Opinion: Perspectives from readers

About two years ago I decided to become a pescetarian, eating only fish and vegetables. I made that change not for ethical reasons but to improve my health. As a result, I lost weight and lowered my cholesterol.

There are some Christians, including most Seventh-day Adventists, who use the Bible to argue we should all be vegetarians. They point to God’s command to Adam in Genesis 1:29, “every seed bearing plant … and every tree that has fruit. They will be yours for food.”

It isn’t until after the flood that God removes this dietary restriction, telling Noah, “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you” (Genesis 9:3). God later restricts the Jewish diet to Kosher foods.

Our culinary preferences are central to our cultural identity. Restaurants are named by nationality; Italian, Mexican etc. For someone to imply that the Bible says you should be a vegetarian goes to the heart of an individual’s identity. It is also something that cannot be changed easily.

If you love cheeseburgers, you may support your choice by saying, “God gave mankind incisors to rip meat” or noting that Old Testament dietary restrictions were superseded in Christ. And Jesus ate the Paschal lamb with his disciples.

Another, arguing for vegetarianism, could counter, Yes, but Paul contended that if eating meat (sacrificed to idols) offends your brother’s conscience (referring now to the 21st-century brother who thinks it immoral to kill animals for food) “then do not eat it” (1 Corinthians 10: 28).

Many are familiar with the principles set forth in Mennonite Church USA’s Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love. Similarly, Mennonite Church Canada developed guidelines for corporate biblical discernment in a document titled Being a Faithful Church 4.

It provides guidelines, developed by a broad cross-section of the church and penned by Robert J. Suderman to “test the spirits.” It provides 12 paths to follow in biblical interpretation and six ditches to avoid when using the Bible to make a point. Briefly stated they are as follows:

Paths to follow:

(1) The life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus are central to our interpretation of Scripture.
(2) Context makes a difference to our reading of the Bible. We need to consider both when the Scriptures were written and our time and place today.
(3) Scripture interprets Scripture.
(4) Jesus interprets Scripture.
(5) Take the whole canon.
(6) Scripture is a living Word in a world in need of redemption.
(7) The Holy Spirit guides us.
(8) We are part of a larger story.
(9) Knowing is doing (i.e., we must change our behavior to reflect our knowledge of what God expects of us walking as disciples of Jesus Christ).
(10) Scripture is a delight.
(11) Be aware of other God followers.
(12) God intends to bring wholeness to Creation.

Ditches to avoid:

(1) Do not leave Jesus without a context.
(2) Do not assume your context is either normal or unchanging.
(3) Do not leave out the Old Testament.
(4) Avoid proof-texting (i.e., taking a single passage out of context or quoting a text without considering its context and purpose).
(5) Do not force God to fit your understanding.
(6) Do not generalize.

These guidelines are helpful, but we can only find a way forward together if we do not insist ours is the only valid interpretation of Scripture. We seem to be able to disagree about many points in the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective.

Many congregations do not hold rigidly to Mennonite Church USA’s peace position but allow disagreement. Some even let people in the military join their church.

Congregations take these actions, even though embracing Jesus’ life of peace is central to our understanding of what it means to be an Anabaptist Christian. I’ve heard that during World War II, as many as half the men in some congregations supported the U.S. war effort by joining the military. And for many years we have allowed area conferences to decide whether or not to ordain women to pastoral ministry.

In non-Amish families, we do not cut off relatives, even when they greatly offend us. We love them despite our differences and disagreements. My own extended family has made adjustments to accommodate my pescetarian preferences during holiday meals.

Yet in the church we find it difficult if not impossible to extend grace to some who interpret Scripture differently. In the April issue, pastor Harvey Yoder reminds us, “Disagreements are inevitable, divisions are optional.”

I pray that when we disagree on biblical interpretation, we will find a way as a family of faith to remain committed to each other and to our common identity and mission. May God grant us grace to make it so.

Steve Carpenter is congregational chair of Immanuel Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va.