Which religion is the most vegan?

[spencer]

Claudia Pastorino (born 1965 in Genoa) is an Italian singer-songwriter, author, and an advocate for animal rights, vegetarianism, and Jainism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Pastorino

She's one of the few non-Indian converts to Jainism.

[Jamie in Chile]

From best to worst

Jainism
Buddhism
Hinduism
Others
Islam

If you must have a religion, chose Jainism. But Jainism does have some bad things as well, like some fear of sex.

I think a belief system based on modern ethical values and science and universal concepts like love and freedom beats any religion.

[Jebus]

From best to worst

Jainism
Buddhism
Hinduism
Others
Islam

If you must have a religion, chose Jainism. But Jainism does have some bad things as well, like some fear of sex.

I think a belief system based on modern ethical values and science and universal concepts like love and freedom beats any religion.

Excellent post except I would add the following.

Put Judaism on par with Hinduism. Yes they are not many but they get enough mention in media and history books to warrant their own mention. Mormonism is insignificant but they are harmless enough to warrant a bronze medal too.

Add Christianity to Others. It has managed to move from last place to 4th place in the last few hundred years and at its pace of improvement it should soon join Hinduism on third place.

[spencer]

From best to worst

Jainism
Buddhism
Hinduism
Others
Islam

If you must have a religion, chose Jainism. But Jainism does have some bad things as well, like some fear of sex.

I think a belief system based on modern ethical values and science and universal concepts like love and freedom beats any religion.

[Porphyry]

The vegan / vegetarian distinction is not something I find in the ancient literature. Veganism has to be inferred. Some Mahayana Buddhist monasteries are vegan because they refrain from eating meat or honey and culturally they do not consume dairy. So in practice they turn out to be vegan. These are found in China, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, but not Japan. Lay practice is not as strict and it is rare for a layperson to be even vegetarian.

Some Taoist monasteries are also vegan / vegetarian. There is a great video about Chinese Buddhist and Taoist contemporary hermits and some of the hermits discuss their diet in it. I think it's called 'Amongst White Clouds'.

Jains are vegetarian, but from what I have heard they admire vegan discipline. But I don't know if there is any data regarding the vegan diet among Jains.

7th Day Adventist have a large percentage of vegetarians and vegans, which seems to be strongly encouraged but not required.

Platonism was vegetarian, along with Pythagoreanism and Orphism. I think it is likely that they were vegan, at least there are clues that indicate that. A disciple of Plotinus wrote that he refused any medication if it contained animal products. Being vegan / vegetarian at that time was problematic because temples practiced animal sacrifice on a large scale. This was an issue discussed, as to whether or not it was OK to participate in such rites.

I'm not aware of any secular or humanist movements that require vegan commitments in order to be a member. I think that is because vegan commitments require a transcendental foundation to be enduring or, in my opinion, to be coherent.

[boitatá]

Would vote for Pythagoreanism and Platonism, not only because several are said to have been vegetarians, but also because the vegetarian diet they advocated in their writings is usually a strict vegetarian one, and because the way they looked at food is conducive to strict vegetarianism. To illustrate this here is a passage from "The Life of Apollonius of Tyana":

"NOW Euxenus realized that he was attached to a lofty ideal, and asked him at what point he would begin it. Apollonius answered: "At the point at which physicians begin, for they, by purging the bowels of their patients prevent some from being ill at all, and heal others." And having said this he declined to live upon a flesh diet, on the ground that it was unclean, and also that it made the mind gross; so he partook only of dried fruits and vegetables,

p. 20 p. 21

for he said that all the fruits of the earth are clean. And of wine he said that it was a clean drink because it is yielded to men by so well-domesticated a plant as the vine; but he declared that it endangered the mental balance and system and darkened, as with mud, the ether which is in the soul. After then having thus purged his interior, he took to walking without shoes by way of adornment and clad himself in linen raiment, declining to wear any animal product; and he let his hair grow long and lived in the Temple. "

https://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/aot/laot/laot03.htm

However, as far as I know, as close to a religion as the latter installments of the above philosophies may have been they are usually not considered as such.

Once saw a documentary about an Indian group who followed a strict vegetarian diet and even used masks to prevent insects from entering their mouth. Don' know if these are the Jainists, they probably deserve to be at the top of the list.

SDA might come second if they filled the time requisite, but they were founded in the 19th Century.

So, in second maybe it would make sense to place lacto-vegetarian branches of Hinduism?

However religion can be a tricky thing among other things because these are usually stifling collectivist groups that place much importance in tradition and are not very receptive to changes. There can also be a gap between the traditional practice and the scriptures.

For example Buddhist vegetarianism seems to be a myth and is confined to some monastic groups and fasting days. The Dalai Lama for example is not vegetarian.

From what I've been told strict vegetarian orders also exist in the Roman Catholic Church. There are also nearly vegetarian groups of monks in the Orthodox Church and if its fasting calendar is followed it means going vegan around 1/3 of the year. They are nevertheless traditionally opposed to vegetarianism and animal rights.

[Your_Construct]

Hi spencer,

I am not religious by any means. I am an atheist. I think religion is one of the main causes of suffering in our world. However, I do realize that "functionally" I am a jainist since I respect insect life as well. I've found ladybugs inside the building where I work and will take them outside where they will have a better chance of finding food. I'm not saying I'm a slob and my place has cockroaches, but I do see the occasional bug in my apartment and I let them be.

[patekama120]

A lot of religions in the Hindu culture are Vegetarian and sometimes vegan. This is out of respect for animals and probably a lack of being able to afford meat.

[Jebus]

A lot of religions in the Hindu culture are Vegetarian and sometimes vegan.

Which religion in the Hindu culture is vegan?

This is out of respect for animals

More likely the selfish notion of wanting good karma.

and probably a lack of being able to afford meat.

Agreed.

[Kaz1983]

From best to worst

Jainism
Buddhism
Hinduism