Christians
Against All Animal Abuse Book Review
Autumn
News Letter 2001
JUDAISM & VEGETARIANISM
Review
by Reverend James Thompson
Richard H Schwartz a Jewish philosopher
has recently published a profound yet simple to read
book of 216 pages on the need to take up a non-meat
lifestyle. Though the publishers are American (and
I have consequently found difficulty in having it
and also Regina Hyland's superb work: 'God's Covenant
With Animals' stocked in the local library!), the
UK distributors Airlift stock them both:
One might have thought that one whose
religion is steeped in the Old Testament would have
great difficulty in presenting his stance; however,
Richard Schwartz is far removed from any fundamentalist
approach akin to that of a Christian Bible college
or, indeed, a conservative evangelical seminary. As
a Jew he not only quotes the many scriptural verses
scattered here and there throughout the Old Testament
as we all know it, but he also has the Talmud which
makes such isolated verses come alive with meaning.
Various Rabbinical references of antiquity are given
to support a vegetarian diet as well as the opinions
of top leading Jewish authorities today. (I would
wish that we had as many leading Christian figures
to compare!). What follows is full of relevance for
the health of the individual; the salvation of the
starving; and the preservation of the planet There
is also a whole chapter on common questions vegetarians
are asked and the answers one could give, which would
make an ideal booklet in itself. Such members of Jewry
- as is this writer - are far more tolerant, far more
embracing, and certainly far less dogmatic than are
most schools of traditional Christianity - Unitarian
& Quakers and Christian Spiritualists excepted!
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