Veganism and Religion

There are a few groups out there that try to tie vegetarianism (or sometimes a vegan diet) and religion together, but i'm not sure that it can be very effective..after all, these same books also justify exploiting animals and perhaps play a big role in why animals are treated so poorly. After all, if they don't have souls, and don't go to heaven, and there's no punishment for having your way with them, why not..?

Sure, select animals are spared depending on the religion (Jews and pigs, Hindus and cows), but with the near-exception of Jainism (which is also problematic, but at the other extreme, where they won't euthanize a terminal animal as an example), none of them lay down a comprehensive vegan message.

Here's a recent item from a Canadian outlet that motivated this entry:

TORONTO — It is impossible to eat meat without violence. An animal,
after all, has to be killed before it can be con­sumed. And that means
Jessica Smith, a Hindu, doesn't eat meat.

"It has to do with the Hindu belief in non-violence," the 32-year-old
Toronto resident says. "And reincarnation."
...
In fact, it's an impulse as an­cient as most faiths. The Hebrew Bible,
known as the Old Testament to Chris­tians and considered a holy book
in Islam, for instance, in­structs man to care for creation —
including animals.

So it is not surprising that animal welfare groups are drawing a
connection between religious teachings and animal rights.
--
full story:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Religion/9009062.html