My vegetarianism is something that comes up in conversation almost every time I eat with people. It came up at kiddish yesterday when I asked if the cholent was vegetarian. It wasn’t.
I don’t proselytize for vegetarianism. I’m a vegetarian by habit. Yes, I think it is a good thing, but it is not something I am passionate about.
Why am I a vegetarian? Because I was raised that way. I was brought up a Seventh-Day Adventist. That’s a type of Protestant Christianity.
Let’s deconstruct the term “Seventh-Day Adventist.” The “Seventh-Day” part means that Adventists keep the Seventh day Sabbath. From sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night is holy time. You don’t work. Now Seventh-Day Adventists are not as strict about the Sabbath as observant Jews. Seventh-Day Adventists drive on the Sabbath. They’ll turn on lights on the Sabbath. They’ll heat up food on the Sabbath, though they generally won’t cook on the Sabbath. Some Adventists will even watch TV on the Sabbath, but if they’re religious as opposed to simply cultural Adventists, they’ll only watch one of the three satellite Seventh-Day Adventist channels.
The “Adventist” part of Seventh-Day Adventist means that they believe in the imminent advent of Jesus Christ. They think he’s coming back soon and that he will take them away to Heaven. Adventists are into eschatology. That means the study of the time of the end. Adventists are into apocalyptic. Apocalyptic means the disclosure of something hidden. The apocalypse can refer to the final battle that will end all battles – Armaggedon.
