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Mitchell Young
Cosmin Ritivoiu
English 102 Argumentative Essay
11 April 2014
The Misconception of Salvation by Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism has been part of the Seventh-day-
Adventist church for over a hundred years. There is a
common misconception that because almost all Adventists are
vegetarians, and because it is taken to extremes by a
minority of them, being a vegetarian or not is a
salvational issue for Adventists. Although it can come
across this way, it is not the case.
It is commonly believed that the first vegetarians
were Aryans in India, and although India today contains
over eighty percent of the worlds vegetarians, historians
say the first vegetarians were Buddhists in sixth century
BC. Unfortunately this is not correct either. To find the
first vegetarians one must look in the Bible in Genesis
2:16. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of
every tree of the garden you may freely eat; God designed
humans to consume and thrive on a plant based diet. And the
first humans, Adam and Eve, were the worlds first
vegetarians. They consumed fruits, nuts, and vegetables.
After the flood God permitted the consumption of animal
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flesh and the original diet of humans was for the most part
left behind. Every moving thing that lives shall be food
for you. I have given you all things, even as the green
herbs. Since then the majority of people have had meat in
their diet.
Since the flood there have been small groups of people
who live a vegetarian lifestyle for various reasons. Some
Buddhists choose to refrain from meat because they believe
that animals and life are sacred, so an animal should not
die when food can be obtained elsewhere. Many Hindus
abstain from meat for similar reasons. Vegetarianism is
also followed for personal health. In the US 7.3 million
people claim to be vegetarians while 22.8 million live a
vegetarian inclined diet.
This is because there are many benefits of living a
vegetarian lifestyle. These include less risk of heart
disease, less body fat, longevity, a stronger body, and
less risk of body pollution. Heart disease is the leading
cause of death in the United States, killing over one
million people annually, and it has been shown that those
who eat a plant based diet are thirty-two percent less
likely to suffer from heart disease. Also, plant based
foods have a lower calorie content for the same portion of
food. For example, a 4oz serving of tofu contains 88
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calories and 5 grams of fat, while a 4oz serving of salmon
has 237 calories and 29 grams of fat. According to a study
done by National Geographic, vegetarians live on average
7.6 years longer than those who are not vegetarians. By
choosing to abstain from meat, the risk of consuming toxic
chemicals and harmful parasites is decreased dramatically.
Overall the benefits of living a vegetarian lifestyle far
outweigh the few benefits of eating meat.
There are those who think that vegetarianism is a
salvational doctrine for Adventists. Although it can come
across that way at times, it is not the case. Most
Adventists are vegetarians because God says in
1 Corinthians, Or do you not know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from
God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your
spirit, which are Gods. Since humans bodies are Gods
dwelling place, they should be kept in the best condition
possible, and eating a vegetarian lifestyle keeps the body
clean and healthy as discussed earlier. The vegetarian
lifestyle chosen by Adventists is a personal choice, and is
not believed to be a heaven or hell decision. Well known
Adventist author Ellen White writes in her book Ministry of
Healing, In order to know what are the best foods, we must
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study Gods original plan for mans diet. He who created
man and who understands his needs appointed Adam his
food.... Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute
the diet chosen for us by our Creator. Here it is saying
people need to know what they were created to consume
because that is what God wants them to put into their
bodies.
It is understandable why some would think that
Vegetarianism is a salvational issue for Seventh-day-
Adventists. This is because some Adventists take this to
extremes and judge people to quickly and harshly based and
what they eat, and also, because of the prevalence of
vegetarians in the church. It is unfortunate that these
individuals dont act in a Christ-like manner as it ruins
the reputation of the church.
Although important to the Adventist lifestyle,
vegetarianism does not decide if one is saved or lost.
Whether one choses to be a vegetarian because of health or
religious reasons is a choice that will help one live a
longer and more productive life.




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Works Cited
https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Cuisine/vegetar.html

Genesis 2:16 NKJV

Genesis 9:3 NKJV

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/dharmadata/fdd21.htm

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/vegetarianism-in-america/

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2013/130130.html

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2005/11/longevity-secrets/buettner-
text

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

White, Ellen Ministry of Healing Page 295,296












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