What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Relationship between the biblical purity laws and vegetarian diet"
Answer
Restrictions on meat consumption as a means of instruction
»In the choice of man's food in Eden, the Lord showed what the best diet was; in the choice for Israel He taught the same lesson. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and undertook their training so that they could be a people for His own possession. ... He provided them with the food most suitable for this purpose, not meat but manna, the "bread of heaven." Only because of their dissatisfaction and grumbling over the meat pots of Egypt were they granted animal food, and that only for a short time. ... When they settled in Canaan, the Israelites were permitted to use animal food, but under careful restrictions that tended to lessen the harmful consequences. The use of pork was forbidden, as were other animals and birds and fish whose flesh was declared unclean.«
The significance of the purity laws as health laws
»The distinction of foods into clean and unclean was not merely a ceremonial and arbitrary regulation, but was based on sanitary principles. Observance of this distinction can be largely credited for the wonderful vitality that has characterized the Jewish people for millennia. ... True moderation teaches us to completely abstain from everything harmful and to use the healthy wisely.«
Return to the original plan of vegetarian diet
»Again and again I was shown that God is trying to lead us step by step back to His original plan—that man should live on the natural products of the earth. Vegetables, fruits, and grains should make up our food. Not an ounce of meat should enter our stomachs. Eating meat is unnatural. We are to return to God's original intention in the creation of man.«
The spiritual aspect of the purification of the body
»Many foods that were freely eaten by the pagans around them were forbidden to the Israelites. It was not an arbitrary distinction that was made. The prohibited items were unhealthy. And the fact that they were declared unclean taught the lesson that the use of harmful foods is contaminating. What corrupts the body tends to corrupt the soul. It renders the user unfit for communion with God, unfit for high and holy service.«
Validity of natural health laws
»The dietary distinction between clean and unclean meat ... is today generally recognized among Adventists. In contrast to the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, which pointed to Christ, or the civil laws that regulated the theocracy, these health laws were based on natural law and therefore were not limited to a single age or era. Thus, even among Adventists who eat meat, these unclean meats are avoided.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
