'At Quaker gatherings we may give thanks for our food, and when we cook we often do so as ministry.' Photo: by Tangerine Newt on Unsplash
Don’t feed the idol: Wendy Pattinson on eating ethically
‘What we are seen to be doing, our faith-in-action, influences others.’
When we worship or pray, and when we behave in ways that uphold Quaker testimony, we are nourishing God’s work in the world, growing God’s kingdom. Conversely, if we engage with and condone things that are contrary to God’s will, then we are nourishing those things instead. Feeding idols!
1 Corinthians 8 discusses food that has been offered to idols. At the time it was the custom to make an animal sacrifice to a god. The animal’s life was offered to what early Christians would have considered an idol. Meat that was bought or consumed in the houses of non-Christians could have been offered to that idol, and perhaps understood as worshipping it.
At Quaker gatherings we may give thanks for our food, and when we cook we often do so as ministry. In doing these things, we are dedicating the food to God. But, if we are mindful of where the food has come from, we may experience some tension due to how it has been produced. This is especially so where animal products are concerned. Most meat and animal products are produced in ways that are unsustainable. Land is cleared, intensively cultivated and exhausted in growing animal feed. Animals, God’s creatures, are reduced to machines for converting feed into saleable products. Industrial fishing is also exhausting the oceans and destroying small-scale fisheries. All this uses large amounts of fossil fuels. This destruction and waste is driven by the imperative to make ever-increasing amounts of profit. In essence, land, oceans and God’s creatures are being sacrificed to the idol of capitalism. In consuming these foods we feed the idol!
I therefore suggest that we should minimise our consumption of these foods, or cut them out if we are able. When resolve falters, we can encourage each other in right action, just as Paul advises us to consider the impact of our actions on others: ‘But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For if others see you – with your “superior knowledge” – eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol?’
What we are seen to be doing, our faith-in-action, influences others. Quakers are often regarded as ‘good’ people, respected for our work for peace, justice, sustainability and climate justice. We try to be patterns and examples. That’s quite a responsibility! Many Friends and Meetings practice this with respect to food. But not all.
Imagine a time when the catering at all Quaker events and venues is wholly vegetarian and largely vegan, with the stated purpose of upholding our testimony to sustainability and rejecting an idolatrous and destructive system of production. Imagine course, event and accommodation listings that explain this…
Comments
I strongly agree with you Wendy. I am delighted to read an article on this topic in The Friend. Our other testimonies to peace, integrity and equality can also guide our food choices. I was delighted to be served vegan food at last years BYM. I was saddened to see so much meat on offer during Junior Gathering when I was volunteering 2 years ago. I would welcome seeing our Society of Friends coming together over this concern, and really being Friends to the planet and animals too.
By AmyE on 7th March 2024 - 9:22
Yep, I agree.
By suehampton@btinternet.com on 8th March 2024 - 18:47
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