(Editor’s note: General William Booth founder of the Salvation
Army treated alcoholism with vegetarian diet.. and found that this treatment severed the meat-alcohol chemical marriage. His success spread the SA around the world. It is time for the Salvation Army to return to the diet of Jesus and its founders, and thereby to prevent animal agony, human disease, energy waste, environmental desecration.)
GENERAL BRAMWELL BOOTH OF THE SALVATION ARMY
ON VEGETARIAN DIET:
These passages are taken from a pamphlet written by General Bramwell Booth, former director General of the Salvation Army, and a son of founder General William Booth.
“Here are some of my reasons for doing so (becoming vegetarian):
1. Because I have myself tried a vegetarian diet with the greatest benefit having been for more than 10 years at l time a strict vegetarian.
2. Because according to the Bible God originally intended the food for humans to be vegetarian. (here he quotes Genesis 1:29 “Behold I have given
you herb yielding seed. To you it shall be for food.”)
3. Because a vegetarian diet is favourable to purity, to chastity,and to
perfect control of the appetites and passions which are often a source of great temptation, especially to the young. (http://www.notmilk.com)
4. Because a vegetarian diet is favourable to robust health and strength. With very few exceptions, and these only confirmed invalids, I believe the people would be stronger….
http://www.pcrm.org
5. Because tens of thousands of our poor people (could save money)…http://www.ivu.org
6. Because a vegetarian diet of wheat, oatmeal and other grains, lentils, peas, beans, nuts and similr food is more than ten times as economical as a flesh diet. Meat contains half its weight in water which has to be paid for as though it were meat. A vegetarian diet, even if we allow cheese, butter and milk will only cost about a quarter as much as a mixed diet of flesh and vegetables.
7. Because a vegetarian diet would stop the enormous waste of all kinds of animal food.
http://www.acorn.net/fruitarian
8. Because a vegetarian diet is a great protection against our drinking
(this belief of General Booth has been upheld by modern biochemistry research about the relationship of meat and alcohol)….
9. Because a vegetarian diet is favorable to industry and hard work…
10. Because it is proved that life, health, and happiness are all favoroued by a vegetarian diet.**
11. I favour a vegetarian diet because the digestive organs of humans are not well adapted to the use of flesh….
12. Because it is very difficult.. especially in hot weather and warm
climates to keep flesh food sweet long enough to cool and eat it and
a great deal of meat is eaten after it has begun to decay…
13. Because a great deal of the flesh meat which is supplied for human food is already diseased, and because it is nearly impossible to be sure than any flesh is quite free from the germs of disease. Much
common meat, which is often that of old animals, is well known to be sold to the butchers because the animals are sick, or unhealthy. http://www.egroups.com/messages/kyvegans/9
And the best meat is nearly always the flesh meat of young animals who are fattened and killed before the germs of many diseases have had time to develop so as to show themselves. So that many animals re killed, which though believed to be healthy, are really diseased.
This is especially the case with calves for veal, young bullocks for beef and with lambs and young pigs.
14. Because I believe that the great increase in consumption and cancer during the last hundred years has been caused by the great increase in the use of animal food, and that a strict vegetarian
diet would greatly help to ward off these most terrible and ‘incurable’ diseases.
15. Because I believe that a flesh diet brings on many very painful diseases, which though not perhaps immediately dangerous to life cause much suffering and loss. I mean such complaints as eczema, constipation, piles, worms, dysentery, severe heaches and the like. A vegetarian would do much to relieve if not cure them.
16 Because of the awful cruelty and terror to which tens of thousands (now billions)of animals killed for human food are subjected in
traveling long distance by ship and rail and road to the slaughterhouses of the world. God disapproves of all cruelty whether to man or beast.
17.Because of the terrible cruelties practised for killing animals in many slaughter houses. The whole busines of killing is cruel.. even when it is done with care, and we know that in the case of millions of creatures it is done with very little care. Ten thousand pigs are
killed for food every hour in Europe alone. (Now Oscar Mayer kills 1100 pigs an hour at their Madison Wisconsin plant.)
18. Because the occupation of slaughtering animals is brutalising to those who are required to do the work. “The highest sentiments of humane
men” says a certain writer, and I agree with him, “revolt at the cruelty, the degrading sights, the distressing cries, the perpetual
bloodshed, and all the attendant horrors which must surround the transit and slaughter of suffering creatures.” *
19. Because a flesh diet is not necessary to hard work. A great part of the work of the world is done by animals which subsist on vegetable food..
namely, horses, mules, camels, oxen, etc.
I believe this matter is well worthy the serious consideration of Christian leaders. It has an important bearing not only on their own
health and happiness but upon their influence among the people, as men and women who are free from the bondage of that selfish gratification which so often afflicts the professed servants of Christ. Let us remember the Apostle’s direction: ‘Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.’ “
(published by the LVS 53 Marloes Rd. Kensington London UK W8)
(We copied from an old pamphlet.. to have the full text write or webvisit the London Vegetarian Society)
http://www.jesusveg.com
http://www.hacres.com
http://www.all-creatures.org
http://www.ivu.org
http://www.notmilk.com
http://www.pcrm.org
http://www.madcowboy.com
http://www.vrg.org
http://www.acorn.net/fruitarian
http://www.goveg.com/meetmeat.html See how animals are cruelly
butchered
http://www.hogwatch.org
http://www.hogwatchmanitoba.org
http://www.vegansociety.org
http://www.peta.net
http://www.meatout.com
http://www.farmusa.org
http://www.egroups.com/messages/nomow/244
originally reprinted by the London Vegetarian Society
Most Biblical scholars believe Jesus was vegetarian
Bible quotes on vegetarian diet
1. Thou Shalt Not Kill (not asterisked with exceptions)
(kill no animal.. eat no animal)
2. Feed The Hungry (an orchard yields 450 times as much food
per acre as a cruel slaughterhouse)
3. Isaiah: I delight not in your blood sacrifices
4. Genesis 1 29 Behold I have given you herb yielding seed..
to you it shall be for food
5. Daniel 1 Daniel was a vegetarian and his health was better
than that of nonvegetarians
6. Isaiah 65: The lion shall lie down with the lamb.. they shall
not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for
the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.
* British juries for a time would not allow
butchers to sit in judgment of others. It was
felt their jobs brutalized them.
** Now some life insurance companies give discounts
to vegetarians.. based on fewer incidences of
heart disease, cancer, food poisoning, diabetes,
kidney dysfunction, etc.
veganchristianity 