Biblical Nutrition: Part 2

If you kept a 100% raw, vegan diet, would you live till 900? We know it is impossible. We don't know for sure how God shortened the lifespan of man. It could have been through several causes - genetic, environmental, loss of valuable topsoil, diet perhaps had a small role, etc. He is God and Creator. His knowledge and ways are too marvelous for us to comprehend. From the studies of eminent creation scientists, we learn that the earth's atmosphere before the Flood was very different, which accounts for dense tropical forests in what are deserts and snow-covered places today. Fact is, we will never be able to reverse the drastic shortening of life span, no matter how healthy our diet is. In your latest Health Tip, you suggested that God allowed the consumption of animal foods so as to accomplish His purpose of shortening the life span of man. This is without reasonable proof and totally against the loving, benevolent nature of God!
Bible facts for you to consider:
1. Isaac lived till 180, 70 years more than Joseph. Yet the Bible tells us that he loved game meats.
2. Ezekiel 47:9-12 tells us that during the Millennium, man will still be fishing and harvesting sea salt. What would the fishes and salt be used for? If not for human consumption, then I don't know what for.
3. Noah, his family and the animals spent about a year in the Ark. If they had only subsisted on fruits, nuts and vegetables, their food supply would have been exhausted after a short time, without refrigeration. Only dried beans and grains could have lasted for so long and managed to feed all those creatures in the Ark for a year. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that pre-Flood man had learnt to cultivate grains, legumes and other seed foods.
4. If the Jews were to follow your vegan diet, they would not have been to celebrate the Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles and many other appointed feasts of the LORD as these feasts required consumption of animal flesh and cooked bread. Are you suggesting that they should disobey God's commandments (punishable by death) to follow your dietary guidelines? Did you know the Jews of the Millennium are required to keep these feasts (Ezekiel 44-46)?
5. The Bible says that God will feed us with meat and marrow during the Millennium (Isaiah 25:6)?
6. When God gave manna to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, Moses did not forbid them to cook their manna. Rather, Exodus 16:23 tells us that the Israelites were to bake or boil the manna into bread/wafers or porridge. If raw food was the most nutritious and cooking destroyed many nutrients, God would certainly have told the Israelites to eat the manna raw, but He did not.
Reverend, do not get me wrong. I'm not advocating that we go out and eat as much animal foods or cooked foods as we can. There are advantages in eating raw, especially with fruits and certain vegetables. A predominantly plant-based diet is also very healthful. But some foods are best consumed cooked (e.g. grains, beans and tubers). And when clean, wholesome animal produce is available, we should not be afraid of consuming them as these are usually very good sources of essential amino acids, fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and minerals that are also of greater bio-availability than plant foods to the human body. Rather than preaching against consumption of animal foods, we should lobby for a return to traditional, organic forms of pastoral farming.
Reverend, I hope this email would cause you to review and re-think some of your teachings.
I have attached an excellent article on the Myths of Vegetarianism by Dr Stephen Byrnes for your further reference.
I'll leave you a passage from 1 Timothy 4:1-6:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.