1901年7月15日写于加利福尼亚州圣赫勒那
亲爱的弟兄姐妹们:
你们问到吃肉的问题。我要说的是,几乎所有动物的肉都是有病的,这是相当真实的。很多人都在吃充满痨病和癌变细菌的肉。现今,动物正遭受各种致命疾病的折磨。{PC 1.1}
主一直在教导祂的子民,为了他们属灵和身体的益处,要避免吃肉。没有必要吃死动物的肉。{PC 1.2}
向人类家庭宣布了咒诅之后,上帝才允许人吃肉。祂这么做以便缩短人的寿命。已经向人类宣布了死刑,而允许吃肉就是上帝用来施加这种刑罚的手段之一。{PC 1.3}
耶和华将祂的百姓从埃及领出来的时候,并没有给他们肉食,直到他们的哀声哭号达到祂的耳中,他们说:“谁给我们肉吃呢?我们记得,在埃及的时候不花钱就吃鱼,也记得有黄瓜、西瓜、韭菜、葱、蒜。现在我们的心血枯竭了,除这吗哪以外,在我们眼前并没有别的东西。”于是耶和华就给了他们肉吃。祂把鹌鹑从天上送来,然而我们读到:“肉在他们牙齿之间尚未嚼烂,耶和华的怒气就向他们发作,用最重的灾殃击杀了他们”(民11:4-6,33)。{PC 1.4}
上帝赐给祂百姓的亮光是,通过吃死兽的肉和血,人就变得动物化了。人的低级情欲因肉食而大大加强了。{PC 1.5}
世俗的医生无法解释人类家庭中疾病的迅速增加。但我们知道,大部分的痛苦是由吃死肉造成的。{PC 1.6}
三十多年前,我经常身体极其软弱。大家为我献上许多祈祷。人们以为肉食能给我活力,就让我以肉食为主。结果我非但没有加增体力,反而越来越虚弱。我常常精疲力竭而晕倒。后来主赐我亮光,对我说明男女世人因肉食而给精神、道德和身体机能带来的伤害。我蒙指示:肉食影响人整个身体,会加强人的兽性和饮酒的欲念。{PC 1.7}
我马上从菜单上取消肉食。此后我只是偶尔不得已用一点肉食。然而我已经很多年没有吃过一口死兽的肉了。也没有肉食摆在我的餐桌上。我供应访客的是健康营养的食物,而不是肉食。{PC 1.8}
上帝子民要想在保持清晰的头脑和健康的身体方面取得成功,现在就需要明智的建议和正确的做法。我们必须密切关注吃、喝与着装。信徒们全身都需要做出明确的改良。高尚的信仰表白,接着便是不顾生命的定律,表明一种没有信心的生活。缺乏忠诚,缺乏稳定,受制于错误的习惯,——就是这种做法的必然结果。那些走这种道路的人不是言行一致的基督徒。得救意味着脱离每一个倾向于把人往下拉的习惯。违背我们生命的法则就是违背上帝的律法。{PC 1.9}
St. Helena, Calif.1901-7-15
Dear Brethren and Sisters,
You ask in regard to meat-eating. I will say that it is quite true that nearly all animal flesh is diseased. Many people are eating meat filled with consumption and cancerous germs. At the present day animals are suffering from all kinds of deadly diseases.?{PC 1.1}
The Lord has been teaching His people that it is for their spiritual and physical good to abstain from flesh-eating. There is no need to eat the flesh of dead animals.?{PC 1.2}
After the curse was pronounced upon the human family, God permitted man to eat flesh-meat. This He did that life might be shortened. The punishment of death has been pronounced upon the race, and the permission to eat flesh-meat was one of the means used by God to inflict this punishment.?{PC 1.3}
When the Lord took His people from Egypt, He did not give them flesh-meat to eat till they mourned and wept in His ears, saying, “Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the flesh, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick; but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all beside this manna, before our eyes.” Then the Lord gave them flesh to eat. He sent them quails from heaven, but we read, “While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.”?{PC 1.4}
The light God has given His people is that by eating the flesh and blood of dead animals, man becomes animalized. His lower passions are greatly strengthened by such a diet.?{PC 1.5}
Worldly physicians can not account for the rapid increase of disease among the human family. But we know that much of this suffering is caused by the eating of dead flesh.?{PC 1.6}
Over thirty years ago I was often in great weakness. Many prayers were offered in my behalf. It was thought that flesh-meat would give me vitality, and this was therefore my principal article of diet. But instead of gaining strength I grew weaker and weaker. I often fainted from exhaustion. Light came to me, showing me the injury men and women were doing to the mental, moral, and physical faculties by the use of flesh-meat. I was shown that the whole human structure is affected by this diet, that by it man strengthens the animal propensities and the appetite for liquor.?{PC 1.7}
I at once cut meat out of my bill of fare. After that I was at times at or in places where I was compelled to eat a little meat. But for many years not a morsel of the flesh of dead animals has passed my lips. Neither has meat been placed upon my table. My visitors have been given wholesome, nourishing food, but no meat.?{PC 1.8}
Wise counsel and righteous practices are needed now, if the people of God succeed in preserving clear minds and healthy bodies. We must give?close attention to eating, drinking, and dressing. The entire body of believers needs to make a decided reform. A high profession, followed by a disregard of the laws of life, shows a faithless life. Lack of fidelity, want of stability, slavery to wrong habits,—this is the sure result of such a course. Those who follow this course are not consistent Christians. Salvation means deliverance from every habit which tends to drag humanity down. Transgression of the laws of our being is transgression of the laws of God.?{PC 1.9}