Question: Dear Greg,
My
niece is a Seventh Day Adventist. They
teach her that we shouldn’t be eating meat.
I think she said it has to do with cleansing the body, if I can remember.
She
might be joining me for Thanksgiving and it wouldn’t be a problem having a
meat-free alternative for her. But
would it be wrong for me, as a Christian, to eat meat in front of her if she
views that eating meat is wrong? I
see Scripture that might suggest that it is (Romans
If
meat is a stumbling block to her, then should I not eat it in her presence— or
even serve it, for that matter?
Thank
you,
Landrum
Answer: Dear Landrum,
If
this passage applied as you suggest, then Christians who have any vegan friends
of any persuasion would have to stop eating meat in their presence.
Following this line of reasoning ad absurdum we might conclude
that Romans 14 means that Christians who own or work in grocery
stores/restaurants/fast food places like McDonalds or Taco Bell would have to
find another line of work. Who knows
when a vegetarian might walk through the door?
Paul
is talking about the willingness of Christians to not force their liberty upon
someone who is honestly engaging the issue from a Christ-centered, biblically
based perspective. In another place
he says that if it makes a difference for someone who is “weak in the faith”
he will eat no meat while the world stands.
But remember he is talking about doing so for someone who is in the
process of transition— of discussing the issue, not someone who is not.
He is not talking about the need for a Christian to alter lifestyles or
professions in entertaining those who simply have differing lifestyles.
Hope
this helps.
In
Christ,
Greg
Albrecht