Dear Mr. Gramps,
I’m a vegetarian. It has come up a few times in casual conversation, such as at church functions, and people automatically start to argue with me and say that I’m sinning because I simply don’t eat meat. I don’t think that vegetarianism is wrong. I’ve prayed about it and I could never find anything in the bible that specifically says that I absolutely HAVE to eat meat. So why do people just assume I’m a bad person? Or am I in the wrong after all?
Thank you,
Anonymous
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Anonymous,
My suggestion for you would be to not call yourself a ‘vegetarian’. It can be misinterpreted as that you believe in a different code of health than prescribed by the Gospel.
Typically, when I hear that phrase “I’m a vegetarian”, it is subscribing to a particular code of beliefs and hear them telling others how bad meat is for you and how poorly animals are treated, etc.
The beasts of the fields and fowls of the air were created for man to have dominion over them. That said, you don’t have to eat meat to be active in the gospel. In fact, in the Word of Wisdom, it is counseled to us to eat meat sparingly (and it doesn’t mean eat all the spare ribs you want).
You can simply state that you don’t eat meat and that you’re comfortable with that.
-Gramps
