While there may not be any direct references in the Bible by Jesus regarding a vegetarian diet, text does exist with Jesus teaching that we should not only be eating a vegetarian diet, but that we also should be eating a living-food diet (we should not be cooking our food). Jesus certainly taught compassion and love, so the thought of Jesus promoting a vegetarian diet should not be surprising to us. If you are a follower of Jesus, hopefully you will want to read the words he shared with the Essenes, found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. If you are not a follower of Jesus, hopefully you will still be interested in his words. You do not need to be a follower of Jesus to understand the truth in these scriptures.

Here are some sections taken from The Essene Gospel of Peace with headings added. For the translations of the full scriptures, follow the link at the bottom of the page.

"Thou shalt not kill"

'Thou shalt not kill,' for life is given to all by God, and that which God has given, let not man take away. For-I tell you truly, from one Mother proceeds all that lives upon the earth. Therefore, he who kills, kills his brother. And from him will the Earthly Mother turn away, and will pluck from him her quickening breasts. And he will be shunned by her angels, and Satan will have his dwelling in his body. And the flesh of slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself, and whoso eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats of the body of death. For in his blood every drop of their blood turns to poison; in his breath their breath to stink; in his flesh their flesh to boils; in his bones their bones to chalk; in his bowels their bowels t o decay; in his eyes their eyes to scales; in his ears their ears to waxy issue. And their death will become his death.

"I have given you every herb bearing seed... to you it shall be for meat"

Kill not, neither eat the flesh of your innocent prey, lest you become the slaves of Satan. For that is the path of sufferings, and it leads unto death. But do the will of God, that his angels may serve you on the way of life. Obey, therefore, the words of God: 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is breath of life, I give every green herb for meat.

"eat not anything which fire, or frost, or water has destroyed"

But I do say to you: Kill neither men, nor beasts, nor yet the food which goes into your mouth. For if you eat living food, the same will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also. For life comes only from life, and from death comes always death. For everything which kills your foods, kills your bodies also. And everything which kills your bodies kills your souls also. And your bodies become what your foods are, even as your spirits, likewise, become what your thoughts are. Therefore, eat not anything which fire, or frost, or water has destroyed. For burned, frozen and rotted foods will burn, freeze and rot your body also. Be not like the foolish husbandman who sowed in his ground cooked, and frozen, and rotten seeds. And the autumn came, and his fields bore nothing. And great was his distress. But be like that husbandman who sowed in his field living seed, and whose field bore living ears of wheat, paying a hundredfold for the seeds which he planted. For I tell you truly, live only by the fire of life, and prepare not your foods with the fire of death, which kills your foods, your bodies and your souls also."

"It is the fire which blazes outside your body, which is hotter than your blood. With that fire of death you cook your foods in your homes and in your fields. I tell you truly, it is the same fire which destroys your foods and your bodies, even as the fire of malice, which ravages your thoughts, ravages your spirits. For your body is that which you eat, and your spirit is that which you think. Eat nothing, therefore, which a stronger fire than the fire of life has killed. Wherefore, prepare and eat all fruits of trees, and all grasses of the fields, and afl milk of beasts good for eating. For all these are fed and ripened by the fire of life; all are the gift of the angels of our Earthly Mother. But eat nothing to which only the fire of death gives savor, for such is of Satan."

"So eat always from the table of God: the fruits of the trees, the grain and grasses of the field, the milk of beasts, and the honey of bees. For everything beyond these is of Satan, and leads by the way of sins and of diseases unto death. But the foods which you eat from the abundant table of God give strength and youth to your body, and you will never see diseases

Eat, therefore, all your life at the table of our Earthly Mother, and you will never see want. And when you eat at her table, eat all things even as they are found on the table of the Earthly Mother. Cook not, neither mix all things one with another, lest your bowels become as steaming bogs. For I tell you truly, this is abominable in the eyes of the Lord.

What would Jesus do? What would Jesus eat? These scriptures help clarify what Jesus would have eaten and what he would have recommended to others.

The online version of the ESSENE GOSPEL OF PEACE (book one) is brought to us by The Essene Nazarean Church of Mount Carmel. Other books of The Essene Gospel of Peace can be found here.

Here are some other sites on vegetarianism and Christianity:

Jesus Was a Vegetarian - This site from PETA encourages Christians to consider a vegetarian diet.

Hallelujah Acres Online: A Biblical perspective of vegetarianism and home of the Hallelujah Diet.

Christian Vegetarian Association - An international, ecumenical association of Christians promoting vegetarianism.

Was Christ a Vegetarian? (essay)

The Christian Argument for Vegetarianism (essay)

Christmas & Christmas Dinner - Information on
ways to honor Jesus on the holiday honoring him,
including links to vegan holiday recipes.

Essene Events:

The 2005 National Essene Gathering, August 12 through 14, 2005 ~ Essene Garden of Peace, Oregon ~ http://www.essene.org/Essene_Gathering.htm

For links to additional sites on Religious & Spiritual Aspects of Vegetarianism, go to our links page.

For links to additional sites on raw foods visit our raw links page.

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