Don't Vex the Vegans

The apostle Paul defends non-meat eaters.

Food fights.

We see them today when naked protesters lie down on city streets on Styrofoam trays covered with cellophane. They are members of PETA -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. By mimicking meat packages, they are demonstrating that all animals -- including humans -- are made of flesh, blood and bone.

Their message: Meat is murder.

On the other hand, you know about people who put bumper stickers on their cars with the message: "I love animals. They're delicious."

Or they ask, "If God didn't want us to eat animals, why are they made out of meat?"

Vegans versus carnivores. The battle can get pretty bloody.

But food fights are nothing new. Paul stepped into the middle of one as he was writing his letter to the Romans. In this case, the issue was not about the ethics of killing animals, nor did it focus on the health value of a low-fat vegan diet.

Instead, the fight was about judging people.

The battle lines are drawn when Paul writes, "Some believe in eating anything, while the ...