Scripture That Makes Vegetarians (Like Me) Squirm

King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. . . .

Solomon offered as sacrifices of well-being to the Lord twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep.

—1 Kings 8:5, 63

Fortunately I have the Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA) to back me up.

The Bible depicts vegetarianism as God’s ideal, and the diet conforms to the central biblical principle of stewardship. In Eden, all creatures lived peacefully, and God told both humans and animals to consume only plant foods (Gen. 1:29–31). Several prophecies, such as Isaiah 11:6–9, foresee a return to this vegetarian world, where the wolf, lamb, lion, cow, bear, snake, and little child all coexist peacefully. Christian vegetarians, while acknowledging human sinfulness, believe we should strive toward the harmonious world Isaiah envisioned—to try to live in accordance with the prayer that Jesus taught us, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

OK. The CVA's argument is built on proof-texts and a simplistic understanding of the biblical narrative, but their website does demonstrate that being a vegetarian is not inconsistent with being a Christian. My favorite biblical proof-text in favor of vegetarianism is Romans 14:2-3:

Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them.

So, according to the Apostle Paul, I'm weak, but you're not allowed to bug me about it.