Outside India, the Cathars [who lived between the 10th and 12th centuries] were the first vegetarian community in France, claiming to be true disciples of the apostles.
The religion of the Cathars, the Catharism, true Christianity according to them, means the pure, the perfect, the purified. The Cathars were vegetarians. They did not eat meat, because they knew that animals had souls. They had forbidden the slaughter of all animals, whatever they are, and protected all animal life, terrestrial and aquatic, as well as plants.
Even Buddha brings this clarification:
“Let the disciple abstain from all meat, so as not to cause fear to other living entities. The sane man does not eat meat. There may be some fools in the future who will claim that I approved of eating meat, but please know that I have not allowed, do not allow, and will never allow anyone to eat animal flesh. At all times and in all places, it is unconditionally forbidden for all”.
Teaching of the Supreme Eternal.
God has equal love for all living beings, human beings, animals and plants. We are not the body of matter in which we reside, but spiritual entities also called spiritual souls. We have incarnated in a human body, animal or plant, according to our acts committed in our previous life, consequence of our respective karma.
All animals have a soul as well as all plants, and as such we must protect them. This is the major reason why the Supreme Eternal forbids taking the life of a human being and an animal, and expressly asks us not to destroy plants, and not to eat meat, fish and eggs.. So let us listen to God, and do what He says.
Concerning spiritual vegetarianism, the original holy scriptures teach.
The holy scriptures original contain many references condemning the consumption of animal flesh and encouraging compassion towards animals.
“The book of the law for humanity” specifies: “We cannot obtain meat without injuring a living being (a terrestrial or aquatic animal), which will prevent us from accessing celestial bliss. Let us therefore avoid eating meat”.
Another passage from this same book warns us: “After having carefully considered the revolting origin of meat and the cruelty of captivity and the killing of living beings, let us abstain entirely from all consumption of flesh”.