Explain two religious beliefs about the use of animals for food.

Refer to sacred writings or another source of religious belief and teaching in your answer. [6 Marks]

Christianity

• Many Christians will use every kind of animal for food.

• They point to the Bible, where there Apostle Peter is shown all kinds of animals in a dream and told ‘God has made these things clean, so don’t call them “unholy”’ (Acts 10. 15).

• They argue that God made all the animals, and since God cannot make anything that is ‘unclean’ or ‘sinful’, EVERY type of animal should be fine to eat.

Islam

• Many Muslims will only use certain kinds of animals for food.

• They point to the Qur’an, where it says ‘Forbidden to you are carrion, blood, and swine’ (5. 3).

• They argue that the Qur’an is the final revelation of Allah (swt), and we should willingly submit to its judgement about which animals are HALAL (permitted) and HARAM (forbidden).

Buddhism

• Many Buddhists will not use ANY kind of animal for food.

• They base this on the Buddha’s teaching that ‘He who seeking his own happiness punishes or kills beings [...] will not find happiness after death’ (Dhammapada 131).

• They believe that if a person kills animals for food (or causes them to be killed), then they may be reborn in one of the three bad realms.