"The best example of a vegetarian in the Bible is Daniel, the nonviolent resister who refuses to defile himself by eating the king’s meat.

He and three friends actually become much healthier than everyone else through their vegetarian diet.

They also become 10 times smarter, and “God rewards them with knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom.”

Throughout the marvelous stories that follow, we hear of someone who remains faithful to God, refuses to worship the emperor’s false gods and unjust ways, and practices a steadfast nonviolence.

And this marvelous story begins with divine approval of vegetarianism.

The book of the prophet Isaiah proclaims the vision of the peaceable kingdom, that new realm of God where everyone will beat their swords into plowshares, refuse to study war, enjoy their own vine and fig tree, and never fear again.

Several passages condemn meat-eating and foresee a day when people and animals will adopt a vegetarian diet, when “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ...

They do no violence, no harm, on all my holy mountain.”(Is.11:6-9)

Of course, God’s covenant is always with “all flesh,” animal and human, and in the conclusion to Isaiah, God speaks of those who kill animals in the same way as those who murder people and heralds the dawn of a new day of peace."