//Vegetarian?

So in the last few weeks, my wife and I have been playing around with the idea of becoming vegetarian.  First off, we are in no way fully committed to the lifestyle yet and do not believe it to be a absolute moral obligation or required spiritual discipline.  We have dramatically cut our meet consumption, but still eat meet that is offered to us [considered "consumer vegetarian"]. 

I grew up very much a environmentalist.  As a teenager I watched all the PETA videos and even thought about protesting at my local slaughterhouse.  Not to discredit those that partake in those activities, I found myself passionate about the ideas, but really doing nothing to impact the world around me.

As I have matured in my walk with Christ, I have become aware of certain industries and systems at work in the world that operate contrary to the Kingdom of God.  One of them, no matter how you feel about it, is the food industry.  I have have a few people tell me that there is no value in being vegetarian, I would argue that there are many unconsidered and valuable reasons to consider being vegetarian [apart from the tradition "radical environmentalist" approach].  I am not going to hit on the moral or ethical implications as it come to the "rights of animals", nor will I speak on the theological/biblical reasoning, but would actually like to shed a little light on a couple of the "not so well known" global community aspects to the food industry.  I think the following reasons should be considered in our walk with Christ.

-If we eat the plants we grow instead of feeding them to animals, the world's food shortage will disappear virtually overnight. Remember that 100 acres of land will produce enough beef for 20 people but enough wheat to feed 240 people.

-African and other underdeveloped countries - where millions are starving to death - export grain to the developed world so that animals can be fattened for our dining tables.

-Half the rainforests in the world have been destroyed to clear ground to graze cattle to make beefburgers. The burning of the forests contributes 20% of all green-house gases. Roughtly 1,000 species a year become extinct because of the destruction of the rainforests. Approximately 60 million people a year die of starvation. All those lives could be saved because those people could eat grain used to fatten cattle and other farm animals - if Americans ate 10% less meat.

-The world's fresh water shortage is being made worse by animal farming. And meat producers are the biggest polluters of water. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. If the US meat industry wasn't supported by the taxpayer paying a large proportion of its water costs, then hamburger meat would cost $35 a pound.

My issue is not necessarily with eating meat [although that is part of it], it is with the industrial/factory farming industry that is highly unethical from any moral stand point, especially through the Christian World view.  I encourage you, if have not, to read up and research the industry.  Some great resources are any Wendell Berry book or essay, and Ragan Sutterfeild ...and anything else on a sustainable environment.