Christian Vegetarian Association

Tara Ruffles

The Christian Vegetarian Association(CVA) are an international, non-denominational ministry of Christians who “respectfully encourage healthy, God-honouring, plant-based nutrition" (CVA,2008). The CVA communicates to followers primarily through its website, which can be found online at: http://www.all-creatures.org/cva/. The website clearly outlines the mission of the Association, which revolves around three main principles.

To support and encourage Christian vegetarians around the world.
To share with non-vegetarian Christians how a vegetarian diet can be a powerful and faith-strengthening witness to Christ's love, compassion, and peace.
To show the world that plant-based diets represent good, responsible Christian stewardship for all God's Creation (CVA, 2008).

The CVA offers followers free online membership to the association, where they can specifically sign on to the mailing and support list. The first page of the website also shows those interested how to best facilitate vegetarian advocacy, and promotes a book entitled 'Good News for all Creation’ by Stephen Kaufman and Nathan Braun. The aim of the publication is to “prove the extreme contradictions between Christ’s teaching and animal-based food production" (CVA, 2008). The book is available for digital download directly off the website.

The main page of the website also provides an interesting timeline of relevant articles, which is constantly being updated with new information and posts. This timeline has some very interesting articles – everything from bible verses and vegetarian recipes, to dairy cancer links and environmental issues concerning the sustainability of the fishing industry. These articles are very effective in promoting the organisations religious/environmental standpoint, providing both hard facts and practical information and advice encouraging the individual on how to make a difference.

The CVA website promotes vegetarianism’s benefits from a wholeheartedly Christian standpoint. Interestingly however, the CVA doesn’t only justify a vegetarian lifestyle through the word of God, but also offers a medical and environmental perspective. The ‘Vegetarian Benefits’ section of the website is a wonderful resource outlining the destructive effects excessive meat, egg and diary consumption are having on the planet. It does so in wonderful detail, providing interesting statistical evidence on environmental concerns such as soil erosion, overfishing, pollution and resource depletion, as well as offering supporting biblical passages on these issues.

Furthermore, the site also discusses the massive toll overuse of animal and animal products is having on our bodies, outlining medical issues such as cancer, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. The site provides very interesting and informative articles and statistics, motivating readers to change their habits not only because of God’s word, but also for their own personal well-being and the welfare of the environment.

The CVA website provides substantial information and advice on religious and environmental issues, with the two issues being fundamentally interlinked. The site also provides several academic essays, delving further into the effect humans are having on the environment, with an essentially religious undertone. The CVA is committed to not only sharing God’s word, but also bringing to light real environmental issues that are impacting the earth as a specific result of the mass production of animal products.

The CVA website is very interesting and informative, and whilst it promotes Christianity, non-Christians would also find many of the scientifically based findings constructive and useful when considering the impact of their daily habits on the environment.

REFERENCES:

The Christian Vegetarian Association http://www.all-creatures.org/cva/ Hoffman Family Foundation, 2008. Visited 14 March 2008

Kaufman, S. & Braun, N. ‘Good News for all Creation – Vegetarianism as Christian Stewardship’, 2002. Vegetarian Advocates Press, Cleveland, OH.