# Jesus was a vegetarian...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 11, 2000, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176 "2000-07-11T03:07:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/21 "2000-07-11T14:28:12Z")
Who are you and why is your name so similar to mine?
Sqrl
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### Author:  [@TampaFlyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TampaFlyer)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/22 "2000-07-11T15:46:35Z")
\> he clearly intended to confuse, mislead
Just like PETA does!
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### Author:  [@ATTGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ATTGuy)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/23 "2000-07-11T16:59:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pldennison \*
> \*\*
> Well, I guess that explains rabbits. And Galapagos lizards. And chimpanzees, our closest primate relatives. Maybe you ought to know what you’re talking about before you talk.
> \*\*
Chimpanzees aren’t vegetarians. From the Britannica online:
_Food: males hunt as an organized group; females fish for termites;eat meat rarely…Prey: monkeys and bush pigs…_
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### Author:  [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/24 "2000-07-11T21:57:41Z")
No, the people of that time were not mostly vegetarians. Peter, Andrew and some of the other disciples were fishermen. What the heck did they do with their catch each day? THROW IT BACK? Not a great way to make a living.
People may not have eaten much beef in that region at that time, but there was lamb, fish, rabbit, birds and other game that were positively yummy-licious and kosher to boot (obviously, the Jews didn’t eat “the other white meat”).
As noted above, citations in the Gospels indicate that Jesus wasn’t a vegetarian. Going further, if you believe Jesus to be God, then he codified the food laws given to Moses, which are pretty specific about the slaughter and preparation of meat.
I won’t get into transubstatiation, but following the logic of the previous paragraph, as the “lamb of God”, blood sacrifice was required. I’m too lazy to look this up, but I think sacrificial laws are given in the Book of Leviticus.
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### Author:  [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/25 "2000-07-11T22:32:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pldennison \*
> \*\ ***tcburnett** :
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > If God wanted you to be a vegetarian, he would have given you multiple stomachs and a cud to chew.
>
> Well, I guess that explains rabbits. And Galapagos lizards. And chimpanzees, our closest primate relatives. Maybe you ought to know what you’re talking about before you talk. \*\*
Sorry I’m late getting back to you. Apparently you aren’t a chimpanzee because you don’t know what they eat. Galapagos lizards, eh? If you mean Kimodo dragons they are carnivores. It is more likely you mean Iguanas. Galapagos Iguanas (both land and marine) ARE herbivores. And they don’t chew their cud. Neither do rabbits but if you sit and watch your rabbit it sure spends a lot of time chewing SOMETHING. What’s your point? That you simply don’t get the humor of my original post?
Lighten up. Challenging a humorous statement and flaming me with bad facts doesn’t change the humor, but it makes you look sort of…er…well, ‘uninformed’ is a polite way of saying mentally challenged.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/26 "2000-07-11T22:38:37Z")
Jesus was **not** a vegitarian.
Hw **was** , however, a darn fine rollerskater. Especially when they got out the mirrored ceiling ball & ABBA tapes on Disco Night.
Disco Jesus! YEE-HAH! :eek: 😃
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/27 "2000-07-11T22:42:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by CKDextHavn \*
> \*\*Besides, aren’t shoes made from leather? And didn’t Jesus feed people on loafers and fishes? \*\*
I think that was the verb form, he preached to the multitude that loafs and fishes. All those guys wathing the Bass Masters show in TNN are the chosen people.
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### Author:  [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/28 "2000-07-11T23:02:04Z")
**pldennison** : (to **Danielinthewolvesden** ):
> [@](#):
>
> Oh, I’m sorry–did you have a point I was interrupting, or were you just being immature and needlessly diversive?
My official guess is that he was making exactly the same point you were: that it’s stupid to examine one trait in one person and from that impart all or even some of that person’s other unrelated traits to all or even some people with the same first traits. Just a guess; I’ll let him speak for himself.
**TampaFlyer** :
> [@](#):
>
> \> he clearly intended to confuse, mislead
>
> Just like PETA does!
Thank you so very much for assisting in my campaign to keep GQ free of cheap insults.
**tcburnett** :
> [@](#):
>
> Lighten up.
We’ve discussed this before. Perhaps if you didn’t post things like, “If God wanted you to be a vegetarian, he would have given you multiple stomachs and a cud to chew. Who thinks up this shit? People with Cranial Rectomitis,” people would actually pay attention to the substantive things you have to say. Assuming, of course, that there _is_ anything of substance behind the snarky insults and ex-wife jokes.
Now, folks, the OP here has been answered. Is there _any_ way to keep this out of the Pit? Or is it completely impossible for adults to answer a factual question with a controversial background without resorting to flames?
Here, I’ll go first:
**Padeye** :
> [@](#):
>
> . All those guys wathing the Bass Masters show in TNN are the chosen people.
So **DAVEW0071** was wrong! It _is_\* possible to make a good living with catch and release!"
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### Author:  [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2000, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/29 "2000-07-11T23:13:57Z")
Sheesh, carrion eaters are _SO_ sensitive!
Peace,
mangeorge
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### Author:  [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/30 "2000-07-12T00:01:57Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Hitler was not a vegetarian. That was propaganda cooked up and promoted by Goebbels to help Hitler’s PR and give him some of the cachet of Gandhi (absurd as that sounds). There are reliable reports of Hitler eating meat, so it’s about time this falsehood was laid to rest.
Actually, Hitler was a vegetarian for personal health reasons. For the most part, he enjoyed eating meat (except ham, which reminded him “of a corpse”) but did not do so due to digestive problems. Did he ever eat meat? Yes- but very rarely. Heck, every vegetarian I know has eaten meat at some point.
And I’ll agree with PLD- cybersquatting is for bottom-feeding assholes. (okay, he didn’t say that but I think it was implied). Although PETA does a pretty good job of diluting PETA’s value all by themselves.
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### Author:  [@Averye0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Averye0)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/31 "2000-07-12T01:15:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by tcburnett \*
> Neither do rabbits but if you sit and watch your rabbit it sure spends a lot of time chewing SOMETHING
Actually, I have it on very good authority (a former rabbit rancher) that rabbits _do_ chew their cud. It’s just that they only do it when there is no other food around to eat. Most rabbit raisers keep their rabbit feeders well stocked, therefore the rabbit never take the time to chew their cud.
Averye0
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### Author:  [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/32 "2000-07-12T02:06:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by manhattan \*
>
> **tcburnett** :
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Lighten up.
>
> We’ve discussed this before. Perhaps if you didn’t post things like, “If God wanted you to be a vegetarian, he would have given you multiple stomachs and a cud to chew. Who thinks up this shit? People with Cranial Rectomitis,” people would actually pay attention to the substantive things you have to say. Assuming, of course, that there _is_ anything of substance behind the snarky insults and ex-wife jokes.
> \*\*
Uh-oh. Maybe we ought to discuss it again. None of the replies to the thread had anything to do with either of the remarks you mention, so you are punching the wrong bag by alluding to them. They are a non-issue.
Secondly, I thought the ‘snarky’ insult was funny and worked it in as a punchline. I did not refer to any specific person. Accordingly, no one got insulted by it.
I like ex-wife jokes, but the truth is that none of them are true. I have either read them somewhere or got them via email. My ex and I are good friends and still call each other with birthday greetings, even after 12 years.
If you don’t like ex-jokes, I have no problem dropping them. If however, you are flaming me because you do not like my humor, I beg you to reconsider.
As to the question of whether there IS anything substantive in my posts, I refer you to them. I (usually) make every effort to contribute something substantive in every post. But I will not become so anal about being right about everything I say that I will not inject a bit of humor when I can, at my expense if necessary.
Do you care to derogate further? Are you just having a bad day, or are you seriously concerned about this?
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### Author:  [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/33 "2000-07-12T03:42:13Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by manhattan \*
> \*\ ***pldennison** : (to **Danielinthewolvesden** ):
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Oh, I’m sorry–did you have a point I was interrupting, or were you just being immature and needlessly diversive?
>
> My official guess is that he was making exactly the same point you were: that it’s stupid to examine one trait in one person and from that impart all or even some of that person’s other unrelated traits to all or even some people with the same first traits. Just a guess; I’ll let him speak for himself.
>
> \*\*
Manny: you are wise AND astute.
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/34 "2000-07-12T04:07:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Actually, I have it on very good authority (a former rabbit rancher) that rabbits do chew their cud.
That’s odd, you reminded me of an anecdote related by Bertrand Russell. He told of an English missionary to the Zulus who tried to translated the Bible into Zulu without knowing it quite well enough. When he translated “God is love,” it came out “God is butter” (because the two words are similar in Zulu). Since the Zulus were fond of butter, he converted them in droves. But he got into trouble later when they challenged him about the Bible saying that the rabbit chews its cud. He answered: if the Bible says it does, then it’s so. They made him sit down and watch a rabbit for a long time, and finally he had to admit it did not chew its cud. He contacted the church back in England that sent him and told them he’d found an error in the Bible. Next thing, he was out of a job!
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/35 "2000-07-12T04:36:36Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*
>
> Well, I guess that explains rabbits. And Galapagos lizards. And chimpanzees, our closest primate relatives. Maybe you ought to know what you’re talking about before you talk.
\*\*
Of course Chimps eat meat. They’ve been known to hunt down small animals in groups, kill them, and eat them. They even do it to other small primates from time to time.
Marc
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### Author:  [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/36 "2000-07-12T04:45:38Z")
Every Doper should be aware that “wild chimpanzees kill other animals once in a while and eat the meat with relish.” [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_087.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_087.html)
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### Author:  [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2000, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jesus-was-a-vegetarian/25176/37 "2000-07-12T11:25:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Apparently you aren’t a chimpanzee because you don’t know what they eat.
Yep, I misremembered about the chimps. There are vegetarian primate species, though, so the point stands.
> [@](#):
>
> Galapagos lizards, eh? If you mean Kimodo dragons they are carnivores. It is more likely you mean Iguanas.
There may be planets out there on which iguanas are not lizards. You are free to live on one, if you’d like.
> [@](#):
>
> Galapagos Iguanas (both land and marine) ARE herbivores. And they don’t chew their cud.
Well, duh.
> [@](#):
>
> Neither do rabbits but if you sit and watch your rabbit it sure spends a lot of time chewing SOMETHING.
Yes, like several other mammals, particularly members of the rodent family, rabbits have to chew continuously or risk allowing their teeth to grow through their lower jaw.
> [@](#):
>
> What’s your point? That you simply don’t get the humor of my original post?
My point is that your post was both unhumorous and uninformed, and added little to the question at hand. “Vegetarians are stupid” threads are far too prominent around here.
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