on Making All Things Equal" that humans and animals are equally part of the Tao; He also suggested the Tao does not require bloody animal sacrifices—instead, one should align with nature peacefully (Zhuangzi, Chapter 23 - Gengsang Chu).
Regarding Confucianism, Mencisu asserted that "All humans have a heart of compassion. A noble person cannot bear to see a creature alive and then witness its death. Hearing its cries, he cannot bear to eat its flesh" (Mencius 1A:7).
Regarding Islam, Allah declares, "There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end" (Quran 6:38); and Prophet Muhammad proclaims, "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself" (Hadith, Riyad as-Salihin 1604).
Regarding Hinduism, "Non-violence (ahimsa) is the highest duty" (Mahabharata 13.117.37); "You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures, whether they are human, animal, or whatever" (Yajurveda 12.32).
Since all the six most influential religious faiths, which more or less represent a significant portion of human wisdom, all uphold veganism or at least compassion towards animals without prior consultation, we had better learn from them and go vegan.
Full Text: https://www.vegantheology.net/post/six-vegan-and-animal-friendly-faiths-by-dr-chapman-chen
1. Christianity
1.1. God’s Love for Animals in the OT
From the very beginning, God prescribed humans a vegan diet. “And God said, See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food (Genesis 1:29 NKJV).” There are many verses in the Old Testament which affirms God’s love for His sentient creatures, e.g.,
The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:9 NIV)
Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. (Proverbs 12:10 ESV)
For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. (Psalm 50:10-11 ESV)
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. (Psalm 36:6 NIV)
1.2. Jesus the Vegan Christ
Jesus is steadfastly vegan. Jesus desires compassion, NOT sacrifice (Matthew 9:13; Panarion Book |I, 30.16.5; The Gospel of the Ebionites 22.4; Panarion Book I, 30.18.9); Jesus comes from a vegan family (Eusebius, Church History 2.23.5–6; Eisenman 2021:392); Jesus warns against flesh-eating (Luke 21:34, Evangelion Da-Mepharreshe — Old Syriac-Aramaic Manuscript of the NT Gospels; Gospel of Thomas, Saying 87); Jesus cares about animals (Mark 12:31; Genesis 1:20, 1:21, 1:24, 1:30, 9:4; Matthew 25:40; Matt. 21:1-7; Linzey 2010:60-61; Matt. 10:29; Luke 14:5); Jesus is in peaceable companionship with the wild animals (Mark 1:12-13).
Above all, Jesus died for animal liberation. In emptying the Temple of animals about to be slaughtered for sacrifice, and in calling the Temple-turned-butcher-shop "a den of murderers (Hebrew: parits)", quoting Jeremiah 7:11, Jesus debunked the fraudulent and evil nature of animal sacrifice, and disrupted the lucrative revenue stream of the chief priests and scribes, who immediately afterwards conspired to destroy Him (Mark 11:15-18), eventually leading to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion (Keith Akers 2020).
As for those animal-hostile verses in the OT and NT, they are products of “the lying pen of the scribes” (Jeremiah 8:8), and mistranslation, misinterpretation, and manipulation.
2. Buddhism
Buddhism believes in karma across three lifetimes and reincarnation through the six realms of existence. "All beings who eat flesh are essentially consuming their own relatives," as pointed out by Buddha (Śūraṅgama Sūtra). Buddha seriously warns that "Those who eat flesh will have their compassionate seeds extinguished" and animal-eaters will definitely end up in the hottest hell – Raurava (Bodhiruci n.d., (Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, Vol. 8, Section 16).
Indeed, Buddha is adamant that eating animal flesh is equivalent to murder:- "Mahamati, those who kill living beings primarily do so to supply meat for human consumption. If people did not eat flesh, there would be no killing. Therefore, eating meat is as sinful as killing" (Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra). Further, "Killing animals and offering their flesh as sacrifices to deities is like killing one's own children and offering their flesh (meat) to their mother. This is a sorrowful mistake" (The Highest Disciplinary Code of Disciples, Tibetan Buddhism).
Among the Five Precepts, abstaining from killing is the foremost commandment, as taking life leads to the negative karma that results in rebirth in hell (Sutta Pitaka [Sayings of the Buddha], Anguttara Nikaya 8.39 [The Five Precepts for Laypeople], "Visākhā Sutta").
3. Taoism
3.1 Laozi
Laozi (6th – 5th century BC) and many later Taoist schools inspired by him, e.g., Tianshi (Celestial Masters) School of Taoism, are against the killing and eating of any sentient beings:-
"Laozi said: Abstain from eating flesh and do not even entertain the thought of it. All beings with blood and form are sustained by the vital energy of life."— Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians
"First, one must not kill living beings. Second, one must abstain from flesh (meat) and alcohol." — Precepts of the Initial Truth
"Do not eat anything that contains blood." — Yunji Qiqian, Volume 38: The Twenty-Seven Precepts of Laozi
"Do not climb mountains to trap birds. Do not poison fish and shrimp in the water. Do not slaughter plowing oxen." — The Moral Code of the Lord Wenchang
3.2. Zhuangzi
Zhuangzi (369 BC – 286 BC) rejected human-centered thinking and taught that all beings—humans, animals, and even plants—are part of the same cosmic flow. He ridiculed the idea that humans are superior and suggested that our distinctions between species are illusionary constructs. For example, in Qiwu Lun ("Discussion on Making All Things Equal"), Zhuangzi argues that humans and animals are equally part of the Tao. He suggests that the joys, sufferings, and perspectives of animals are just as valid as those of humans. Zhuangzi famously asked whether he was a man dreaming of being a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of being a man. This challenges the rigid separation between humans and animals.
Zhuangzi also criticized Confucian rituals, which often involved animal sacrifice. He mocked the idea that killing animals could bring good fortune or honor the ancestors. For example, he told the story of a pig being washed and perfumed for sacrifice, noting how pointless it was to beautify an animal just to kill it (Zhuangzi, Chapter 2 - Qi Wu Lun). He also suggested that the Tao does not require bloody sacrifices—instead, one should align with nature peacefully (Zhuangzi, Chapter 23 - Gengsang Chu).
Confucianism
Confucius (551–479 BC) does not explicitly promote veganism in Confucius' Analects, but Mencius (372–289 BCE) speaks clearly about compassion for animals.
4.1. Mencius on Compassion toward Animals
"All people have a heart of compassion." (Mencius 2A:6)
Mencius believed that human nature is fundamentally good and that compassion is an innate moral sense. He used examples of people's reactions to suffering animals to illustrate the natural human tendency toward kindness.
4.2. King Xuan and the Ox: A Lesson in Mercy for Animals
"All humans have a heart of compassion. A noble person cannot bear to see a creature alive and then witness its death. Hearing its cries, he cannot bear to eat its flesh." (Mencius 1A:7)
King Xuan of Qi saw an ox being led to slaughter for a ritual. Seeing its fear, he was moved by compassion and ordered it to be spared. However, he allowed a sheep to be killed instead, showing moral inconsistency. Mencius praised his compassion but urged him to extend this kindness universally.
4.3. Mencius and Veganism
Did Mencius himself avoid animal flesh? There is no explicit record that he was vegan. However, he argued that "gentlemen should not delight in killing" (Mencius 6A:16). He promoted humane treatment of animals, and his teachings could be extended to support veganism in a modern context.
4.4. Wrapping Up
Mencius was deeply compassionate toward animals and criticized unnecessary suffering. He taught that a gentleman or a noble person should not bear to hear animals cry or see them die, which aligns with vegan ethics, though he did not explicitly call for a plant-based diet, and historical records do not confirm whether he abstained from meat.
5. Islam: A Pro-Vegan and Animal-Friendly Religion
Islam is deeply rooted in compassion (rahma) and non-violence (ahimsa), extending beyond human interactions to include animals and all of God's creation. The Quran and Hadith emphasize kindness to animals, responsible stewardship of nature, and ethical consumption, aligning with many vegan principles. While Islam does not explicitly mandate veganism, its teachings encourage reducing harm, making a plant-based lifestyle a highly ethical and Islamically justifiable choice.
5.1. The Principle of Rahma (Compassion) for All Creatures
"And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds." (Quran 21:107)
"Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself." (Hadith, Riyad as-Salihin 1604)
The Quran and Hadith emphasize universal mercy, which includes humans, animals, and the environment. Prophet Muhammad forbade cruelty to animals, stating that one who mistreats animals will face divine punishment. Islam teaches that all creatures are signs of God (ayat Allah) and should be respected.
5.2. No Animal Is Forgotten in the Divine Book
"There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but they are communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end" (Quran 6:38).This verse declares that no animals are forgotten by God and all animals have their own societies, reinforcing their intrinsic value beyond human utility.
5.3. The Sin of Animal Cruelty and Slaughter
"A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat she confined until it died. She did not give it food or water." (Sahih al-Bukhari 3318)
Prophet Muhammad strictly forbade causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
Many Islamic scholars argue that modern factory farming (which involves extreme cruelty) is haram (forbidden).
➡Implication:
If Islam condemns cruelty, then supporting industries that exploit and abuse animals (factory farming, slaughterhouses) is ethically questionable for Muslims.
Choosing a vegan lifestyle aligns with Islam’s emphasis on mercy.
5.4. The Ethics of Halal Slaughter vs. Veganism
"Eat what is lawful and good (tayyib)." (Quran 2:168)
Islam permits eating meat only under strict ethical guidelines (halal).
However, halal (permissible) does not always mean tayyib (pure, good, ethical).
Many Islamic scholars argue that factory-farmed meat is NOT truly halal because:
Animals suffer before and during slaughter.
They are raised in unnatural, cruel environments.
Overconsumption of meat harms human health and the planet.
➡Veganism can be considered "tayyib" (pure and ethical), making it the most Islamic diet in modern times.
5.5. Prophet Muhammad’s Own Dietary Habits
"The Prophet’s diet was mostly dates, water, and milk." (Sahih al-Bukhari 2567)"Do not be excessive in eating meat." (Hadith, Al-Muwatta 49:10)
The Prophet rarely ate meat, and when he did, it was only on special occasions.
He encouraged moderation in meat consumption, unlike today’s overconsumption of factory-farmed meat.
Many early Muslims, including Sufi mystics and scholars, promoted vegetarianism as a means of spiritual purification.
5.6. Environmental Stewardship in Islam
"Do not waste water, even if you perform ablution on the banks of a flowing river." (Hadith, Ibn Majah 425)"Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what people’s hands have done." (Quran 30:41)
Islam commands environmental responsibility and warns against human actions that cause harm. The meat and dairy industry is a major cause of deforestation, water pollution, and climate change. A vegan lifestyle reduces environmental harm, aligning with Islam’s duty to protect the Earth (Khilafah).
5.7. The Example of Islamic Saints and Scholars
Many Sufi saints (like Rumi and Rabia al-Adawiyya) practiced vegetarianism, seeing it as a higher form of mercy. Imam Al-Ghazali spoke of controlling one’s desires, which aligns with abstaining from unnecessary meat consumption. Islamic scholars today are increasingly recognizing veganism as an ethical choice.
5.8. Is Islam Pro-Vegan and Animal-Friendly?
✔ Yes! Islam strongly advocates for compassion, ethical consumption, and environmental stewardship.✔ Factory-farmed meat violates Islamic ethics, making a vegan or plant-based diet the best way to practice true "halal" living today.✔ Islam encourages reducing harm (minimizing suffering), and veganism is the best way to align with this principle.
➡ Would Prophet Muhammad be vegan today? Given his compassion for animals, moderation in meat consumption, and environmental ethics, he might support a plant-based diet in modern times.
6. Hinduism:
Hinduism is one of the most animal-friendly religions, with a strong tradition of vegetarianism and non-violence (ahimsa, अहिंसा). While not all Hindus are vegan or vegetarian, Hindu scriptures and teachings emphasize compassion for all living beings, making plant-based diets and animal protection highly respected within the faith.
6.1. The Principle of Ahimsa (Non-Violence)
"Ahimsa paramo dharmaḥ" (अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मः)"Non-violence is the highest duty." (Mahabharata 13.117.37)
Ahimsa (अहिंसा), meaning non-violence toward all living beings, is a fundamental Hindu value.
Killing or harming animals is seen as generating negative karma and delaying spiritual liberation (moksha).
This principle inspires vegetarianism among Hindus, particularly in Vaishnavism, Jainism, and certain Shaivite traditions.
6.2. Hindu Scriptures on Compassion Toward Animals
"He who desires to increase his own flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures lives in misery in whatever species he may take birth." (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 115:47)
"You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures, whether they are human, animal, or whatever." (Yajurveda 12.32)
The Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas emphasize respect for animals, often describing them as part of the divine order of creation.
Many Hindu gods and goddesses have animal companions (e.g., Krishna as Govinda, the protector of cows; Ganesha with his mouse; Durga with her lion).
Cows, in particular, are considered sacred (गो माता, Gau Mata), leading to widespread avoidance of beef consumption among Hindus.
6.3. Hindu Vegetarianism vs. Veganism
✔ Vegetarianism (lacto-vegetarianism) is widely practiced in Hinduism, especially among Brahmins, Vaishnavas, and Jains.✔ Veganism (avoiding dairy and all animal products) is less common but is growing due to modern ethical concerns about factory farming, dairy industry cruelty, and environmental impact.✔ Jainism, which originated from Hindu traditions, promotes strict veganism due to its extreme emphasis on ahimsa.
6.4. Hinduism and Animal-Friendly Practices
Many Hindu temples and ashrams serve only vegetarian or vegan food.
Cows are protected in many Hindu-majority regions, and cow slaughter is banned in some Indian states.
Hindu environmental movements (like the Bishnoi community and Swadhyay Parivar) advocate for animal protection and vegan-friendly lifestyles.
6.5. Is Hinduism Vegan and Animal-Friendly?
✔ Yes, Hinduism is one of the most animal-friendly religions, emphasizing compassion, non-violence, and respect for life.✔ Vegetarianism is deeply rooted in Hindu tradition, but veganism is still emerging as a response to modern ethical concerns.✔ If applied to today’s world, Hindu principles (especially Ahimsa) would strongly support veganism to avoid harm to animals in factory farming.
7. Conclusion
Since all six of the most impactful religious traditions, which to some extent embody a major part of human wisdom, unanimously support veganism or at least advocate for compassion toward animals without prior coordination, we should take inspiration from them and adopt a vegan lifestyle.
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