And they are correct.
Ethical (or moral) veganism is a philosophy that opposes the use of animals for any purpose, based on the assumption that animals have intrinsic moral value. This philosophy arises from the same spiritual assumptions that underpin environmental veganism or vegetarianism. In other words, the earth and the animals in it are sacred, according to this ‘religion’. A couple illustrations may help:
We view this same philosophy (religious ideology) in the Bolivian Law of the Rights of Mother Earth, Law 071 (2010).
Final Declaration of the People's Summit (Rio de Janeiro, June 2012), calling for U.N. adoption of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth
More recently, Pope Francis recognized the rights of nature in his 2015 Speech before the United Nations (Sept. 25, 2015).
Kip Anderson brought this conversation to the water cooler with his groundbreaking documentary Cowspiracy.
But. There many people who are vegetarian/vegan because of vegan health benefits. I count myself among them, as a CHIP alumnus.
In fact, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (an agency of the World Health Organization), processed meats are listed alongside other group 1 carcinogens such as tobacco, alcohol, asbestos, and arsenic.
People who consume a lot of processed meats are at a much higher risk of suffering from preventable illnesses. Some of these include diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and certain types of cancer.
But that doesn’t make it a religion, does it? No, that makes it a discipline, not a doctrine. So how did the UK conclude that veganism is a philosophical belief akin to religion?
The UK Employment Tribunal Ruling
LONDON — A British court ruled on January 3 that ethical veganism was a philosophical belief akin to religion that should be protected against workplace discrimination, in a landmark decision sought by a vegan who claimed he had been unfairly dismissed from his job because of it.
The case was brought forward by British vegan Jordi Casamitjana, who is at the center of the landmark legal hearing where an employment tribunal panel had to determine if the vegan movement is a "philosophical or religious belief," according to the BBC.
The tribunal has yet to rule on the merits of the case, but it did on Friday take the step of deciding that the man’s ethical veganism constitutes a “philosophical and religious belief” protected by anti-discrimination law.
On January 3, Judge Robin Postle at the employment tribunal in Norwich, in eastern England, ruled that ethical veganism qualified under Britain’s Equality Act as a philosophical belief and that those embracing it were entitled to similar protection as those who hold religious beliefs.
Now that veganism has been ruled to be a belief akin with religion, it would be the first time the intention of refraining from using animal products could be protected under the UK's Equality Act 2010.
Describing ethical veganism in an article on the BBC as something which impacts his everyday life, Casamitjana will, for example, walk instead of catching a bus to avoid any crashes with insects or birds, as well as excluding any products made from animal exploitation like wool, leather, and animal testing.
Lessons For Seventh-day Adventists
We should renew our commitment to healthy living and vegetarianism as the best lifestyle in a self-serving and gluttonous world (1 Corinthians 3:16; Philippians 3:19).
Following the example of Daniel in Chapter 1, choosing that which is more natural, and denying foods that can damage our temple, can result in greater clarity, health and vigor to serve God (Daniel 1:12, 15—20).
We should not jump on the green bandwagon in order to be liked by our culture.
Not all vegans/vegetarians have the same goals. We should avoid associating ourselves with moral vegetarianism and ethical veganism (Proverbs 4:14-19; Deut. 18:9). These religious impulses will subtly shift our focus from the Creator who is forever praised—to the service and worship of created things (Romans 1:25). In other words they exchange the truth of God for a lie.
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“He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness. He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 105:43).