Should We All Be Vegetarians? a review by Dr. Leslie Holder

Varied Prayer Beliefs. An essay by Bille Burdick introducing the wide range of thought regarding prayer in today's world. 

Is the Seventh-day Sabbath Still Important If You Believe in Grace? by J. David Newman, D.Min.
 
 

Adventist Today  An independent magazine of news, analysis, and opinion.
 
 

Online Bible   Search the scriptures online!
 

Books by E. G. White

Christ's Object Lessons, a companion volume to The Desire of Ages, presents the parables of Jesus in a fresh light, showing their application to Christian living today.

Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing offers a study of the key verses of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Included are the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and much of Jesus' other instruction for living here and now as a citizen of His kingdom.

The Acts of the Apostles presents the story of the early Christian church through the rest of New Testament times. 

The Great Controversy picks up the story at the destruction of Jerusalem and follows, in broad outline, the major issues of the conflict between Christ and Satan as they have been seen in the history of the Christian church down to our own day--and beyond, based on what the Bible says will yet take place.

The Ministry of Healing provides a well-rounded look at the principles of healthful living, beginning with the ministry of Jesus and extending to the life and ministry of every Christian.

A Book by Herbert E. Douglass

Messenger of the Lord, by Herbert E. Douglass, is the most comprehensive treatment of Ellen G. White's prophetic ministry ever produced. It is the definitive work to date on how the prophetic gift functioned in her life and ministry.

The prophet Ezekiel was given many visions during his lifetime, that contain  spiritual lessons for the people of God.  One of his most dramatic visions found in Ezekiel 37 was that of a valley.  You will recall a valley is a low area and generally less preferred when compared to the highlands. 

When the prophet looked over the valley, he discovered it was full of bones, many bones, dry bones.  It was a dismal scene.  As the prophet contemplated the human wasteland he was interrupted by a question from God,  "Can these dry bones live?"  The prophet would have been quick to answer, if the question had come from a human.  Surely this condition was one of hopelessness.  But the prophet knew God and also knew it was folly to give an answer that would define the limits of God.  So he answered, "O God, thou knowest". 

Than came a strange command from God, "Prophesy upon these bones and say unto them "O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord"  What an unusual sight this must have been, preaching to bones.  Surely any audience would laugh and ridicule and label Ezekiel crazy.  Nevertheless, he done what God asked and something remarkable began to happen in the valley.  There was some noise, and some shaking.  Bones started coming together, flesh came on the bones, breath came into the flesh, and they stood up like a great army.   What do these things mean?

In our world today, there are people, though living---are dead in their sins. They have added no value to their community.  Their appearance leads one to believe they are beyond hope.  Their habitat is the street.  Drug and alcohol addictions dominate their lives. They lack spiritual perception and seem unwilling to receive their truth.  Once again it is a dismal scene. But just like Ezekiel, the Lord is asking the church today  "can these dry bones live?" 

The  truth is that many of us have decided that their condition is hopeless.  Yet we are commanded to preach and prophesize to the bones.  Ellen White once wrote "It is not the human agent that is to inspire with life.  The Lord God of Israel will do that part, quickening the lifeless spiritual nature into activity."  Just like in the vision of the valley of dry bones " the voice of God will speak through human agents and aroused the torpid conscience, and stir the lifeless faculties and move sinners to repentance and contrition." Where we see only dry bones, God sees a great army, living in His will.

On closer inspection, there is another class of people who are represented in this vision.  This class have bone and flesh, symmetry and features.  They may be in better condition than the other class,  but thy are still dead.  Ellen White describes this class as 'those who have been blessed with great light" Thy have "their names on the church records, but they are not written in the Lamb's book of Life".  Both classes need the breath of God to live.  The Holy Spirit must live within. 

From the drug addicted to the criminal, from the educated to the indifferent, from the rich man to the beggar, from your fellowman to yourself, Can these dry bones live?

 The cover story of the July15, 2002 issue of TIME magazine, largely regarded as the premier weekly news magazine in the world, is on the topic of vegetarianism.   The article has been written by Richard Corliss assisted by six TIME reporters in Washington, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It examines the benefits and risks of a vegetarian diet.

Significance: 
It is significant that TIME writes a cover story on vegetarianism when there are so many other newsworthy events of global consequence? the Pope’s visit to Canada & Guatemala, astounding declines in the U. S. stock markets, a rash of child abductions and murders, suicide bombings in the Middle East, massive forest fires in western U. S. States, bankruptcies and top-level dishonesty in very large corporations, etc. 

Vegetarianism is a significant topic because
• 10 million Americans consider themselves to be practicing vegetarians and an additional 20 million have attempted a diet without meat. 
• Vegetarian food sales are showing double-digit growth and top restaurants are adding meatless dishes. 
• Supermarkets and fast-food chains are experiencing burgeoning sales of veggie burgers.
• Children are signing on to vegetarianism at a much faster rate than adults. They are the first generation to live in a culture where vegetarianism is common.
• Several high profile celebrities are modeling a vegetarian diet. Mentioned in this article are Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, rock star Moby, and actress Mary Tyler Moore.

Kinds of Vegetarians:
Ten kinds of vegetarians are identified:
• Vegans - do not consume, use, or wear any animal products. They do not eat honey or wear leather and wool clothing.
• Ovo-vegetarians - eat vegetables plus eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarians - eat vegetables plus dairy products including butter, cheese, whipped cream, milk shakes, and ice-cream.  They eat no meat or eggs.
• Ovo-lacto-vegetarians - eat vegetables, eggs, and dairy products.  They are the most common of all vegetarians.
• Sproutarians - have a diet built primarily around sprouted seeds such as bean sprouts, wheat sprouts, or broccoli sprouts usually supplemented with other raw foods.
• Fruitarians - eat nothing but fruits and berries.  The often include lots of juices, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and even tomatoes and eggplants.
• Raw foodists - do not eat anything cooked past 118 degrees Fahrenheit.  Some believe that Jesus ate mostly raw foods.
• Pesco-vegetarians - eat vegetables plus fish.
• Pollo-vegetarians - eat vegetables plus chicken.
• Semi-vegetarians - frequently but not systematically avoid meat and dairy products.
Strictly speaking, the last three groups are not vegetarians.

Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet:
• To go veggie is to be more humane.  Give up meat and save the lives of many animals.
• The American Dietetic Association has stated that “appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
• Several studies have shown that consuming more plant-based foods ? fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts ? reduces the risk of a long list of chronic sicknesses including coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes and many cancers.
• Recent research seems to indicate the following tentative findings:
• A predominantly vegetarian diet may have beneficial effects for kidney and nerve function in diabetics.
• A mainly vegetarian diet may aid in weight loss.
• Eating more fruits and vegetables can slow, and perhaps reverse, age-related declines in brain function and in cognitive and motor performance.
• Vegetarian seniors seem to have a lower death rate than meat-eating seniors.
• Vegetarian seniors apparently use less medication than their meat-eating counterparts.

Risks of a Vegetarian Diet:
• A recent study suggests that low-protein diets (associated with vegetarians) reduce calcium absorption and may have a negative impact on skeletal health.
• Strict avoidance of meat, eggs, and dairy products can lead to deficiencies in iron, calcium, and vitamin B-12.
• Infants breast-fed by vegans have lower levels of vitamin B-12 and DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) important to vision and growth.
• Vegans need careful dietary planning and may have to consume fortified foods or supplements in order to get sufficient calcium, iron, vitamins D and B-12, and perhaps also selenium and iodine.
• Vegetarians may think they are healthier because they do not eat red meat, but they may in fact be less healthy because they eat more bread, cheese, pastry products, and salad dressing.
• Salad-bar fixings can become vegetarian junk food.
• Children, nursing mothers, and athletes need to be especially smart eaters.  Their success depends on bursts of energy, sustained strength and muscle mass, factors that require nutrients more easily obtained from meat.  For this reason relatively few top athletes are vegetarians. 
• World-class endurance athletes need in excess of 5,000 or 6,000 calories a day.  Competition can easily consume 10,000 calories.  Those calories are difficult to obtain on a vegetarian diet.
• Middle-aged to elderly adults on a vegetarian diet can develop deficiencies of vitamins D and B-12 and of iodine, which can lead to goiter.
• Due to calcium deficiency, young vegetarians sometimes experience irregular periods, loss of hair, and a peculiar colour (a yellow tinge) to the skin.

Seventh-day Adventists and Vegetarianism:
• The International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition was held in the spring of 2002 at Loma Linda University, a Seventh-day Adventist medical school in California.
• Seventh-day Adventists (who are typically vegetarians) have a longer than average life expectancy.
• Seventh-day Adventists men have a comparatively high rate of prostate cancer.
• Seventh-day Adventists have an increased likelihood of suffering hip fractures.
• Dr. Joan Sabate, chairman of the Loma Linda nutrition conference expresses concerns over vegetarian diets for growing children and lactating women.
• Dr. Joan Sabate is also quoted as stating “for the average sedentary adult living in a Western society, a vegetarian diet meets dietary needs and prevents chronic diseases better than an omnivore diet.” 

Interesting Comparisons:
• There are meat eaters who eat more and better vegetables than vegetarians, and vegetarians who eat more artery-clogging fats than meat eaters.
• Vegetarians seem to have a healthier total intake of fats and cholesterol but a less healthy intake of fatty acids (such as the heart-protecting omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil). 
• In a study of overall nutrition, vegetarians scored significantly lower than non-vegetarians on the USDA’s Healthy Eating Index, which compares actual diet with USDA guidelines.
• The average omnivore diet burns the equivalent of a gallon of gas every day.  This is twice what it takes to produce a vegan diet.

Statistics: TIME/CNN Poll
• When vegetarians were asked to state their most important reason for their diet ?
 - 32% stated “health”;
 - 21% stated “love of animals/animal rights”;
 -15% stated “chemicals & hormones in meat products”;
 - Only 6% stated “religious reasons”.
• 57% of American vegetarians are really semi-vegetarians;
• 36% are ovo-lacto-vegetarians;
• Only 5% are vegans.

Conclusion:
The article is entitled Should We All Be Vegetarians?  Several benefits and risks of a meat-free diet are described.  The best answer to the question seems to be that those who choose to be vegetarians can enjoy significant benefits to their health if they obtain the advice of nutrition professionals.

Dr. Leslie C. E. Holder
August 2, 2002

The following inforation was forwarded by Dr. Leonard Gibons and gives a new perspective:
Thanks for the information on vegetarianism. Unfortunately, the conclusion are biased towards a meat based diet. The report  does not give a balanced perspective on the vegan diet. It is inaccurate to conclude that a vegetarian diet is less than optimal because of the poor eating habits and health outcomes of a number of people who call themselves vegetarians. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a difficult task to get all the required nutrients on a vegetarian diet. We should be more concerned about the health risk associated with a diet high in animal products and low in whole grains, nuts, fruit, vegetables and legumes. The population groups of the world with the lowest risk of chronic disease consume very little or no animal products. Two books that give a more balanced perspective on vegetarianism are Becoming Vegetarian by Visanto Melina, Brenda Davis and Vicoria Harrison, and Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. Becoming Vegan is the most resent of the two publications.  I would encourage you to purchase Becoming Vegan. The second edition of Becoming Vegetarian will be out latter on this year. You can find these books at our local ABC store. 

Dr. Leonard Gibons
August 6, 2002