Is God a Vegetarian? Christianity, Vegetarianism, and Animal Rights

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God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is
upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you
shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every
bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything
that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. “
(Genesis 1:29–30)

Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and
joy untroubled. Do not trouble it, don't harass them, don't deprive
them of their happiness, don't work against God's intent. Man, do not
pride yourself on superiority to the animals; they are without sin, and
you, with your greatness, defile the earth by your appearance on it, and
leave the traces of your foulness after you—alas, it is true of almost
everyone of us! (Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov VI.3g)

The clearest statement in the Bible regarding vegetarianism is Genesis 1:29–30. It speaks of vegetarianism not only for humans but also for animals! Wonder what the famous gourmand cat Garfield would think about such a confining regimen? Probably not much. But Garfield is not alone. What about all those epicurean humans who savor their hamburgers, barbecue ribs, and

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