By putting vegetarian values ahead of Jewish teachings, aren`t vegetarians, in effect, creating a new religion, with values contrary to Jewish teachings?
Jewish vegetarians do not place so-called vegetarian values above Torah principles. They are saying that Jewish values mandate that we treat animals with compassion, guard our health, share with hungry people, protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek peace, and hence point to vegetarianism as the ideal diet for Jews today, especially in view of the many problems related to modern methods of raising animals on factory farms. Rather than rejecting Torah values, Jewish vegetarians are challenging the Jewish community to apply Torah values to their diets in a daily meaningful way. They are respectfully challenging Jews to live up to Judaism’s splendid teachings.
