From Mr Don Gwillim SIR – As co-founder of the Christian Vegetarian Association UK I have been following your correspondence on vegetarianism with great interest (Letters, April 24). CVAUK’s desire to show compassion and mercy are either ignored or challenged by Christians who use other interpretations of the Bible to discredit our faith in a loving and compassionate God. From my experience the main reason for this is dualism, them and us, an anthropocentric attitude towards the rest of God’s creation.
God’s perfect love is indivisible, so to say that God loves one part of his creation more than another is to limit and belittle God’s love, and deny His perfection. Jesus tells us that even the falling of a sparrow gains God’s attention, yet Christ also said that humans are of more value than sparrows. Why? Because our ultimate purpose is a corulership with God but first we must learn to rule and discipline ourselves. God wants us to reflect His image of love and compassion towards all of His creation.
The Bible is a living book which contains eternal spiritual truths that cannot be found in any other book. However, if we ignore our faith in a perfect God when interpreting the Bible, we turn the Bible into a cold, lifeless, unethical manual which can then be used to support any action or view we desire. Heathens, agnostics and devil worshippers can all do that. Pope John Paul II tells us that any interpretation of the Bible that contradicts a rational understanding of God’s goodness and mercy is incorrect.
Today, more and more people are realising that choosing a plant-based diet is far more than a mere “dietary choice”. It is about helping to rescue the planet and preventing human and nonhuman suffering on a massive scale. It is about creating a sustainable future for our children. Surely as Christians we must act upon the message of Jesus and embrace a lifestyle that perceives the peaceable kingdom of God: a lifestyle that is loving, self-sacrificing, meek, kind and merciful; a peaceful lifestyle that is pleasing to our perfect God.
Yours faithfully, DON GWILLIM Liphook, West Sussex