Despite what vegetarians would like to say about the moral merits of vegetarianism, the ancient sacred scriptures of the Hindu Vedas and the Holy Bible surprisingly present vegetarianism as an inferior, if not dangerous, moral belief.

• This ancient attack on vegetarianism proves correct in light of modern medical evidence that the vegetarian diet is unhealthy owing to serious deficiencies in health components.

Scholars in all ancient cultures have tried to explain why there were all these "barbaric" animal sacrifices (see Annex). An ill-understood theme is that the Jewish Kaballah philosophy enigmatically and remarkably portrays that eating meat actually lifts the spiritual status of the person:

• Similarly, our sages have said that "a boor is forbidden to eat meat" (Talmud, Pesachim 49b). The license given to man to consume the creatures and creations of the world and subjugate them to serve him is not unconditional. It is contingent upon his sensitivity to the spiritual essence of God's creations, and his commitment to serve them by making them component parts of his sanctified life. It takes an individual with broad spiritual horizons to properly relish a steak. (Chabarorg. Lubavitcher Rebbe. 2017. Meat. www.chabad.org › ... › Re'eh › Parshah Study › Chassidic Masters)

  Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (the Ari) felt that "only a Torah scholar who is God-fearing and eats with proper intent can elevate the sparks of holiness within animals." There is also a Kabbalistic concern about the spiritual effect of meat eating on the person. The Breslover Rebbe stated that only a person who has reached a high spiritual level can be elevated by eating animal foods, and the opposite is also true: a person who lacks this high spiritual level may be further debased by eating animal foods. (JVNA. 2017. What about the Chassidic view that. https://www.jewishveg.org/faq38.html)

The Jewish Kabbalah philosophy is that whether a person should eat meat or not depends on his spiritual level. If a person does not have a high spiritual level he should not eat meat. The enigmatic concept is that the vegetarian actually is of a moral and spiritual level much lower than that of a meat eater. The vegetarian would be of higher spiritual and moral level only over a meat eater who is not spiritual.

Well, that is what the ancient Jewish Kabbalah philosophy says. This should ring the alarm bells in our thinking.

Note that these comments mean that meat eating will elevate the spiritual status of the person. As we shall see later in this discussion, in support of the above Jewish Kabbalah philosophy stance, the Hindu Vedas also portray animals sacrifices and eating the animal meat as a necessary part in spiritual uplifting.

This introductory discussion also warns you to try to understand one significant indisputable fact about the ancient cultures. Right from the dawn of human history around 4000 BC, the ancient cultures were full of animal sacrifices and there would be feasting upon the meat of the sacrificed animals. Vegetarianism arose much later only in the 700 BC. There would be no true worship of God or the deity or the subsequent spiritual uplifting without these animal sacrifices!

The Holy Bible shows that the Jewish Mosaic temple system, originating in 1458 BC, was fundamentally based on animal sacrifices of cattle, goats and birds. The Holy Bible state that animal sacrifices were for remission of sins.

• And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22

  In mimicking the Jewish custom, the Roman Catholic Christians would participate in the eating of the Eurachrist "holy bread" every Sunday. This "eating of the holy bread" symbolises "eating the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ". Not just an animal sacrifice but actually a "human sacrifice"!

Meat Eating as the Elite Meal Fit for the Gods

In ancient times, meat eating was not a common thing, as animals for eating were not plentiful. As such, in ancient times, meat eating was a higher class meal.

• While it is difficult to believe that certain meats, such as fish and wild poultry did not show up fairly frequently on the tables of common people, we are told by Egyptologists that it was for the most part only the rich who regularly feasted on most meat. The poor ate geese, ducks, quails, cranes and other species, and from the New Kingdom onward raised domesticated fowl. Most edible fish from the Nile were consumed, though some fish, such as the genera Lepidotus and Phragus and a few others were forbidden because of their connection with the myth of Osiris....
  Beef from cattle was frequently eaten by the rich, but appeared on the tables of common people usually only during festive occasions, when a sheep or goat might be slaughtered. We also see from tomb paintings, the preparation of wild game such as antelope, ibex, gazelles and deer. Pork was eaten, though the animal was associated with the evil god Seth. Early on it was widely consumed in Lower Egypt, but rarely in Upper Egypt. Yet we know that pigs were later bred and pork widely eaten throughout Egypt. (Jimmy Dunn writing as Sarah Phillips. 2017. The Diet of the Ancient Egyptians. www.touregypt.net/featurestories/diet.htm)

  There were special farms for the fattening of oxen for slaughter. The long horned breed of oxen were fattened then adorned with ostrich feathers and displayed in processions with their owners before ritual sacrifice to the gods. Under Ramses III 16,000 cattle were sacrificed per year, just to the god Amen!
  Although cattle were raised, beef was a luxury item because much of the meat of the cattle was used for religious ceremonies and offerings. Pork, on the other hand, was eaten regularly but was not used in the Egyptian religion. Goat meat, too, was eaten throughout Egypt, and even by upper class Egyptians. The skin of the goat was used as water containers and floating devices. (http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/kunoichi/themestream/egypt_animals.html#.WiAu_rjMeog#ixzz4zvsolVgc © Caroline Seawright. June 4, 2011. Avatars of the Gods: The Animals of Ancient Egypt)

In ancient Greece, meat was rarely consumed, particularly in special occasions such as religious ceremonies. Rich people had the possibility of maintaining herds of sheep, goats or cows. Poorer ones rarely ate meat because it was too expensive to buy

• Based on osteological evidence from Greek sanctuaries, this article explores the notion that all meat eaten by the ancient Greeks came from sacrificed animals. Cattle, sheep, goats and pigs made up the bulk of the meat eaten but wild animals, dogs and horses were also consumed, though rarely sacrificed at the altar. Most meat eaten at ritual meals seems to have been boiled, a cooking method eliminating distinctions in origin and status between the animals and transforming all their meat into sacred meat. Different degrees of sacred meat can be distinguished and all animals killed and eaten in sanctuaries are not to be considered as sacrificial victims. (Gunnel Ekroth. 2007. Meat in ancient Greece : sacrificial, sacred or secular ? https://doi.org/10.1484/J.FOOD.1.100193)

A Scriptural Insistence that People Must Eat Meat

The Hindu Vedas show that animal sacrifices provide something essential in the worship of God:

• vi.3.9. When the beast is offered in sacrifice, pain seizes its vital airs. 'Let thy speech swell, let thy breath swell' he says; verily he removes the pain from the vital airs. From the vital airs the pain enters the earth; (with the words) 'Hail to the and night!' he pours it down; verily he removes the pain of the earth by day and night. (Yajurveda Book VI) [the sacrifice releases something called "vital airs" from the animal. This is the "qi" in Chinese culture and "prana' in Hindu culture]

  The "vital airs from the animal" was something vital to the effectiveness of the worship.

Some Jewish scholars have realised the spiritual necessity of eating meat.

• After the flood, God laid down a new world order. People needed to recognize the moral obligations and divine purpose entrusted to humankind. To make this clear, God told Noah that humankind can — indeed, must — eat the flesh of animals. Our dominion over animals highlights our superiority, and reminds us that we are charged with divine responsibility to perfect the world. To minimize its negative effects on the human being, when the Torah was given, God forbade the flesh of those animals that have a coarsening influence on the soul. Baruch S. Davidson. 2017. Judaism and Vegetarianism. www.chabad.org › ... › Questions & Answers › Jewish Ethics & Morality
  • Judaism does permit the eating of meat. Some scholars feel that it is obligatory to eat meat on Shabbat and holidays, as according to the Talmud (T. B. Pesachim 109a).

    The Torah teaches that humans are granted dominion over animals (Genesis 1:26) and that only people are created in the Divine Image (Genesis 1:26, 5:1). Vegetarians are promoting a philosophy inconsistent with these Torah teachings, hence potentially reducing the sacredness of human life and the dignity of human beings.

    One Rabbi would say: As a rabbi, I feel that I must point out that if Jews do not eat meat, they will be deprived of the opportunity to fulfill many mitzvot (commandments).

The Jewish insistence about eating meat is alike to what the Hindu Vedas say:

• As against the statement of the Apastamba Dharma Sutra, the following points may be noted. First is the contrary statement contained in that very Sutra. At 15, 14, 29, the Sutra says: "The cow and the bull are sacred and therefore should be eaten".(Ambedkar. 05 March, 2015. Ambedkar On Beef-Eating And Hinduism. Countercurrents.org)

  I have always believed that Lord Rama was a vegetarian, but after reading certain blogs I found out that there might be certain verses in Ramayana (like the one below) which indicate quite the opposite.
  idam medhyamidam svaadu nistaptamidamagninaa |
  evamaaste sa dharmaatmaa siitayaa saha raaghavah || 2-96-2
  Rama, whose mind was devoted to righteousness stayed there with Seetha, saying; "This meat is fresh, this is savoury and roasted in the fire."
  Yes. Rama is a kshatriya and kshatriyas are sanctioned to eat meat. For, meat increases rajas and tamas in the body which are required in warfare. Ramayana (Aranya Kanda) clearly states that he hunted for a deer and they offered it as naivedyam (offering to God made during ritual worship) when they first set up their hermitage. In Sundara Kanda also, Hanuman tells Sita that Rama has taken no pleasure in meat or madhu since being separated from her.